First Week in SEA

Hello family and friends!
Shaina and I are a full week into our South East Asia (SEA) trip and wow have we been going non-stop!

It all started in Bangkok where the hustle and bustle of tuk-tuks (motorized tricycles with a bench seat on the back), meandering monks, speeding mopeds, and the commotion of street markets gave us an exhilarating welcome to the Land of a Thousand Smiles.


Shaina eating a less than stellar pad thai in down town bangkok, but she still seems happy despite that fact.


Food is everywhere in Thailand. At first I thought that all these food stalls and shops where mainly for tourists, but now I realize that the Thai people really like their food and want it available whenever and wherever they are.


Wats pepper the streets of most Thai cities and Bangkok is no exception. Inside one can find examples of the excellent craftsmanship and artisanship of the Thai.


After a single day of Bangkok exploration we hopped onto a night train.

Our night train was set to leave at 18:10 and arrive in Chiang Mai at 07:45 and while it left on time, we did not arrive In Chiang Mai until nearly 10:00, and we were famished. Lucky for us we were able to arrange pick up directly from the train station from some a very nice couple, Clay and Su. They took us to lunch, gave us cell phones to borrow, took us on a tour of the town, and even found a perfect little guest house near the hospital where Shaina is working. Thank you so much Clay and Su! :)


Our time in Chiang Mai started out with a pretty hard core down hill mountain biking trip.


We found an outfitter with the apt moniker "Mountain Biking Chiang Mai" and despite their name's lack of excitement this trip was chalk full of it! They fitted us with helmets, knee and shin guards, elbow and forearm guards, water, and small day packs and we were ready to go. We jumped into the back of a flat bed truck and boogied up Doi Sutep Mountain that rises up above Chiang Mai to 5300 feet. This gave us nearly 5000 feet of downhill riding pleasure over 26 kilometers.


The ride was really quite difficult and four of the people in our group took head-over-heels spills before we reached the bottom, and this was only the beginner to intermediate ride!


Here is a view of some of the scenery that we got to pass though.


Our guide was fantastic! Kept us going at a good pace, was funny, and kept us as safe as one can be while hurling down a mountain at break neck speeds!


On Monday, Shaina had to start work at the hospital. She's working in the ER at the major trauma hospital in town. It's not much to look at from the outside, but lots of crazy stuff comes through those doors. Much of the severe trauma is due to motorcycle accidents, because the vast majority of people here don't wear helmets, locals and tourists alike. (We always wear our ours, so don't worry!) But she has had a few crazy cases, like a guy who fell off his elephant and got trampled. Don't see that everyday in the States! Overall the medical aspects have been very interesting, even though the language barrier is pretty hard for her sometimes. Either way, it'll be an experience for the books!


Man getting a chest tube after falling from and getting stepped on by an elephant.


A view into Chiang Mai University's Majaraj emergency room.


While Shaina was keeping herself busy saving lives I was busy 35km outside of Chiang Mai at a very cool place called Crazy Horse Buttress. Crazy Horse is an amazing area that has been developed over the last 15 years for rock climbing. I met up with an American named Walt from Tennessee and had 3 awesome days of climbing.


Here is Tennessee Walt! Climb on man!


Me at the top of the Hanging Gardens with my old shoes.


Me at the top of the Chimney Sweep with my new shoes.


When I haven't had the motivation to shlep myself out to Crazy Horse I have been getting my work out on with the awesome folks over at Chiang Mai Rock Climbing Adventures (CMRCA). If you are wanting to do any climbing in northern Thailand this place is perfect for outfitting you with all you need.


Bouldering wall at CMRCA. Not all that big but set up with some great routes.


And that my friends brings week one to a close. It has been a blast and we look forward towards the next exciting things to come our way. Saturday we are leaving for a small village called Pai. Not sure what we will find there, but we'll be sure to fill you in soon!

Cheers!

Maxell

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Location:Bangkok & Chiang Mai