Mission accomplished-Sleep!

Our home for the day

Captain Mark and his crew were our hosts for the day on their 38 foot sail boat. 

The boat was fully stocked with food and drink as we headed toward Koh Phakek…our final destination for the day where we had a traditional lunch prepared for us on the beach.  It was quite a feast.  Tom Ka Gai soup, grilled shrimp and curry chicken with rice topped off the menu.  It was quite the treat. 

We were able to do a bit of cave and hong exploring as well.  AMAZINGLY beautiful scenery around every turn.  Dark caves would all of a sudden turn into huge open rooms without ceiling letting the sun shine down to the limestone filled waters below.  Stunning!

Out cold!

Cave dwelling at entrance to a hong

The pictures sort of tell the whole story as it was simply a day of more sleeping, eating and preparing our heads for the long flight home that was going to start in about 6 hours. 

Our fearless crew

The kitchen on the beach

As we say good bye to Thailand, I keep thinking back on what an fantastic exerience we just had.  Starting off in New York with Dan, Scotty and the Schumachers.  Making our way to South Africa where we will have memories (and photos as we took about 8,000…seriously!) to last a lifetime and then topping the trip off with a fantastic trip through Thailand.  I had no idea how much I was going to fall in love with Thailand…amazing people, food and sights throughout our trip!

The sun has set on this trip, but we’ll soon be back.  Thanks to the generous Thai people for hosting us in your home!!

The final sunset: Mai Koa Beach, Phuket

5,4,3,2,1....ahhhhh

Michael and I are currently sitting in Narita, Japan waiting for our final connection to San Francisco.  As much as I’d love to keep going on this amazing journey, I’m looking foward to getting home, catching up with friends and family (and the pups) and enjoying SF for the holidays…Next stop, Tahoe!!

I hope you enjoyed the updates on our trip.  It was great to sit down and reflect on what a fantastic time we had every few days or so.  Stay tuned as I just may keep this blog thing going.

Best wishes to you all for a fantastic holiday!

Brad and Michael

We arrived at the hotel and decided to have a quiet night around the resort to kick things off.  We dropped off our bags and headed to the pool for the remainder of the day.  There is nothing like napping poolside nursing a cold Singha!  As the sun made its way through the sky and into the horizon, we made our way to the outside bar for happy hour margaritas.  After one of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen which was only intensified by the margaritas, we decided to make our way to the room and dine at the hotel grounds. 

While walking to our room we noticed a series of small huts along the beach.  Inside were voices yelling to us…”Massage for you? Massage for you?”  How could I resist.  Michael headed to the room and I decided to indulge for the next hour in what has become a daily ritual here on Phuket.  The beach massage!  For $13 USD, we end each day in the sun being rubbed and stretched by the cutest Thai women ever!!  All of the women rubbing their clients  remind me of a typing pool, but instead of working a typewriter, these women have their customers lined up side by side and offering up their amazing talent of traditional and Thai massage.  While working us over, they chat, laugh and I’m sure, talk about the clients that are right in front of them…all in a very endearing manner.  Last night my massage therapist had us rolling in laughter.  As she was ending her treatment on me, she started to work my ears.  For those of you who don’t know, my ears are OFF LIMITS!!!  I’m so ticklish around my ears and cannot stand people touching them.  She goes in and I try to hold back my shivering, but she starts noticing the goose-bumps on my arms and legs and starts laughing!  Michael is getting massaged right next to me and I hear him starting to laugh as well, and his therapist too.  She then takes it further and makes a game out of it…she touches me and the goose bumps appear as if I’m attached to an on/off switch.  Maybe you had to be there…but was pretty damn hilarious.

Thai food had been the obvious standard throughout our Thailand portion of the trip, and our taste buds were hankering for a little change.  We decided upon Italiano Cucina.  Lasagna, pizza and red wine made for the ultimate and perfect ending to our first night in Phuket.  The next two nights we’ve managed to jump back on the Thai food express and have experienced some unforgettable meals and settings. 

