We start the layover at JFK with a little dolphin meat
I pet my dolphin
This is a few hours into our14.5 hour flight from NY to Seoul.
T likes to look out the window.
No wonder, it's amazing!
Bleary eyed but excited
The wonders of the north pole. Or somewhere near there.
Mountains. I bet you were expecting photos of Thailand.
First, however, you have to actually GET to Thailand. It is far away.
T enjoys a little korean tea
Post 14.5 hour flight.
Can you see how much we LOVE Seoul?
FINALLY we are in Thailand and at our hotel by 1 AM. Breakfast the next morning included the best raw sugar ever. And apparently I definitely needed my saucer.
Smiles after a satisfying western breakfast, included in our tour price.
I love the coffee sweet and hot.
The view from our hotel room.
Our first stop, at the white temple. This is a monk sculpture, looking very thin because it was made during a famine.
Lots of monks. You can tell if it's a Buddah image by whether it has the flame coming out of its head.
The roof tiles. Thai architecture has an amazing amount of detail. And ornate-ness.
The happy couple, me in my happy white hat. It was at least 95 every day, with like 95% humidity. I needed more than just a hat.
THe white temple. Even the white temple, which included lots of Italian marble, had lots of color.
One of the many temple cats. This is the right thing to do during the day.
A gold buddah. It was covered with stucco during the war times with Burma, and only when it was moved did they determine it was gold.
See the AC units. Praise the Lord. "AirCon" is a god send.
T is approached by the first of many salesmen. This guy was successful, T bought a silk drawing of a buddah./
See moto. See man ride moto. See man load moto with lots of cargo. Who needs a pick-up truck?
Taxis in Bangkok weren't just yellow, they were hot pink, bright blue, and grass green.
The HUGE head of th reclining buddah. Notice, if you will, all of the detail in the ceiling and walls surrounding him.
This guy was ALSO covered in stucco to protect him from invaders. YOu would have thought the invaders would catch on, but the gold was only discovered when they were moving this thing by hand and it was dropped. It's about 100 feet long, and WICKED heavy./
1 baht coins in the bottom of the monk bowls. There were a lot of bowls (40? 80?), and you dropped a coin in every one with a wish/thought.
One of many murals./
The spires of a temple.
Look! Another temple! Amazing detail. They loved to use color mirrors.
T and I on a boat. We zipped around a river that runs through Bangkok.
Like the sign says, Maharaj Pier. The yellow flags were lovely.
Bangkok used to be known as the "Venice of the East" due to the number of canals throughout the city. Really, the country. Homes are built over the water here.
Jus tbecause you're over the water doesn't mean you don't get electricity or cable!
A buddah, surrounded by admiring birds.
Another templs, thisone with VERY steep steps.
A view of Bangkok, truly an inernational city.
I enjoy the top of the temple.
T and I rest at the bottom. If you go to this temple, i would wear pants. My full skirt blew around, giving everyone below a view of my skivvies.
T and I liked to sit at the front seat of the bus. It had a great view.
T plays a drum at the white temple in Bangkok. We got in trouble for being late to the bus.
We learned the hard way taht this seat is known as the "suicide seat" when a truck cut in front of us and we came 1 cm from getting in an accident. T's seatbelt didn't work.
We cross a bridge on the way out of Bangkok. Apparently a boat tipped over awhile ago. It's just chilling now.
A salt fart. HA I mean farM. The ocean used to cover this land, so it's quite salty.
The salt farmers make shallow pits and fill them with water. Over time the salt comes into, and then out of, solution, and is then harvested.
I like the salt fields.
The wares. Salt.
Now we are on another boat, this one out in the suburbs near the floating market.
It's so peaceful and serene and clean compared to Bangkok.
Calm waters, happy tourist boat. The motor in the back is a jury-rigged old truck motor.
Kids on their way to school. School is free for kids up to high school (I think). Adult literacy is 94%!
Life in the early morning. Everyone in Thailand, by the water or not, had tons of plants.
Taking a morning break. This is just outside of Bangkok.
Morning wash
Now - The floating market. It originally started as a place for thai women to hang out and gossip. They started selling a few things. Then tourists discovered it, and we have the wonder of the Floating Market.
Preparing lunch
Selling wares
Colorful mini-temples / altars were everywhere.
T has had enough of shopping. We venture back to the bus parking lot, where shade is at a premium.
