I was filled with anticipation for our two dives at Ko Phi Phi Ley because they were our first dives that were not part of our scuba training and also our first dives not in the waters around the Thai island of Ko Tao. The atmosphere was completely different from Ban’s Diving School. It was relaxed and calm. None of the boat crew or our two dive masters did anything very fast. They were truly living life at island pace. As I spat in my mask one last time before preparing to go down for our second dive, our dive master asked me, “So, what do you want to see?” “Um……I’d love to see a giant moray.” “And have you seen a string ray?” she asked. “No, never. It’d be fantastic to see a Lion Fish also.” I replied, thinking to myself that I must be asking for the world…Continue Reading
The dramatic clouds shifted and folded over one another as we sat on the deck of the ferry from Railay to Ko Phi Phi island. Even with the threat of rain on the horizon Chris and I held our ground because if Thailand has taught us one thing it’s that it doensn’t kill you to be wet. In fact it’s  a strange day if I haven’t jumped in the ocean for diving, snorkeling or a game of frisbee with Chris. Our ferry started to make it’s way to the docks.  As it did so I saw ahead of us Ko Phi Phi Ley, the island from “The Beach”. Dark silky water cradled it as clouds tried to suffocate it from above. That night we slept on the beach with a woven mat, foam pillow and thin sleeping bag.  The bucket probably helped with how comfortable it all felt when Chris…Continue Reading
We’re still hanging out in Koh Tao. We plan on leaving the island today or tomorrow with Surat Thani as our next destination where we’ll catch a bus to Krabi on the west side of the country. The beaches are supposed to be absolutely stunning over there. We’ll soon find out. Here are a few shots I took around Bangkok. I really enjoyed Bangkok with its huge roads, skyscrapers, prostitutes, millions of massage shops (careful which one you go in), lady-boys, cheap clothes ( bikini $6-$9), sidewalk shops and restaurants that can establish themselves anywhere.  
Being in Thailand, all I want to do is put photos up about Thailand but as promised here are some more shots of things we saw and did in Iran. I also promise you that I’ll make a special post about Persepolis. I got some good footage and photos. For now, enjoy these.  
Last year I remember thinking, “Oh, my 27th birthday is on a Thursday. We’ll just have to celebrate the day after.” But, in Iran Thursday is like our Saturday. The weekend here is Thursday and Friday. So, it worked out perfectly. I got to spend a “Saturday” night on the town, in Esfahan of all places! We headed out at noon thinking that it would be a long day so we’d start later in order to see some of the nightlife in Iran. Besides being in love with the baking, Chris and I both fell in love with the fresh banana milkshakes. Chris thought that’d be the perfect way to start my special day. After our refreshment we started walking through the winding, cool streets of the covered bazaar to get to the largest mosque in Iran, the Jameh Mosque. It was prayer time when we reached the mosque, so…Continue Reading
We both thoroughly enjoyed Esfahan so we stayed for six days. We visited the sites and met many people along the way. In fact, out of all the places in Iran, Esfahan was the most approachable. It was almost impossible for us to walk 100 feet without meeting someone. The mosques in Esfahan and in Iran in general, are absolutely beautiful pieces of architecture. Hopefully these photos captured some of that beauty for you to enjoy.