Grilled Tiger Shrimp and mussels on the beach

First we visited a restaurant called Lotus where we sat at a table on the beach and had a phenomenal meal.  Tom Ka Gai soup, spring rolls, Grilled tiger shrimp and Panange Beed Curry topped off our menu.  There were large tanks of live seafood as we walked in and they literally pulled your meal from the tank and cooked it for you.  We’re talking FRESH.  The next night we had an equally wonderful meal at a place called Octopus.  We started on the beach with soup and spring rolls again and then noticed a small trickle of rain.  Before we knew it we were quickly being ushered inside by our waiter just before a huge downpour occurred.  We sat, enjoyed our Curry Chicken, grilled lobster with lemon and butter and steamed mussels before heading back to the hotel.

I choose you!

There is a wedding onsite here at the hotel for a few days.  A huge party of people came from Mumbai to celebrate the wedding.  We were fortunate enough to witness a traditional Hindu wedding with all of the bells and whistles.  The wedding party was beautiful in their traditional Hindu dress and the ceremony was quite the sight to see.  The bride was flawless!

The bride and her mother

Yesterday I woke up very early and made my way to the local fresh “morning market”.  .  I took a cab and the market was about 20 minutes outside of the area of our hotel.  It soon became VERY clear I was the only person who spoke any English at all.  It made for a fun and exciting trip to the market.  Fresh vegetables, raw fish and meats and “cook to order” food stands lined the isles.  As I walked through, I snapped pictures and sampled foods that I had never seen before. 

One guess...Oink

I was on the hunt for breakfast and before I knew it, I was purchasing something called Kanung Krup.  What I thought were a combination of poached and fried eggs ended up being a pancake type dish made of coconut milk, flour, sugar and a few other choice ingredients that you sprinkle with sugar. I teamed my Krup with a side of fried bananas and freshly brewed sweet coffee…I was set.  I found a table to relax at for a while and people watched with my new favorite breakfast item inside my new favorite outdoor morning market.  Nirvana.

The local fish monger...CUTE!

The morning market

Michael and I are off to Phuket Town and Patong today.  We rented a car and are spending the day on the road, touring the island and the two major towns here on Phuket.  Stay tuned for more!

So, as I write this entry, I’m already in my next destination, Phuket. My toes are currently pointed out toward the Amandan Sea in the north part of Phuket at the JW Marriott…I’m poolside and its 9:00 AM. Michael is still asleep and I’m thinking back of what an amazing 4 days we just experienced in what could be my new favorite city I’ve ever traveled…Bangkok.

Paris had always held top honors with me, but experiencing all that Bangkok had to offer makes me think we’re in a “tie” situation. Every city has to have a couple of drawbacks as well and although I’m hard pressed to find anything bad about Bangkok, the smog and exhaust is a bit overwhelming (and I’m from LA) and that one damn taxi driver who tried to take advantage of us. Trust me…the city more than made up for these two minor glitches.

Our first night

We started our Bangkok leg of the trip via Singapore Airlines through Singapore and connecting to Bangkok. The 12 hour flight was pretty much drama free. We had the opportunity for a little quiet time before Bangkok took over our senses. The minute we walked off the plane, I had a good feeling. We grabbed a taxi and made our way to the Hilton Millennium Hotel. The hotel was perfectly located in the heart of the city which made simple transfers to boats, subways, trains and other transportation very easy. Our room was on the 29th floor and looked out over the river to the entire city…the perfect view. We got settled and made our way out to start exploring Bangkok. We thought a massage would be a good way to get started so we made our way to Health Lands (thanks Amy Doyle) where we experienced the perfect 2 hour massage for $23…yes, $23! We ended up using Health Lands over the next couple of days. Its sort of like the thai version of Burke Williams without the cost…Oh and by the way, I’ve gotten a massage every day since we’ve been in Thailand. The most inexpensive and probably the best was last night on the beach of Phuket for $13! OK…I’m getting off track…SQUIRREL!! After our massage, we poured ourselves onto the streets and made way for a bite to eat and a beer to cool down. There were PLENTY of people watching opportunity to be had so we settled in at a bar called Telephone. A great seat outside was our home for the next few hours and we enjoyed our first dinner of Spring Rolls, Green Chicken Curry and Spicy Beef Salad…accompanied by a few Singhas of course.

