As hosts, our initial tasks were to orient our guests to Hua
Hin, outline house rules, suggest tourist activities, and direct them to travel
agents as needed. Within a short time, they were able to find their way around, hire
their own taxis, and discover new places and activities.
Some of our activities included: shopping for silk at
Rashnee, dinner at restaurants on the beach, a visit to the elephant sanctuary
(Hutsadin), visiting Buddhist temples (wats) and shrines, attending a Thai Boxing match (Muay
Thai), and experiencing Thai delicacies at cooking classes and restaurants.
Shopping at Rashnee: We made several purchases here from silk
scarves and tunics to a custom made dress that Mary Beth will wear at her
daughter’s wedding.
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| Mini museum at Rashnee, explaining silk production process |
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| Linda, happy with her purchases |
Dinners: Our guests treated us to various dinners. Here we
are at restaurant on the beach on a beautiful evening.
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| Dinner on the beach |
Hutsadin Elephant Sanctuary: We did not take an
elephant ride – other customers did. Instead, we participated in the Mahout
experience and got to feed, wash, and walk the elephants. The sanctuary specializes in rehabilitating injured or neglected elephants.
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| Other customers on an elephant ride |
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| Mary Beth feeding the baby elephant |
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| Lance washing the elephant |
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| Larry feeding bananas |
Wats and Shrines: Buddhist temples (wats) and shrines are everywhere in Thailand. They range from simple village temples to the grand palace in Bangkok. The caves near Petchaburi are a good example of a shrine. Hundreds of years old, they are filled with buddha images and altars. People visit them to make offerings for merit and good luck.
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| Deep in the Petchaburi cave |
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| Monk offering a blessing |
Muay Thai: While I am not a fan of boxing or “blood” sports, Muay Thai is interesting and unique to Thailand. Boxers use their feet and knees to deliver punches as well as their hands.
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| Lance with the winner of the main fight |
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| Lance with the loser of the main fight |