On our way back to Bangkok, we stop at a wood carving place. All high end establishments feature elaborate wood carvings with scenes of nature, often flowers, foliage, and elephants.
A peaceful alleyway/.
And now, on our way to an elephant show and cultural show! The muhats (trainers) stay with their one elephant for around half of the elephant's 80 years. After the muhat dies, his son or nephew takes over. The bond between trainer and elephant is deep.
The Fingernail Dance. All Thai girls have to take dance until they are 9 or 10. As a result their fingers bend back really far.
The famous clapping bamboo dance. The dance ended with everyone's feet intact.
The boat ride on the Mei Klong river in Bangkok.
T and I take a tuk-tuk ride to the Grand Palace.
We are down and dirty in the bangkok traffic. At least these riders wear helmets.
This is the country we were in, FYI.
This guy wants you to know it too.
Our tuk-tuk ride to the imperial palace.
At the Imperial Palace on a Saturday. It was a MOB SCENE. This is a commonly used shape in Thai architecture, I can no longer remember the name. Maybe it's because I woke up at 5 AM today.
I model my fashionable outfit, rented so I was "appropriate". Apparently a pashmina around the shoulders wasn't sufficient.
A guard. Look at the amount of detail here, folks!
T likes the palace.
I like the fingernails. Long nails were a sign of wealth. Who can have long nails when then have to do their own work?
Scripture saying something.
Maybe describing the murals that surround the royal temple.
I have a puppet that looks like this.
I call him "Scary Shiny Crotch Guard"
T and I take photos of each other. The photo of me is not included here because I could only deal with the 613 photos on my own camera.
Lotus flower of some sort. In several holy locations, un-flowered lotus buds are sold, and then you dip them in holy water and splash them on yourself.
Another part of the holy temple at the imperial palace.
We venture into an area where we are not allowed. These are old roof tiles. It's great to see the country taking care of its monuments.
T contemplates making a break for it. The king no longer lives at the palace, instead residing elsewhere. But now he lives in the hospital.
At the gift shop, I find my soulmates!!!!!
Leaving the palace, we decide to walk to the next attraction. It doesn't look THAT far on the map. I stop to admire the natural brooms. There were people sweeping everywhere.
T wants to get a haircut. Well he would if he had hair.
We enter what we called "buddah/monk-ville." Everything in Bangkok - well actually across all cities - is grouped together by what it sells.
This area sells buddahs.
Lots of buddahs. One is ready for delivery.
THis one is chilling on the sidewalk.
We take a break by a dirty canal.
AN OASIS, AT LAST. We find a large lunch spot full of Thai families and friends. It's quite nice, reminds me of a european cafe... only we were the only caucasions.
We finally make it to the Jim Thompson house. He came to the orient in the 1940s as an infantryman, fell in love it it, and divorced his wife when she refused to move here with him. He created a lovely home out of several traditional Thai homes, which are one story off the ground, and surrounded them with lovely gardens.
He discovered his life's work when observing the cottage industry of hand weaving of thai silk. The high quality of the fibers encouraged him, and he developed the industry - continuing the tradition of hand weaving, but making his own brilliant designs. Sadly Jim Thompson disappeared while on a trip to Malaysia in 1967. It is thought he was the victim of a hit and run.
I entertain myself while waiting for our tour.
ON the way back to the hotel, we take the Sky Train, aka the monorail. It's a great way to avoid the traffic, but isn't nearly extensive enough to service the city residents.
At the end of the day, we are a little worse for the wear.
Dirty and sweaty.
While we were out, the maid cleaned the room and found Earl. She gave him a good view at the top of our pillow.
The prayer bells at the imperial palace, which was full of tourists from everywhere - Thailand the largest share!
On our walk through Bangkok. It's a city alright.
At the mall. Apparently a hip hop slam is going down tonight.
We leave Bangkok, going north to Ayutthaya, the former capital of Siam. It was abandoned after being ransacked by the Burmese.
Remember the photos of the imperial palace? Imagine this place used to look like that.
T and I like being here.
The ruins. I enjoy a break.
The wildlife.
Through a crack./
Ketsara, our lovely tour guide, explains this marker. The double-ness of it means that the building behind is for the monks only.
I explore the ruins.
The magnificence of the ruins are not captured by the photos. Nor is the number of buddahs.
I am tall compared to Thai people. Thistunnel was a pathway. What you can't see are the two dogs in the shadows behind me.
A tree taking advantage of the water.
