Phase 3

So that brings us here to present tense. Today I started phase 3 of this trip and our final destination. I'm trying to soak in every second I can and not think about the fact that this experience is slowly coming to an end. Today was an amazing day (do I sound like a broken record yet?)

We started bright and early an 630 am when we hopped on a boat to leave the beautiful island of Ko Samet. Absolute paradise. We were heading to Bangkok...but whoa...there just enough time to play with some safari animals. I rode an elephant and fed a tiger. For those of you that know how much I love animals, this was a super special treat for me






We the headed to Gemopolis which is this mini economy supported by the government which is the leading gem and jewel production facility in the world. They represent jewels demo over 20 countries because the government allows them some tax breaks.

Okay, let me break it down to something most of you can relate to. The Pandora charm bracelet company stared here with 5 people over 10 years ago. We got a 3 hour tour of the facility and it was quite an experience. Everything that comes out of that factory is hand made and quality checked numerous times - I know, I watched it happen. No huge production machines. It was really quite an interesting tour. Sorry, no photos allowed. Also, no charms for any of you - they are 100% export. They don't sell at all in Thailand. I also learned how to tell if your charm is a fake for those that were wondering....

We then checked into to our 5 star hotel. Ahhhhh....bliss. Such a change from the camping we've been doing for the past weekend. We the. Went to dinner at one of the nicest restaurants in the city. On the 59th floor of a super fancy hotel. I tried to get some night shots, but it's super hard. Flash or no flash, those pictures just never do the view justice...we ate on an old heli-pad...





Tomorrow is our first full day here. We will spend the day meeting a department store and then the executives of this hotel. Miss you all!!

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Location:Bangkok, Thailand