vendor selling areca nut, Khorat market
dried areca nut and tobacco, Khorat market
milking grated coconut with a mechanical press, Khorat market
vendor selling areca nut betel set, Khorat market
silk worms removed from white silk coccoons, Pak Thong Chai silk factory
extracting silk threads from coccoons, Pak Thong Chai silk factory
factory worker spinning silk threads from coccoons, Pak Thong Chai silk factory
observing worker at silk factory, Pak Thong Chai
goddess Kwan Yin with a 'thousand' arms, Wat Sala Loi, Khorat
Ya Mo, heroine goddess of Khorat, Wat Sala Loi
main chapel of Wat Sala Loi, Khorat
weaver in a small village outside of Khorat
Ann and the leaders of women's silk co-op in small village outside Khorat
villager showing tiny baby worms feeding on chopped mulberry leaves
the Khmer sancturay at Phimai
mythical singh (lion) guarding entrance to sanctuary, Phimai
lintel of dancing deities above doorway, Phimai
front view of main sanctuary, Phimai
carved stone deity above doorway, Phimai
carved stone post, Phimai
figurine at bottom of carved door post, Phimai
statue of Buddha sitting on naga, Phimai
carved deities above inner doorway of main sanctuary, Phimai
deity on bottom of a stone door post, Phimai
lintel above a doorway, Phimai
back view of main sanctuary, Phimai
main sanctuary of Phimai
statue of Khmer king Jayavarman who buillt the sanctuary of Phimai
yogi at bottom of a carved stone door post, Phimai
stone carving, Phimai
stone carving of Khmer dancing celestial beings, Phimai
green papaya salad, staple food of Isaan
grilled chicken, another staple food of Isaan
Phimai-style stir-fried noodles
a small section of Thailand's largest banyan tree, Phimai
garlands and leis in honor of the banyan tree spirit, Phimai
tied silk threads for matmi (ikat) dyed silk, Ban Khwao village, Chaiyaphum
villager tying design onto strung silk threads, Ban Khwao, Chaiyaphum
another villager tying design onto silk threads, Ban Khwao
cutting the ties off the dyed threads, revealing the protected colors, Ban Khwao
matmi tied-dyed threads ready for spinning into spools for weaving, Ban Khwao
weaving matmi silk, Ban Khwao
villager showing off a finished piece of matmi (ikat-dyed) silk, Ban Khwao
dyed silk threads ready to be tied with design for second dyeing, Ban Khwao
spinning silk threads into spools, Ban Khwao
villager weaving matimi silk, Ban Khwao, Chaiyaphum
"How about this piece?" Chonabot village weaving co-op shop, Khon Kaen
Barry displaying a gorgeous piece of matmi silk with intricate borders, Chonabot
showing silk while on the cell phone, Chonabot weaving co-op shop, Khon Kaen
Pete in front of doorway of Prasat Hin Peuy Noi Khmer ruin, Khon Kaen
Prasat Hin Peuy Noi Khmer ruin, Khon Kaen
one of many doorways of Prasat Hin Peuy Noi Khmer ruin
stone carving of the god Narai asleep in the Hindu creation myth, Prasat Hin Peuy Noi
sitting down to dinner in Khon Kaen
crispy fried rice balls for making rice salad, Khon Kaen
kanom krok coconut-rice hotcakes, Khon Kaen market
vegetable vendor, Khon Kaen market
winged beans, Khon Kaen market
fresh fish vendor, Khon Kaen market
water mimosa with spongy floats along stems
vendor making small piles of cleaned water mimosa