Grand Palace

Over the next few days we were non stop, visiting all of the “must do” tourist destinations. The Grand Palace was quite a sight to see. The main palace grounds is also home to the temple that houses the Emerald Buddha, the most important Buddha figure throughout Thailand. Wat Pho temple which houses the Reclining Buddha was amazing to see as well. Picture a 10 meter high x 44 meter long gold reclining Buddha. Very impressive and represents Buddha entering nirvana. We also ate our way through the city.

Medicine Buddha

Reclining Buddha

We tried out a few traditional Thai restaurants, but some of the best food came off the street carts which are located EVERYWHERE. For about 20 baht, or 60 cents we would walk away completely happy with a few skewers of grilled chicken/pork and sauce to dip. I think we’ve eaten Green Curry every day since we landed in Thailand and still not getting over it. Food is a very important aspect of life here and is almost practiced as a hobby by the local people. If you ask me, it’s a very good hobby to practice!! I’ve gained about 10 lbs so far and still growing!!!

One of most vivid memories will be the transportation throughout the city. Taxis, trains, subways and a mono-rail type system are all available and very easy to use. We chose to rely mostly on the traditional Tuk Tuk…Probably not the safest option, but it got us places quickly and cheaply…usually for around 50 baht or $1.50. If you haven’t seen the video experience, make sure you check it out here…pretty funny. We definitely are ready for our Amazing Race experience!!!

Death By Tuk-Tuk

Our last night in Bangkok ended with quite the bang. We decided to take in a very popular Ladyboy Cabaret Show at the Asia Hotel. The Ladyboys are a VERY respected group within Thailand and their show is a blend of lip synching and dance routines played to American, Thai and Chinese popular music in elaborate costumes. They are truly beautiful women and hard to believe they were born male.

I could smell death!

Ladyboy Opener

Grand Finale

Seriously?! Flawless!

Thailand has definitely made an impression on me. The people, the food and the culture are something I will never forget. The “openness” and diversity in Bangkok was very enlightening and something people around the world should hold up as a standard to live by. In true Buddhist fashion, I’m trying to live in the moment, but already looking forward to our next trip back. I am in love with Bangkok and it seems like we’ve just scratched the surface. Next stop…Phuket for a little downtime on the beach, massages and more delicious food of course.

Namaste!

Brad and Michael

The Hills Are Alive....!

We arrived and checked into the Westin Grand Cape and immediately headed out to check out the scene.  Michael and I were wiped from the time change and flight so just ran over to the Waterfront for a quick bite to eat.  Waterfront reminded me of Balboa/Newport Beach type tourist area, but were able to find some awesome jazz and a decent meal before we quickly fell into a coma and headed back to the hotel to grab some shut eye. 

View from on top of Table Mountain

When we woke up we were blown away!  Cape Town is a beautiful city, situated at the base of Table Mountain.  Table Mountain apparently is about to be inducted into one of the natural wonders of the world.  An amazing sight to see!  HUGE shear cliffs leading down to the sprawling city of Cape Town…the pictures don’t do it justice.  

Table Mountain

We’re meeting back up with Brandon and CJ today for 4 days, but Michael and I take in the city a bit before they get in.  The museums and gardens are stunning.  It’s also very clear to see this is still a city suffering from post apartheid issues.  We were able to see some very powerful exhibits at a few museums in town…The Slave Lodge Museum and the National Gallery that is now housing a celebration of S. Africa’s 4 Nobel Prize winners.   Very cool exhibit.

Then we took off toward Long Street to soak up a little local color.  Great little cafes, shopping and outdoor markets selling everything from jewelry to African tribal masks….fun stuff.  We then met up with Brand on and CJ for a cocktail to toast our next adventure.   Over the next few days we experienced everything Cape Town has to offer.  The beauty of Table Mountain, the delicious local food and the friendly people all together made for an amazing trip, but a couple quick highlights have to be Camps Bay and Franschauk, the wine region of S. Africa.

Long Street, Cape Town

Camps Bay is S. Africa’s Miami.  Beautiful people, stunning beaches and gorgeous homes flowing down to a breathtaking beach community.  We were able to snag a front table at a great little seaside restaurant right on the strip.  We enjoyed cocktails and appetizers before heading back to Cape Town for the night.  A pretty amazing little corner of the world.

