on the back of Calvin’s pick up truck was INSANE!! INSANE I tell you!! I’ve never travelled so fast on the outside before…on the road…my hair was tangled in knots when we stopped and my face was like…flapping!! haha 

one of the purpose of the trip there was to visit a few orphanages and see what were their needs, get to know the children and the helpers at each home and see how we can contribute. 

so the first day we met the children of Genesis Home. and there was this little boy, one of the youngest there (his parents both have AIDS and are unable to take care of him) and he was really grumpy at first by the strangers being there. then afterwards he started pointing at my white converse and then to his slippers. not really understanding what he was saying but i just took his hand and he just started giggling and laughing all the way. 

he then went to the shoe rack and took out his well…sort of white…school shoes and put them on too! haha how cute <3

old ruins

we travelled in these pickups!

M+W with marcus doing some mid action talk :P haha

walking to the entrance

entrance of the cave…well, you have to climb a bit of course haha

oh hey cave wow wee done.

“i’m batman…” he whispers

more cave

beautiful mountains

saw this little girl walking towards me

and one more when she got closer

after having a scrumptious lunch we headed off to the caves. we were suppose to go there with the children or something…but they were still in school. right at the end when were heading off there was this little girl walking towards me and she was looking at me giving the “what is she doing?” after i snapped a couple of shots, i waved. and she broke into a cute smile and waved back <3 

flowers on the floor

heading to our rooms

i didn’t know bougainvillea could grow to be trees haha

breakfast area

the view in the morning at the first hotel stop over

ma’ sista

dy chilling 

thai food lunch, i have never seen chilli padi that SMALL!!

we moved up the next day off the city of chiangmai into a smaller area called chiangdao. the nature around us was just so amazing and beautiful. couldn’t stop looking at the gorgeous mountains that painted the skies in shawdow-y greys as we drove to our destination. 

the weather at chiangdao was lovely too. a little chilly, so i could snuggle up in my winter jacket from time to time :) we had thai food which was super SPICY. tom yam soup usually has slices of chilli padi, this one had chilli padi the size of beans congregating in my tiny little bowl. haha eggs, kang kong, pork slices and stuff, all yummy! but then again, when one travels in a big group and the focus is not exactly a holiday, one just learns to eat whatever is served to you. but it was kind of fun that way too ;)

yes! i’ve finally blogged my way through most of 2011 and now i’m at the beginning of the trip to chiangmai. having not flown for a good 7 years, i can’t tell you the EXCITEMENT and sheer joy i had of being able to shop inside the barricade haha

in the end i only bought a copy of British Vogue for my trip there and back but had a great time browsing the cosmetic shops, marc by marc jacobs and just chilling out in there haha

the flight was pretty thrilling, or rather the take off was, haha the amount of faith one needs to have in the unseen air pressure, physics of the plane and know-how of the pilot is crazy! i know why people freak out, i mean that a plane this size can take off and “float” in the sky is just insane!! 

we arrived at the hotel pretty late past twelve and i was ready to call it a night. but someone went to get supper and i managed to sneak a piece of chocoate banana prata bite before sleeping ;)