We have left the palace and are outside of the grounds near another temple, which was ravaged by the Burmese army. Buddah statues were beheaded by the dozens. This head was dropped when the army retreated, but this tree took it up.
What do you do when you want to demoralize and anger another country? Behead its religious images!
The round structure in the back is influenced by another country that I'm blanking on right now. I'll update this later.
Flowers enjoying the weather.
Bird enjoying the flowers enjoying the weather.
A lizard enjoying the tree enjoying the weather.
Orchids at our hidden jungle lunch stop. So-so, expensive food, but lovely grounds. The pavilion where we ate was surrounded by misters!
Copious amounts of flowers in Thailand.
Which one do you like better?
T tries to explore, but the dock is definitely not meant for a 190 lb man.
Lovely gardens/
Doorway to....
I want a handle like this when I have a house.;
Flowers stuck on a thorny vine.
We arrive at our hotel. Apparently they didn't have enough double beds.
T thinks it's the funniest thing ever. I try to embrace it by taking a nap./
The market at Ayutthaya. We bought some knives here.
Dinner. It's like korean BBQ combined with hot pot. It was my favorite meal of the trip - peaceful, out of the way, and so cheap.
The meal, with beer, cost like $6.
The next day, we visit a buddah casting facility. First you make the sandstone sculpture. Then you cover it in wax. Then plaster. Then you pour the bronze into where the wax is, which melts, and then the bronze takes it place. Wallah, a hollow bronze sculpture@!
Now onto the first capital of Thailand. We take a motorbike tuktuk around the park.
T wishes he had a beer.
I show my delight.
The happy couple, again in front of the other country-influenced architecture. I want to say Malaysia, but I think that's wrong. What other countries are nearby? CAMBODIA
Look! We were in Thailand!
The walking buddah.
My best imitation.
The wildlife blends into the landscape.
Relaxing by the river.
This capital was abandoned after war and then an earthquake. One of the kings decided to leave the monarchy and build the capital at Ayutthaya.
The original buddah had a shaved head, but the sculptors didn't want to make the small marks of the hair stubble... so over time the standard buddah had these little nubbies.
This buddah has LONG fingers. I have a PINK dress.
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Traveling monks visit historical temples. Temples are to Thailand what Churches are to Europe. Numerous. Beloved. Picturesque. Still used./
We agree with the coke can - Thailand IS a happiness factory.
Ever eaten a raw unroasted peanut? They're delicious!
This place was amazing - Aroy One Baht. RIce only costs 1 baht, or $.02. You order sides to go with it. We enjoyed dinner along with half of Lampang's population. You can see T there walking up the stairs in his white shirt to get the map we left behind.
See that? I love you honey!
The sunrise! The landscape was constantly this hazy, not because of rain, but because the rice farmers were burning off the previous season's rice fields. Not environmentally friendly, nor good for the soil, but it's quick and easy. The government banned it this year but the farmers are not paying heed.
T admires the sunrise.
We both admire the sunrise. I personally am admiring my self-timer.
At the golden triangle
Next stop: Paper making place!
Ketsara, our guide, explains the paper making process. She first took her tours here a few years ago when this family made paper as a hobby. Now, due in large part to the business Ketsara brought the family, they applied for a mini-cultural grant from the gov't and run a successful niche paper making business that employs 24 people.
This 'happy' worker is evenly spreading out the churned and bleached mulberry tree fibers.
Our groups decorated paper in their bamboo frames.
This one is T's. You will see it framed on our wall soon. The colors aren't as bright after drying.
Here's mine. Very fragile!
I can't resist a lotus flower picture. Pink lotus.
Purple lotus.
We arrive at our hotel in Chiang Rei. The notable feature of this hotel is these mural-painted sliding shutters. Later, when I was puking my brains out, I really wished there was a wall here instead of the flimsy shutters, but at least they were pretty to look out from outside.
We make an adverturous eating choice - the local noodle stall.
Yummy! Bee, pork balls, herbs, bean sprouts, noodles, and potentially some pathogens.
I enjoy it!
Onto the hill tribes area. This family got creative with money making, raising a boa constrictor from baby to VERY LARGE. It eats one chicken a week. Tourists pay 200 baht ($7) to have their photo taken with it.
Weaving the scarf
Handiwork
The hill tribes women weaving a scarf like the ones you see hanging.
Pig.
On the way, we see this guy thinly slicing bamboo to feed his pigs. A family's wealth is measured by the number of pigs they have; this family had 9 and was quite well off.