Camps Bay-Lunch On The Beach

The next day, Michael and I took off early to explore the wine region.  I can’t even start to explain the beauty!!  Picture the most picturesqe area of Napa and/or Sonoma and place them at the base of huge mountains and rock cliffs.  I’ve never seen anything like it.  We spent the day driving around Franschauk tasting wine, eating MORE fantastic food and playing tourist.  Another great day!

Franschauk Vinyard

Enjoying the vinyards of Franschauk!

I was taken out of commission for a day after eating something a little dicey, but all better now and on our way to Bangkok. 

A little under the weather

Cheers to S. Africa for providing us with an amazing adventure.  From our safari at Sambambili to our touring of Cape Town and all it has to offer…it has been a great vacation and one that will be remembered for a long time! 

Farewell Cape Town!!

Farewell!!

Stay tuned for Bangkok updates.

Hugs to you all!
Brad and Michael

our trusty guides-Mumps, Liam and Al

I cannot say enough on how awesome these two guys are and how they helped us get in front of EVERY animal we wanted to see.  And I’m not just talking close…but CLOSE.  I mentioned we saw 4 of the 5 “Big 5″ on the first day which was amazing…and then we continued to see elephants, rhinos, cape buffalo, widebeasts (9 o’clock!!!!)zebras (pronounced with a SOFT “e”) by the way, female lions, and an amazing jackpot of leapards every single day we went out.  The only animal we hadn’t seen yet was the prized MALE LION!!! 

Our leapard sightings apparently were OFF THE CHARTS!  For example, we witnessed a mother leapard basically steal a large impala from her first born daughter to feed to her new cubs…amazing.  In our pics you’ll see her cleaning her cubs after the feast!  I also have to mention another leapard, following a warthog kill, drag the half eaten carcass up a tree for safe keeping. 

Cleaning up after dinner!

Many of you probably saw the near death experience we encountered from our Facebook video.  Apparently Al (our guide) didn’t like us much and tried to feed us to an angry hippo one morning.  If you havent seen the video, check it out here…I still laugh my ass off every time I watch it.

On top of over-deliverying every single day and having the experience of a life time…on our very last safari drive, we amazingly hit the real jackpot we’d been searching for.  All of a sudden, Al started speeding off in the Land Rover with us bouncing around in the back like bobbleheads.  We knew he was on to something big and before we knew it, we were literally sitting a few feet away from the big prize.  A pride of 11 full grown lions who had just killed a Cape Buffalo…thank GOD they weren’t hungry.  Of the 11 lions, 3 were males and I have to say, besides Zachary, the most majestic animal I’ve ever seen.  They continued to walk around the Land Rover finding a cool area of shade to start their nap.  Al kept getting closer and closer.  Before we knew it, we were probably 15 feet from them…AMAZING!

Jackpot!

Although we could have left completely fulfilled with everything we saw, the experience of being surrounded by full grown lions was an experience i’ll never forget.  We basically almost died!!

One thing I havent mentioned which is crazy because its been so good is the food.  We’ve never eaten so much food in our life…and FANTASTIC food at that.  A little sad since all we did was eat enourmous portions and sleep during the day…I’m well on my way to bear status which I’m sorta looking foward to…Croccodile Carpaccio, Kudu (Large Antelope) and a huge variety of other options made the menu and their way into my stomach throughout the visit at Sambambili.

OK…as much as we hate to leave the beautiful place, Cape Town calls!  We are looking forward to a great trip there…beaches, food, wine…all good stuff.  Thanks again for the amazing staff at Sambambili.  If you should ever be looking for a place to experience S. African Safari…Simbambili is the place.  Guaranteed!

We’re off…stay tuned.

We're off to Cape Town!

Toasting to a great trip ahead!

Upon landing in Hoedspruit, we were then picked up by our driver who was to take us to the lodge.  We had about a 1 ½ hour drive from the airport where we were able to view some of the small towns and villages made up of mostly Mozambique refugees.  Children lined the streets and welcomed us with waives as we passed by.  The poverty was very apparent, but at the same time, the people seemed happy and welcoming as they waived us by. 

Here we come Simbambili!