Khon Kaen market motorcycle cart
cut young jackfruit for cooking
chillies, fresh and dried ground
maengda insect for making fragrant dipping sauces
skinned and cleaned frogs
turtle trying to escape
fried bug salad
grilling sticky rice rounds dipped in egg (kao jee, a common Isaan food)
mangosteens
shallot and garlic vendor, Khon Kaen market
chewy coconut pancakes (kanom paeng jee), Khon Kaen market
Wat That, Khon Kaen
paying homage to departed loved ones, Wat That
Buddha statue, Wat That, Khon Kaen
carved wooden door, Wat That, Khon Kaen
green bronze Buddha, Wat That, Khon Kaen
naga guarding stairway of temple by the lake, Khon Kaen
Phra Mahthat Kaen Nakhon, the impressive 9-storey chedi by the lake, Khon Kaen
monks' alms bowls inside Phra Mahathat Kaen Nakhon, Khon Kaen
Buddha image with alms bowl, Phra Mahathat Kaen Nakhon
colorful doorway inside Phra Mahathat Kaen Nakhon
one of many cultural paintings on inside walls of Phra Mahathat Kaen Nakhon
cultural painting of villagers in a merit-making ceremony
a painted doorway inside Phra Mahathat Kaen Nakhon
Buddaha image inside Phra Mahathat Kaen Nakhon
7-headed naga born from the mouth of another naga, outside Phra Mahathat Kaen Nakhon
a boundary marker of Phra Mahathat Kaen Nakhon,
nagas guarding stariways up Phra Mahathat Kaen Nakhon
fried green papaya salad, Khon Kaen
sour fish sausage, Khon Kaen
folk singer at Khon Kaen Silk Festival
a piece of silk for the competition at the Silk Fair
first prize winner of the silk competition
second and third prize winners of the silk competition
archaeological dig of a dinasaur skeleton, Kalasin
dinasaur skeleton at the Sirindhorn Dinasaur Museum, Kalasin
at the Sirindhorn Dinasaur Museum, Kalasin
grilled whole chickens on bamboo sticks, Kalasin
Isaan-style green papaya salad, Kalasin
making green papaya salad in large baked clay mortar, Kalasin
monks and women followers at Wat Phra Phuttasaiyat Tham Phu Khao, Kalasin
monks bowing down to Buddha image in chapel of Wat Phra Phuttasaiyat
silhouette of carved design on doorway, Wat Phra Phuttasaiyat
Buddha image on wall, Wat Phra Phuttasaiyat
carving on wooden doorway, Wat Phra Phuttasaiyat
carved wooden door, Wat Phra Phuttasaiyat, Kalasin
carved wooden doorway, Wat Phra Phuttasaiyat
rows of Buddha images inside chedi, Wat P:hra Phuttasaiyat,
temple roof made of old teakwood, Wat Phra Phuttasaiyat, Kalasin
peacock inside the grounds of Wat Phra Phuttasaiyat, Kalasin
Phra Phuttasaiyat ancient reclining Buddha inside Tham Phu Khao cave, Kalasin
monk lighting incense, Wat Phra Phuttasaiyat Tham Phu Khao
monk paying homage to Phra Phuttasaiyat reclining Buddha
monks and entourage paying respects to reclining Buddha inside cave on a ledge, Kalasin
carved goldfish and lotus on a wooden door, Wat Phra Phuttasaiyat Tham Phu Khao
an unfinished piece of exquisite praewa silk still on the loom, Ban Phoen, Kalasin
Ban Phoen villager weaving praewa silk, Kalasin
another villager weaving praewa silk, Kalasin
Joe looking at pieces of praewa silk for sale, Ban Phoen
Lethea checking out a beautiful praewa silk scarf, Ban Phoen, Kalasin
steamed fish with chill-lime sauce, Udon Thani
Amber finishing up the three steamed fishes!
