Thai-nksgiving

I think it's appropriate to start this blog entry with an email I recieved from Steve Hazy (Sr.) 48 hours before my planned departure to Thailand:

"Karissa, you are hereby forbidden to step foot in Thailand. The country is on the brink of civil war, all airports are closed. I repeat, all airports are closed."

48 hours later I find myself on a deserted beach on an island off Phuket. Nothing says adventure (and daughterly defiance) like flying right into the eye of the storm, right? Good thing we had booked a direct flight from HK to Phuket (bypassing the mess in Bangkok) - my stubbornness was not about to relent to the threats of Thai protesters. And we had multiple things to celebrate - Meghan and Emily's last hoorah in Asia, Thanksgiving, and the day of my birth. Phi Phi Islands or bust. Turns out our flight was packed, we made it safe and sound, and barely even noticed any signs of civil unrest (thanks dad!).

Getting to the Phi Phi islands was half the fun. The last longboat ride being the most memorable when the driver asked us to jump off the boat into waist-high water and then swim to the hotel with suitcases in hand. Please see visual aid.
The long weekend was pretty much idyllic: think oceanfront sea view bungalow, private beaches, mind-blowing $7 thai massages on the beach, unlimited mangoes and coconuts, plus the company of two of my favorite hong kongers. And after a week of business tripping in arctic Northern China, I was definitely ready to do something about my Vitamin D deficiency. Highlights included playing beach volleyball with a Thai pirate, hiking to the Phi Phi lookout, mango sticky rice, and our mosquito net princess beds.

Phi Phi Lookout