 We finally made it to our lodge!  The Simbambili Game Lodge located inside the Sabi Sand Game Reserve in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa.  We were greeted by the lodge managers Alison, her fiancé Liam and Al who along with Mumps (our trekker) who was going to be our safari guide extraordinaire! 

The Simbambili Lodge was something straight out of a movie.  We entered the main outdoor lodge area and couldn’t help but notice a view that took our breaths away.  One complete side of the lodge is completely open and housed a complete unobstructed view of a watering hole that for the next 4 days would be home to animals of all kind trying to keep cool or simply searching for a cool drink of water.  Our private butler, Phil offered us some sweet tea then guided us to chairs where Alison handed us all a form to sign acknowledging that we knew what we were about to get into!  Basically, “Please sign here and we’re not responsible if for any reason a hippo snaps you in half”…which if you choose to read on actually almost happened!!!

Simbambili Lodge Lobby

Our experience at Simbambili started off with a bang.  We were told if we wanted to make the evening safari drive, we’d have 20 minutes to get our things together and hop in the Range Rover.  Even though our bodies were worn out from the last 20 hours of travel, we made a quick dash to our rooms, dropped off our things and made it back with time to the truck with time to spare.  Al and our tracker Mumps welcomed us and we were off to the bush!

As we headed away from the lodge and into the bush, little did we know that on day one of our safari we were going to see things that few people get to ever get to witness.  “The Big 5” represent the 5 most difficult and dangerous hunted species of Africa back when hunting was legal and widespread.  They are made up of lions, leopards, rhinoceros, buffalo and elephant.  In our first of 7 drives we hit the jackpot and saw 4 of the five.  Not only did we see buffalo, rhino, leopard and a pride of female lions and cubs…but no males.  We all have our fingers crossed that we’ll be seeing some adult male lions!  We also were able to see a full spectrum of local other favorites including zebra, water buck, giraffe, impala, and a group of bathing hippopotamus!  This all took place in about a 3 ½ hour safari drive.  Jackpot on day 1!

The mother of all mothers!Black Rhino

Hungry cubs!

It was such a fantastic experience to see all of these animals in their natural environment, but one specific sighting took the cake!  The pride of lions apparently was a sighting that rarely takes place.  We were able to watch 11 lions…a few females and their cubs waking up from an afternoon nap.  Our vehicle was able to get within a few yards of this pride and we witnessed cubs waking up, playing with others and nursing on mom.  We were speechless.

After a few hours in the bush, we headed back to the lodge and had no idea what was about to take place.  Down in the riverbed, below the main lodge, the staff had set up one of the most beautiful dinner settings I’ve ever seen.  A fire pit and candles lit our natural dining room for the night where we enjoyed an amazing meal made up of a variety of salads, soup and grilled meats.  The sounds that came from the bush made up the perfect soundtrack for dinner.  Frogs, insects and who know what else all added to the setting that made up the perfect ending to a very crazy day of long travel, an exciting safari, fantastic food and good friends.  

Till tomorrow!

Michael, myself, Dan and Scott

Then we were off to Central Park to walk off a few of the Norma calories.  The weather this week is amazing as you can see in some of the pictures.  The autumn colors have popped and we spent most of the morning in amazement at the beauty of the park right now. 

Beautiful Day In Central Park

Beautiful day in the park!

 It wasn’t long though before a storm was setting in.  Hurricane Schumacher was slowly making it’s way into NYC.  There was a strange calm coming over the city in preparation for the upcoming debauchery.  The meeting time was set and the night officially kicked off over pre-cocktail cocktails in the West Village.  Fast forward a couple of hours to one of the most amazing dinners I’ve had in NY to date.  Thanks to Kristen and Morton for their recommendation on Il Buco.  Fantastic food,  atmosphere and not to mention wonderful company.  When you’re in NYC next, eat at il Buco!  Dinner ended up being a complete success and couldn’t have been a night filled with more fun and laughter.

Hurricane Schueys and the Rolfe-Mahoneys

But of course dinner was just the beginning.  We then took off for a few more cocktails and showtunes at Don’t Tell Mamma…yep, one more night at Mamma’s!  As you can see from a few of the pictures it was a good time had by all!  Of course we were ushered to a front table where we sang the night away and got stupid drunk…or at least Jim did!

