Safe and sound in Bangkok!

      After a loong but eventful trip overseas we find ourselves in the hustling bustling city of Bangkok with its 6.5 million inhabitants! Our flights overseas were highlighted by amazing ice flow and mountain landscapes over NE Russia and fireworks displays over Beijing as it was New Years Eve. We sat next a man from Beijing who we found sprawled out over all three of our seats asleep upon our return from the bathroom. Once we got back into our proper seats, he disappeared for a few hours. Eventually, we went to the bathroom again, wondering where he had gone, only to find him sprawled out asleep on our seats again when we returned. Very peculiar..
        On our first day in Bangkok we visited several unbelievable temples including Wat Phrae Kaew(the emerald temple) and Wat Pho which houses the largest reclining buddha in Thailand..43 meters! Both temples were amazingly decorated with gold and jewels and full of strong incenses and beautiful paintings filling the walls. Being new years day, all 6 million Thais were out in force to display their devotion(and money) to Buddha to ensure a productive and happy 2011. This made for some insane crowds and mayhem but allowed us to see Bangkok at its height of activity and culture as well. We stayed our first two nights at a little hotel in Bangkok with a breakfast buffet with the best stir-fry chicken and noodles and we enjoyed some delicious Pad Thai and egg rolls last night! We have not ventured into the street food industry just yet despite the appetizing dried fish and pigs ears but we will get there soon enough. The weather has not been too hot (high 80's) and our Thai speaking skills are coming along nicely as we now know at least 8 useful phrases/words. Today we are hopefully off to stay with a Thai family in Nothburi (outside Bangkok) for a few days while we await the arrival of Lizzie and Dylan to start our farming adventures. I hope all of you had a great New Years Celebration and are enjoying 2011! Happy, full, and still clean, Mason