***First Day in Thailand***

Today Tina and I went to Dongdaemun. We bought a little fabric and some stones and stuff to make those fishingline necklaces - not that we know how. Then we hit the streets and had some lunch. After that, we followed a tip from another quilter who said there was another fabric market downriver from Dongdaemun. So we walked and walked. And YES, there is another market! Lots of silks, polyesters, shimmery stuff, and some cotton. Also buttons, trims, jewelry findings, etc. And clothes. Gotta love it. I got a Thailand t-shirt. The silk was 18000 won/yard so we didn't get any. But I got other fabric and we had a great time looking. When we returned to post, I went to Tina's house. We sat and talked until her husband came home with her son's report card. After that I felt like leaving, but she wanted me there so her husband wouldn't yell at their son. At 5 I called Chris to give me a ride home.
****First Day in Thailand****
We got a wakeup call at 6am. Aren't we on vacation? We shower and go to the hotel buffet for breakfast. There are Asian, American and Indian foods displayed. After breakfast, we board a van for our first tour. The only seatbelts are the ones up front. It picks up 9 other tourists at other hotels. Along the way, we see water buffalo grazing among palm trees, bouganvilla, lots of motorcycles (almost as many as the cars), so many road side stands that it seems the whole country is having a yard sale. Everyone drives on the left side of the road. Most signs have an English translation. Traffic lights come with a countdown so you know when the light will change. My left ear makes sounds like when tuning a radio.
After an hour we arrive at a shanty on the beach. I buy sunglasses and a sarong, Michele gets flipflops and Chris gets a bottle of water. The lady is willing to take our American dollars and give change in Thai baht. We board a little bus to the end of a pier and get on a big yaht. We speed past many islands rising steeply from the ocean. Then we stop and get in inflatable canoes, 2-3 persons to a canoe.
We all lay back as flat as possible and paddle into a long cave tunnel mostly filled with water. At one point our guide lets air from the boat to make it through the tunnel. I didn't think I was claustrophobic until I watched rock passing an inch above my nose. Please don't let us get stuck. Then we were through and into a lagoon. It filled quickly with the little boats. We paddled around the circumference and headed back into the cave. It was hot and we had to stop several times to let in-coming boats pass us. Then back aboard the big boat, we sailed to James Bond Island, where Man With a Golden Gun was filmed. We had thirty minutes to walk around the island. There were knicknack stands, but we didn't shop. Our next stop was a little lagoon which we entered with the canoes. We squished mud between our toes on its little beach. We return to the boat for a buffet lunch. Then we ride to our last island to swim and play on the beach. The water is incredibly warm. Michele found a sea-cucumber. Then we see a storm coming. It whips the water. As I get out, my legs are stung with sand. I try to hide them in my sarong but it is not big enough to hide all of me so I run flat out for the shelter. We are all drenched and waiting for the rain to stop. But finally we have to take our canoes back to the big boat in the pouring rain and wind. Now I am cold. I left my shoes on the boat, but they are drenched anyway. Thank goodness for the waterproof bags the boat crew gave us all because my camera is dry. Finally we get back to the dock and the van takes us back to our hotel. For supper we ordered the seafood basket. But there was not much meat in it, not for 2 people like it said. On the way to our room we passed a tailor shop. I look at silks, but buy a piece of cotton because of the price. The pool is closed now so we go to bed. At 10 the rock music starts up again. Thankfully this is our last night at this hotel.