Like I said...Jim did...

 Thanks a ton to Dan, Scotty and the Schueys (Katie and GEEEOOOFFF included) in making the trip one we will always remember and a fantastic launch to our Africa and Thailand adventure. 

Off to S. Africa tomorrow where we meet up with Brandon and CJ for our South African Safari!!!

Wow…So, Scott got in last night and after grabbing a few slices, we made it to the theater and saw Next To Normal. Pretty disturbing but fantastic show…
I had no idea how intense it was. Well worth it!

And following the show we were all in need of a bit of Therapy…so we were off to Therapy for a few cocktails.   Great crowd, fun show, but we were overserved a bit…I hear its a problem here in NY. 

Schueys are coming in tomorrow.  Very excited for dinner tomorrow night at Il Buco.  It better be good…I’m just sayin!!!

So, we started this day off with a great trip to the Natural History Museum.  Such a great experience and as you can see it got us in the mood for Africa! 

African Elephants

Central Park

Then we were off to Broadway (Gay Mecca)…In The Heights.  Speechless…one of the best soundtracks and one of the most amazing casts we’ve seen in a long time!

In The Heights...Washington Heights!!

Yesterday was a full day starting off with a walk through Chelsea and the West Village…some of my favorite  areas of NYC.  We then made it back up to Time Square for a matinee of Bye Bye Birdie.  I have to say, I was NOT expecting to love this show, but you could put Gina “We’re all whore’s darlin” Gershon in anything and I’d watch.  John Stamos bailed on the performance as he was in LA getting his star on the Walk of Fame.  Fame??…is that what you call it??  Sorry, just  a little bitter that he didn’t show up for us.  Afterall Dan, DID go to Jr. High School with him!!  OK…I’m getting off subject.  The show ended up being great!  Fantastic music, dancing and one hell of a “beer for breakfast” scene….I’m just sayin!

FOOD FOOD FOOD…we haven’t stopped eating since we landed and have had some pretty amazing meals.  Spice Market, Norma’s at The Parker and to top it off, Michael got us a table at Becco last night after Bye Bye Birdie…one of  Lidia Bastianich’s restaurants and it was the perfect beginning to a fantastic night.  NEVER ENDING PASTA!!!  It just keeps coming to the table….Spaghetti, Semolina Gnocci with Cream, Orechietta with Broccoli Rabe.  And some pretty amazing flavors all tied together with a great Italian red…of course we didn’t miss the cannoli for dessert.

Then we were off to Carrie Fisher’s new one woman show, Wishful Drinking…let me tell you, as Aunti Mame recommends, that woman has Lived, Lived, Lived!  One of the best show’s I’ve seen in a long time and Carrie is one hilarious genius.   HIGHLY recommend if you find yourself in NYC in the near future.  Check out a brief intro at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEmElJE-Eug&feature=player_embedded

To top the night off of course we had to drop by one of our favorite watering holes and sing a few tunes…Don’t Tell Mamma was calling where we ended the night with some cocktails and showtunes!!!  It was the cherry on top of a great day.  OK…this is sounding gayer and gayer as I write this.  I guess I’m just caught in a New York state of mind.

Today we’re heading up to Central Park, doing a bit of shopping and gearing up for another dose of Broadway with Next To Normal tonight!  Scott Sansone gets in tonight so Scott, Dan, Michael and I are off to a packed night once again ending of course with a bit of Therapy!!

And off to the gym…again.

And people, dont get used to it, but MAJOR star sighting on our flight…well, maybe not MAJOR.  Picture this-we’re watching Dirty Jobs as part of the in flight entertainment and low and behold…drum roll please…Mike Rowe, the host from Dirty Jobs was sitting two rows behind us!!!  I really wanted to get a picture of him, but didn’t want to be “that person”.   I’m SO wishing now that I was “that person”!!

And we also took a big sigh of relief as we walked around NYC last night!  Just in case we lose our Walkman, we know where we can get a replacement!

Thank God!!

Great day ahead in NYC.  Museums today followed by our first of 4 shows this week…In The Heights!!  The night is not ending there…10:00 reservations at Spice Market with Dan Nilsen…can’t wait to see him!

Off to the gym!!!