Unesco World Heritage designation for Ban Chiang pre-historic bronze-age culture, Udon Thani
replica of ancient bronze-age pottery, Ban Chiang
poster showing ancient pottery discovered at Ban Chiang, Udon Thani
archaeological dig of ancient grave site with broken painted pottery, Ban Chiang, Udon Thani
a popular eatery in Udon Thani known for its grilled chicken and spicy salads
pork laab, Udon Thani
salt-encrusted grilled tilapia, Udon Thani
green papaya salad, Udon
another kind of green papaya salad with fried pork rinds, Udon
an Isaan luncheon in Udon Thani
weaving indigo matimi cotton, Ban Na Ka, Udon Thani
geometric design on a piece of indigo matmi cotton
Lethea showing the matmi-dyed indigo cotton threads, Ban Na Ka, Udon Thani
villagers making rice paper spring roll wrappers, Si Chiang Mai
step 1: spooning up rice batter
step 2: spreading thin layer of batter onto cloth strung over mouth of a pot with boiling water
step 3: covering the batter
waiting for batter to cook
step 4: rolling a sponge roller over the cooked rice starch
cooked starch round sticks to sponge roller as it moves over the sheet
step 5: removing the rice sheet from the roller onto a woven bamboo frame
rice starch sheet transferred to bamboo frame
Ann tries her hand in making a spring roll wrapper
Ann spreading the batter over the cloth
a dried rice paper spring roll wrapper
spring roll wrappers on bamboo frames placed out to dry
a row of spring roll wrappers drying in the sun
more spring roll wrappers drying around the village of Si Chiang Mai
rice soaking in vats to make the batter
a grinder for reducing the soaked rice
a rock formation with a natural pool in front, Phu Phra Baat Nat'l Historic Park
another balanced rock with a pool
rock formation at Phu Phra Baat Nat'l Historic Park
a sheltered ancient shrine, Phu Phra Baat Nat'l Historic Park
Amber by the gigantic rock structure housing broken rock Buddha parts
Buddha and other celestial figures carved onto a rock, Phu Phra Baat Nat'l Historic Park
another view of the carved Buddha
rock formation with a sacred space boundary marker
rock formation surrounded by sacred space boundary markers
large balanced rock, Phu Phra Baat Nat'l Historic Park
rock tower used by pre-historic people, Phu Phra Baat Nat'l Historic Park
rock tower on a rock platform surrounded by sacred space boundary markers
petroglyphs on a rock wall, Phu Phra Baat Nat'l Historic Park
old Laos-style chedi of Wat Phra That Phra Phuttabaat Bua Bok
detail above the entrance into the chedi
Buddha footprint and Buddha inside the chedi
offerings of sticks to support sacred rock, Wat Phra That Phra Phuttabaat Bua Bok
reclining Buddha in the shelter of a rock formation, Wat Phra That Phra Phuttabaat Bua Bok
Buddha sitting on the 7-hooded naga, Wat Phra That Phra Phuttabaat Bua Bok
plate of chicken fat rice for lunch
enormous concrete sculpture of Buddha and the 7-hooded naga, Wat Kaek, Nong Khai
a gigantic reclining Buddha among other Buddhas in Wat Kaek's sculture garden, Nong Khai
view of Laos across the Mekong River, Nong Khai
our scrumptious dinner on our sunset cruise on the Mekong
banana blossom salad
stir-fried morning glory
fried pork laab
dired-fried Mekong River fish with herbs, chillies and green peppercorns
dining on the boat cruising the Mekong at sunset, Nong Khai
sun setting behind the Thai-Laos Friendship bridge
bridge view after the sunset
trucks crossing the bridge over the Mekong River to the Thai side
view of Nong Khai's riverfront in the evening
grilling fish, Nong Khai market
grilling brown rice cakes with corn, Nong Khai market
vendor peeling jackfruit, Nong Khai market
gold Buddha image inside Wat Pho Chai, Nong Khai
Barry taking pictures for a group of Thai visitors to Wat Pho Chai
mural painting of sacred shrines around the Northeast, Wat Pho Chaii
mural painting including western tourists in a procession, Wat Pho Chai
mural painting of women grilling sticky rice cakes, a staple food of the region, Wat Pho Chai
representations of Mara on the wall of Wat Pho Chai's chapel
a singh or mythical lion guarding the entrance to the chapel of Wat Pho Chai
the red-rock forest monastery of Phu Thok, Nong Khai
chedi housing crystalline ashes of an enlightened monk, Wat Phu Thok
temple dog eyeing Pete's bag of jackfruit
Linda and Ann on a wooden throne