Naptime grumpiness!
We go up the hill to a hill tribes' preschool, run by a religious non-profit.
This kids OWNS his preschool. :-) We interupted their naptime.
Now, onto a boat ride to some hot springs!
Picturesque home and dock.
The hot springs. Last known sighting of my pashmina.
They were VERY HOT.
See? HOT. They had to cool it off before it was pumped into that pool you saw.
We get back in the boats to go on.
the hazy landscape.
Yes, that is an elephant grazing on the hill.
Boys playing and cleaning./
T contemplating how lucky we are to be on this trip.
an elephant enjoying some grasses. His muhat is close by.
a sturdy house on a hill./
Everywhere we went, Thai people were friendly, waving and smiling. Seriously. T said "When I see tourists in boston I'm going to make a conscious effort to smile at them" because we enjoyed our reception so much here.
Near the river, the Buddha Cave Temple. Several monks live here.
So do several cats. This one looks like Lee and Chris's beloved Marshall - his next life was as a temple cat in Thailand!
This one looks like a cow. But in cat form.
T enjoys the temple. The monks do not allow photos to be taken of them because someone once took a photo of the lead monk here and photoshopped it into a group of carousing women. It very nearly ruined his reputation until it was proved to be false.
Offerings and supplies people have brought the monks.
PUPPIES!!! This guy putting on his shoes was like "why are there a bunch of farang looking at these little dogs, I dont get it."
The next day: THE white temple, constructed by a famous artist with a colored past. His dedication to his craft and commentary on mankind reminded me of Gaudi.
These hands represent your sins and all that you have done wrong. You have to cross the bridge yourself, because only you can reflect on your sins.
The amount of detail was impressive, and the place is still not done.
DON'T SMOKE, the unicorn skulls will GET YOU!!!
Even the traffic cones are menacing. Inside there was a mural depicting 9/11, our dependency on oil, and mankind's doom. The monument is still 60 years away from being completed, and he is training 65 disciples to continue the artistry.
At the orchid farm
Orchids are everywhere in Thailand. They are often grown in coconut shells attached to the sides of trees.
Subway is the second largest franchise in the world, second only to McDonalds. We are now in Chiang Mei.
ELEPHANT CAMP!!! We are here at 7:30 AM to beat the crowds.
Am I smell nice?
Bathwater is good to drink, too
The elephant show included elephants painting with the help of their trainers (mahouds). This camp created the "most expensive elephant painting" ever sold in the world, according to the Guiness Book of World Records. This painting - a self portrait of sorts - sells for $100.
That liquid you see is pee. These elephants can't be distracted from their art to go use the toilet.
The ride has begun! We traded cameras with Adolfo and Alejandra so we could get some good pics.
We trek off into the wilderness.
Our mahoud chills on the elephant.
Our elephant smiles for the camera!!
This is an elephant's butt. Out of it comes large poop.
A mahoud./
Our Mahoud
BATH TIME! Am I smell nice?
Elephant enjoys a snack, we enjoy the jolting ride.
LOVING IT
We walk down the path to the baby elephant nursery. Thailand is so colorful.
BABY ELEPHANT!!!! It's 2 or 3 weeks old, I love him.
This guy is like 1 year old. It is sad to see the chains.
Later in the day, we visit a silk weaving company. Some is by hand, lots that they sell is by machine. Either way it costs like $17 per yard, ouch!
PARASOL MAKING!!!!! This was amazing. The women formed a union to protect their jobs from being done by machines, and the charm of a handmade umbrella is maintained.
Parts of the parasol
Ketsara spins the parasol
These parasols are made from pre-printed paper, not hand-painted paper.
Beach umbrella style parasol. This one has paper on it drying before the cotton and waterproofing stuff was applied.
i LOVE my parasol. It's waterproof.
See me use the parasol.
A day or two later - a posh massage place.
The flower market!
We bought spices from this lady.
The market was NUTS
We ate lunch and dinner here 5 or 6 times. Best pad thai ever.
T loves this place.
Delicious fresh produce.
Cooking class!! T was skeptical, but I was so enthusiastic he went along with it.
And it was AWESOME.
Tom Yum soup.
T yum soup.
Watch carefully. Perm teaches us how to cook chicken cashew with a bit of flair.
Our feast! Pad thai, cashew chicken, green curry.
Our foursome --- the other couple was on honeymoon from Australia.
