The Lessons from Phraya Nakhorn Cave

Just a few hours from Bangkok is the bustling seaside resort town of Hua Hin. Cleaner than Pattaya, but more developed than island retreats, its not a bad weekend getaway with kids. We've been there, in fact, twice.

The second time, we decided to wander south a bit in search of a scenic overlook or vineyard-whichever we found first. Meandering south, past a few smaller beach towns and farmland, we came  to this beach/market/cove which supposedly was the starting point to a lovely hike and cave.

So after a short lunch break here:

 

We bought a ticket and followed the people around us as they waded into the water and clambered into longtail boats that were rapidly shuttling people back and forth. After landing on a GORGEOUS beach, we climbed and climbed and treacherous path until we ended up here:

 

The whole time I was amazed by my boys and how excited they were to push on, how fearless they were at any height, and how full of wonder they were the whole day. I'm full of hope for them, that they will never lose the hunger to explore. I hope they never lose the ability to marvel at nature or the beauty around them.

I hope they never lose confidence in themselves. Because they are full of incredible abilities. It is only a matter of if they choose to use them.

 

I hope they stay close, love one another. My boys are so different from each other that their personalities complement each other. They play together, read together, and whether they realize it or not they really do work together.

 

I hope they never lose sight of the little things, or become blinded by success or failure. If they become wildly successful in life, love or business, I hope they remember to be humble.

To take time to wiggle their toes in the sand or collect a perfect white seashell. To remember the best gift may not be a shiny new car,  but a perfect unblemished day with the ones they love the most.

 

I hope they never forget to laugh at themselves.

 

I hope they know that no matter where they go, what they become, or what they do I will always always love them. And even should they disappoint me or disobey me, they will never risk losing my love. Never.

Hua Hin Beach Escape

For some reason, I have no photos of the beach! Ah well. To be honest, the best part of the beach was meeting people, talking to Thais AND expats, while our kids were playing in the waves. The resort the stayed in was PHENOMENAL and I highly recommend it: the Centara Grand Hua Hin. Wow. Just wowza.

 

We also drove around the countryside quite a bit, in our usual unplanned adventures way...

 

 

 

We stopped by the train station, to please the kids. They were delighted to see the trains coming and going, and people there were delighted to see our little blondies coming and going. They caused quite a stir.

 

 

My handsome somewhat-bearded hon.

 

Oh, and if you wonder what kinds of paradise are out there, here's one example for ya.

Four pools. Yes, FOUR pools to pick from.

So one day we tried this one.

 

The next day we dabbled in this one.

And so on and so forth.

Scenes from Khao Yai

Wow, my apologies! Has it really been almost a month? Time flies when you have to go back to work! Since my last update we have been SO busy: I had a week of CLO training here in Bangkok, my beloved had a 5K to plan in connection with the National Police Week 5K held annually in D.C., we chilled out at an Earth Day concert at Benjasiri Park, shook our tail feathers at the Brazilian Society of Bangkok's annual ball, and zipped off to the beach at Hua Hin for a working weekend.

 

Before that, I was still riding high on our fantastic trip to Khao Yai, so let me do a quick re-cap!

 

 

 

Khao Yai National Park is GORGEOUS. And fun to drive, with all its twisty turns and steep inclines. The viewpoints are phenominal. The trails are lovely too. We went on two hikes that weekend, and stretched our legs on some challenging trails. Here's Little P flexing for us.

 

We drove through gorgeous towns, and by traditional homes that made us stop and stare.

 

We ate delectable food-whether we knew what we were ordering or now, it was all win-win.

There must not be a great deal of farang vacationers to Khao Yai, because there was very little English spoken or written. It didn't matter really. But it led to a few surprises.

 

My boys had some quality time together, away from the rush of Bangkok life.

 

I love how this is always present whenever you see a hilltop in the distance. Back home that would be a cell phone tower or something...

 

We stayed HERE. And enjoyed this view from our private villa every morning and after dinner. And at night you could hear music from the people celebrating Songkran wafting from a distance. But only until the respectable hour of 10, and then it was quiet and still.

 

We visited three vineyards, and were welcome to walk around them all as we pleased.

 

We sampled wine. Before lunch, even!

I'm crazy like that.

 

Cute villa. There it is. Simple, small, but perfect for a family of four and their canine companion.

 

We leapt over small waterfalls.

 

We conversed with nature.

 

It was fantastic.