no wimps allowed.

oh.my.word.

Muay Thai Boxing. a highlight of our trip. an absolute must see/do when in Thailand. put it on the itinerary. now.

i thought it would be too much uhhh...well...violence for me. i don't love boxing or wrestling and find myself having to turn my head sometimes when i see violence on the tube. i just don't like it, it makes my stomach goes in knots and my insides hurt. Now, you have to understand my boxing knowledge is limited to my Turbokick class and Rocky movies, so I will not claim to be knowledgeable on this subject, but there was something different about this. Something intriguing and athletic and strategic and cool. In muay thai you can kick, knee, punch, roundhouse (Chuck Norris, this is your sport) and all sorts of other ridiculous moves i don't know how to describe. They kick one another so hard, as their foot slaps the others body, it immediately begins to swell up and make a red whelp. They have like this relationship with the other fighter and communicate through their eyes as well as body language. They have a some stretchy stretching moves and pray and bless the ring before their match begins. Reminded me a bit of Sumo in that it was very ritualistic and traditional.

We knew we wanted to go see muay thai boxing (well, Tdub more than I) while in Bangkok. So, we traveled by Tuk Tuk to the Lumpinee stadium. As we arrived we were greeted by several salesmen, trying to sell us tickets. we were planning on just buying normal (cheap) seats in the stands, and the salesmen wouldn't sell us the nose bleeds. they insisted that we have ring side seats, because it was "sooo much closer and such a better view". :) they gave us a discount and even threw in a DVD of the boxing...thanks. needless to say, we caved and went for the "box seats" and I have to say, it was actually really worth the upgrade. :) we were engulfed in the energy, mesmerized by the people watching, the boxers, the chanting, the betting going on behind us in the "cheap seats", and intrigued by the mommas watching their young sons fight it out.

go ahead and splurge for the ring side seats. :)


the crowds behind us putting in their bets. this is serious business.













knock out! "hey guys, after you get me on the stretcher, would you mind grabbing my mouth guard too? thanks."







big fans.

speechless.

welp. it's been only about 3 months :) since we arrived back in Japan from our ridiculous adventure in Thailand! you always seem to need a vaca after the vaca. the packing, the taxi, the rush to the airport, hoping your bags don't weigh to much with all your new souvenirs, going through security, immigration, baggage claim, and trekking through downtown Tokyo riding shuttles or trains to finally arrive safe at home. whew! then we've got the loads of laundry (and may i say this was the stinkiest my clothes have ever smelled...i know you would even agree, Mom if you had smelled them), trying to find a place for the all trinkets we bought, as well as work and life start up the next day! after this trip, i remember distinctly sitting in the middle of my living room floor, surrounded by stinky clothes and things i had forgotten we had even bought wondering...what just happened? ha!

there were SO many things we did, little isolated islands we visited, markets we bartered at, tons of seafood and curry that we ate (yes, i even ate some seafood...and enjoyed it!),very interesting people we met and got to hear their unique story, adventures we attempted. it would be impossible to put all of them on repeat for you, but we will try and share the highlights.

if you ever have the chance... go. to. thailand.

the people are incredible. the beauty is breathtaking. the culture is intriguing. the food is delicious. we kept saying over and over again..."we can't believe we are here". it's the stuff you read about in the Lonely Planet books, hoping you could visit someday. or the beach you see in a magazine wondering if it's real. well, it is. i know my pictures will not do justice, and they will not be able to accurately display the beautiful creations we saw...but we were left awestruck, wondering how we could have a God so creative, perfect and really wonderful in every little detail. from the coral reefs and tiny colorful fish, to the sun's intensity and heat filled rays, to the limestone cliffs and rock formations in the middle of an ocean, to the consistency of the ocean waves, that always go out and always come back. we found ourselves in silence many times on our trip, not because we didn't have anything to say, but we didn't know what to say. and let's be honest, it takes a lot for me to become speechless. :)

(because there is SO much to share this will be in several posts, so check back as i get them posted. :)

enjoy Thailand through the Chapman's eyes!

bangkok...






will work for skin.

the Grand Palace...



tdub had to rent pants to wear into the palace


our reflection made of gold






fiddle made out of bamboo. tdub was seriously considering this purchse.

coconut ice cream served in a real coconut. yes, please.






traffic jam on our tuk-tuk

our precious friend at Venus Jewelers. Yes, Yokota women, this is the lady that's responsible for all of your husbands fabulous jewelry purchases in Thailand! she's terrific.

anyone know where i could get some meat on a stick?


more to come...