Soaking up the Sun

It's been raining 20 days for the past 22 days here in Vancouver. It just doesn't seem to be an end to this depressing weather. I wish I were below the equator right now, sunbathing on golden sand beaches and drinking fresh coconut juice. Wouldn't that be nice? This photo was taken by my husband, Nick, on Surin Beach, about 15 km north of popular Patong Beach. It's not a very populated beach. We didn't see many tourists out there. It's just a perfect place to get some quiet time to yourself. Look at Nick! He was just soaking up the sun and taking everything in with his lens.

A Dizzy Display for Your Senses

If you like good quality knock offs, make sure to stop over at MBK Center in Bangkok, one of the biggest malls in Asia. Brand name knock offs like these perfumes are all over the mall. I was blown away by its display of perfumes at this store. You can also easily find Diesel watches, Gucci bags, and Billabong beach wear. Almost anything you desire. It is truly shoppers' heaven.

A Frolic in A Birthday Suit

I took this photo on Kamala Beach, 20 minutes north of the popular Patong Beach. Kamala got hit severely by Tsunami in 2004. There were still some debris left on the beach when we were there last October. Restaurants and hotels were being renovated around the beach. There didn't seem to be much going on except for a few sun bathers hunkered down on the beach. We were just walking through the beach, trying to take everything in. This little boy caught my eye. He seemed to determine to have a good time with his mother. The surrounding didn't really bother him at all.

Monk's Grill at Whistler Upper Village

There is no lack of fine dining restaurants at Whistler. One of them is Monk's Grill situated at the Upper Village on Blackcomb side. It provides a vibrant dining atmosphere appealing to couples and outing groups. The restaurant is renowned for a wide selection of wine, steaks and seafoods. Check out their menu here. Be sure to make a reservation during the peak ski seasons. Nick made the reservation online during our last stay up there. Waiting for a table is the last thing you want to do after a hard day of skiing.

Dining at Whistler Village

It's fun to ski and snowboard through Whistler alpine mountains, but it can be expensive to eat there. One of the cheap eats is the Old Spaghetti Factory at Whistler Village. It provides a casual family setting, good quantity of Italian food. Every entree comes with minestrone soup or green salad, freshly baked sourdough bread, hot tea or coffee, and ice cream as desert. Price ranges from $10 to $15. After a hard day of skiing, hot seafood fettuccine sounds like the perfect choice, doesn't it? However, be prepared to wait to get a sitting during the dining hours. It is a quite popular place among travelers. If you are looking for more dining options, Whistler Blackcomb also has an online dining directory for the Village, which has a complete list of restaurants including the price range.

Shoulder Injury

My dear readers and fellow bloggers, I'm afraid that I will not be posting any new photos or articles for the next little while due to a dislocated shoulder injury from snowboarding. I'm done for the rest of the ski season. Kiss the alpine mountain good-bye 2007, but I'm not done with blogging. I'll write soon once I gain some mobility back. To the skiing and snowboarding lovers out there, have a great and safe season! It just keeps getting better and better at Whistler - home of 2010 Winter Olympics.