Chinese New Year in Thailand: beaches and curry at their finest

After a couple weeks in the States for Christmas, we came back to find that China hadn't really changed. I'd really hoped that "longing makes the heart grow fonder" would hold true to the country where my bed is located, but alas, the time apart only brought the dichotomy between my two "homes" into sharper clarity. Our driver was being rude to us, we had several close calls with buses on the road, and fireworks rang in the complex from 10 pm until midnight. On top of it, Eric was having one of those weeks where no one was understanding him at the office. We were fighting a losing battle...China: 1, Leonards: 0. We were grateful when February finally made its appearance, it was time for a break from China. We decided to go to Thailand for our Chinese New Year holiday. 

It's a popular spot for expats and all sorts of world travelers. We went to the city of Krabi, about 2 hours outside of Phuket, and stayed in a beautiful beach-side resort for a week. It was GORGEOUS! Krabi and Phuket sit on Phang Nga Bay which is famous for its limstone cliffs, white sand beaches, and warm turquoise water. It was definitely paradise. We spent a week relaxing, swimming, and exploring. But most of all, relaxing. Even Eric enjoyed laying beach-side with his book of Sudoku puzzles. We have a pretty good life, and some new-found patience for China :)

The resort, framed by limestone cliffs

The resort

So pretty

The view from our private beach, the water was
perfect bathtub temperature

On our way to our snorkeling adventure, the scenery from
the boat was spectacular

On the snorkeling boat, we were served the
best massaman curry of our lives. 

One of our snorkeling sites, pretty water

These limestone islands were everywhere and all different sizes

The cutest mini bananas, about as long as your finger

You know you want to go swim in that pool ;)

I love palm trees, don't you?

On the way to town for dinner, love that Thai food

This is my National Geographic picture

The rain forest monkey, enjoying the rocks
by the beach

Kayaking by the resort

These stalactites were gigantic

We got to see these incredible limestone cliffs
up close and personal

Taking a break before paddling back to the resort