Friday, February 22, 2008
Thailand ahoy!
Just eight days to go before these two globe trotters are off on their next journey. And as usual, we're going to overdo it, trying to pack too much into our eight and a half days.
We start in Bangkok, arriving late on Saturday afternoon. We have that eve, the following day and Monday morning to explore the resplendent wats (temples), the Grand Palace, huge markets (including the canalside floating night market) and of course the food!
Monday noon we've got a driver to take us three hours away to catch a boat to the small island of Ko Samet for a few days of R&R, more great food (we love Thai food!), a snorkel trip for me and probably some Thai boxing for Aran's enjoyment.
Thursday evening we're back in Bangkok and off to the airport Friday morning for the short flight to Chiang Mai, a small city in the north where we'll spend our last three days (including a trip into a village or two in the surrounding hills, possibly by bike), leaving for home on the red-eye on Sunday night.
The umpteen photos I'll end up shooting are likely to put me over the 1500 mark in my Flickr albums (currently at 1358) so check back in a few weeks and help me get closer to 7000 views (today's count is 6602).
We start in Bangkok, arriving late on Saturday afternoon. We have that eve, the following day and Monday morning to explore the resplendent wats (temples), the Grand Palace, huge markets (including the canalside floating night market) and of course the food!
Monday noon we've got a driver to take us three hours away to catch a boat to the small island of Ko Samet for a few days of R&R, more great food (we love Thai food!), a snorkel trip for me and probably some Thai boxing for Aran's enjoyment.
Thursday evening we're back in Bangkok and off to the airport Friday morning for the short flight to Chiang Mai, a small city in the north where we'll spend our last three days (including a trip into a village or two in the surrounding hills, possibly by bike), leaving for home on the red-eye on Sunday night.
The umpteen photos I'll end up shooting are likely to put me over the 1500 mark in my Flickr albums (currently at 1358) so check back in a few weeks and help me get closer to 7000 views (today's count is 6602).
Sunday, February 10, 2008
herbal habit
Hi, my name is Carol, I'm a powdered plant junkie.
You know you're getting old when your numerous vices of the past have dropped along the wayside and been replaced with botanical products. Okay, I'm exaggerating, I still drink wine almost daily, but just a glass or two par jour is good for one's health, is it not now recognized?
But seriously, I'm hooked on the traditional chinese medicines (herbal powders) that I started on a few months ago. Though much of the credit for my improving health should probably go to the other treatments my new 'doctor' has been doing on me. Yesterday he went Steven Seagal on my neck and today I had a migraine (started with a full-blown aura) that never led to any pain!
So I'm hoping I'm on the way to being "fixed" or at least back to how I was for the longest time before we moved to Tokyo, which was just getting a migraine every few months. One thing is for sure, I'm going to continue seeing "alternative" practitioners from now on.
I like the fact that they see each health problem as an interconnected issue, rather than just treating a symptom. And as my new 'doc' says, TCM and other traditional practices are not technically the "alternative" in the world. Rather Western medicine is, since a far higher number of people (in countries like China and India) still rely on historically proven practices of yore.
You know you're getting old when your numerous vices of the past have dropped along the wayside and been replaced with botanical products. Okay, I'm exaggerating, I still drink wine almost daily, but just a glass or two par jour is good for one's health, is it not now recognized?
But seriously, I'm hooked on the traditional chinese medicines (herbal powders) that I started on a few months ago. Though much of the credit for my improving health should probably go to the other treatments my new 'doctor' has been doing on me. Yesterday he went Steven Seagal on my neck and today I had a migraine (started with a full-blown aura) that never led to any pain!
So I'm hoping I'm on the way to being "fixed" or at least back to how I was for the longest time before we moved to Tokyo, which was just getting a migraine every few months. One thing is for sure, I'm going to continue seeing "alternative" practitioners from now on.
I like the fact that they see each health problem as an interconnected issue, rather than just treating a symptom. And as my new 'doc' says, TCM and other traditional practices are not technically the "alternative" in the world. Rather Western medicine is, since a far higher number of people (in countries like China and India) still rely on historically proven practices of yore.
