How to top the baby tiger pictures:

 We had a plan for another, even BIGGER adventure - and Chelsea was dancing-in-the-street-excited!

 On our drive out we passed some of the elephant camps we had visited earlier where elephants give rides to tourists. The elephants have to work long hours under tough conditions and show lots of signs of stress, just like people. Constantly worked and abused it doesn't seem like a nice life for the elephants and we both got bad vibes so we kept going.

Then we arrived at a seemingly magical place in the mountains that its owner refers to as "elephant Heaven" and with how much happier and healthier the elephants were, it really seemed like it!

The Elephant Nature Park north of Chiang Mai, Thailand was established by a wonderful lady who began rescuing elephants who were the most abused at their camps and elephant shows while she was still just a teenager. She has now adopted over 35 elephants and uses responsible tourism at her place to encourage other Thais to give up the physical abuse that is a regular part of the traditional training of elephants. Seeing her use love instead was really beautiful!

 After the first sip of our morning cup of coffee, Tom had received his first hug from an elephant who was early for breakfast!

The staff take it slow, introducing you to the elephants so that you are calm when you have your chance to interact with them.

But it didn't take more than a few minutes until we were getting close... kissing them...

... and they were kissing us...

After breakfast it was bath time - lots of splashing and fun!

It was really amazing being so close to such a powerful but gentle animal! Please watch the video we were able to upload to see how peaceful and beautiful they are, and how grateful they are when Tom prepares them a fruit salad!

Sitting next to the elephants while they had a snack of a few hundred bananas.

Cutest of them all was the littlest of the giants, only 6months old.

As per usual, Chelsea made herself comfortable next to the baby...

... and it made her happy!...

... and Chelsea made yet another baby happy too!

One more species of babies: cuddled.
What an amazing experience.

IntoThailand!

 In Thailand we landed in Krabi and spent a few days in the markets there before spending some time at a beautiful island yoga retreat on Ko Yao Noi.

As usual we brought some slight precipitation with us and the island would later be evacuated due to flooding ... but not until 2 days after we left its generous puddles!

 Tom's hair is getting a little wild...

 We met some wonderful friends and spent some real quality time with them... Mr. Bey was too cool for this picture, but makes a mean Monkey Shake (peanut butter banana and chocolate smoothie!)

 We taught a quick ukulele lesson.

 Then fled from the rain to Chiang Mai where it is 45degrees Celsius and more delicious monkey-themed fruit smoothies are flowing freely at the Happy Monkey (coincidence? ... maybe not, as we are staying at the Funky Monkey guesthouse,etc. haha)

Chiang Mai is a great city of friendly people with plenty of opportunities for adventure - including several involving cuddling with endangered carnivorous animals.

 As usual (duh), you order your tigers from a menu of small, medium and large ...or smallest of which there are two categories.

 We thought this would be the closest we might get to the majestic beasts so we snapped a quick action shot.

 But thankfully, in Thailand it is totally an option to be left alone in a room with half a dozen baby tigers - there was belly scratching and cuddling.

Tigers are Tom's favourite and this was definitely a dream come true - don't think we will try this at the Calgary Zoo?

Here is an alley a few feet wide where you can have your fingers nibbled simultaneously by a lion and a tiger through generously sized holes in the chainlink fence!

After watching the tiger on the right stalk a toddler who walked past the enclosure, Tom decided to see if the tiger wanted to play and, well, taunted him by pretending there was a stair case descending down the path, then running the opposite direction past a sign that said no running.

The tiger chased and then pounced, and the lion played dead until it too pounced at the same second. Both cages rattled a few feet from his face and Tom got scared. This is on video. 

 Slightly less adrenaline was provided the next day by some bicycles and a mountain (Dave did you know this existed?)

Here is a picture of Chelsea doing her thing:

Just kidding, obviously she was by the hotel pool (duh!)


Love, Chel and Tom

Coasts of Malaysia and Tea Time

 From Langkawi we set sail to the island of Penang where we checked out some beautiful temples and ate ALOT of street food. (Mystery Meat)

 Tom had his fortune told by Auntie Sim and she went on and on about his future marriage(s?) and children (or none?) and his lucky numbers (or ages of his life?) and etc. etc.
All of this was summed up by an underpaid interpreter (Uncle Something or other) in about 6 words.
So in old Uncle style: Very lucky if married if you want to get married, good business stuff and 27,29,41, 44, 57.
Oh and also, most importantly: You should wear a good moustache from ages 51 to 55.
This last one was enough to make the whole thing a raging success for Tom who looks forward to Double Moustache Prosperity in 30 years or so.



From there we travelled to the Cameron Highlands, home of Malaysian Tea.

We really loved CH for all of it's multitude pleasures, 'civillized' and less so, and delicious fresh Strawberry Jam.










High tea at a fancy British teahouse in the hills.

 We toured nearby villages and learned how to use a blowpipe, did some 'Xtreme' 4x4ing and even saw the worlds biggest flower, the Rafflesia ...

 Isn't it... breathtaking!?
Oh by the way it smells like rotten meat and has flies coming out of it at all times!

Actually it was really neat but seemed unreal, as it was nearly a metre wide and looked like plastic.

From CH we travelled to the Perhentian Islands which... were not particually photogenic at the time and included some fun times such as a terrifying boat ride and a tsunami avoidance picnic in the hills. Stories better in person.

Both of us feel really terrible for the people of Japan and it was alot different hearing about such a big tragedy when it might affect all of the people around you. Thanks to our Dads and families who called while we were on an island without electricity and phones.
Our hearts really go out to Japan.


On a lighter note, Chelsea has gone on a cuddling spree and no charismatic baby animal is safe - take note, all you little baby monkies, kittens, puppies, tiger cubs, human and elephant babies... etc.

all in a day's work...

Love Tom and Chel

Ice cream man!

One thing we forgot to mention about Borneo was also one of the funniest - the ice cream trucks.

When we saw this particular one we imagined one back home on a happy little street with the music playing and excited little kids running out to the street in the sunshine.Like this:

Now try to imagine the ice cream truck reality we saw in Kota Kinabalu; picture the same excited kids but on a dim back alley in Chinatown at night, oh and there is still music...but ice cream trucks here play:

The Halloween (a horror movie) theme song

unsettling, spooky, delicious. Ice cream was 30 cents.