at the Queen Sirikit Botanical Garden in the Mae Sa hills of Chiang Mai
a rose in the rose garden
cacti in the arid glass house
a palm in the tropical rainforest glass house
orchids in the orchid house
in the water plants house
in the bromeliad house
in the carnivorous plants house
Lisa and Audrey by the waterfall in the Queen's garden
Lisa, Chad and Audrey by the waterfall
Jodi and Jane by the waterfall
Kasma with Lisa and Audrey
Thai massage in the garden at Mae Sa Valley Resort
massaman beef curry, Mae Sa Valley Resort
ginger chicken on the buffet table
spicy fermented shrimp paste dip with assorted vegetables (nam prik kapi)
crispy fried bananas
a surprised David enjoying his birthday cake
Hmong boy performs
Hmong girls dance
Hmong girls sing
our group's turn to sing
full-moon night
Audrey demonstrates gymnastics
Michael and Kasma with our god-daughters and son
view from the gas station in Khun Yuam, Mae Hong Son
chicken coconut soup, Bai Fern restaurant, Mae Hong Son
fried fish with hot-and-sour laab seasonings, herbs and toasted rice, Bai Fern
spicy shrimp red curry, Bai Fern
turmeric fried chicken, Bai Fern
hunglay pork curry, Bai Fern
Audrey and Lisa share a banana split at Bai Fern
"What are our choices for breakfast?"
pork congee with egg ...
Vietnamese-style fried eggs and toasted roll with pork sausage ...
Vietnamese-style spiced pork soup noodles ...
some of our breakfast snacks: kanom krok coconut rice hotcakes ....
... sticky rice with coconut-egg custard topping ...
... roti fried bread smothered with condensed milk and sugar
roti dough and fried roti flat breads at the vendor stall in Mae Hong Son market
sausages and fried meats stall in Mae Hong Son market
Marti getting a picture taken with a vendor at the market
Barry and Michael with long green eggplants at a vegetable stall
eggplant and banana flower
"How about this t-shirt?"
Myanmar-style Buddha image in Wat Chong Kham, Mae Hong Son
donation money tree
mural inside the chapel of Wat Chong Kham
Jane gonging, Wat Chong Kham
Dwight gonging
a merit-making ceremony in the chapel of Wat Chong Klang
mythical human beast and a peacock tree alongside the chedi of Wat Chong Klang
Lisu hilltribe stall outside the temple by the pond, Mae Hong Son
Lisu woman selling hand-made bags and pouches
Michael and Sun shopping on top of the hill of Doi Kong Mu, Mae Hong Son
paper cuts of people strung around the chapel of Wat Phra That Doi Kong Mu
a pair of golden singh mythical lions on top of the hill
a pink-eyed singh
looking across into Myanmar from the top of Doi Kong Mu
a plane coming in for a landing in Mae Hong Son
crispy batter-fried greens with a tasty sauce, Khai Mook restaurant, Mae Hong Son
spicy fried fish sausage (sai oa), Khai Mook
"No Parking"
trying to get a good picture of a locked up Buddha
the beautiful princely bronze Buddha from Myanmar, Wat Hua Wiang
late afternoon at Fern Resort
late afternoon view of the Rice Terrace Bar, Fern Resort
our group gathering at the Rice Terrace for the sunset and Buddha talk
sunset from the Rice Terrace, Fern Resort
a spicy Shan stewed chicken (oop kai), Bai Fern
crispy fried white tilapia with hot-and-sour green mango salad, Bai Fern
the mango salad spread over the fried fish, Bai Fern
Jane and Jodi having breakfast at the Fern Resort
elephants arriving from across the Pai River for work
elephant tusk makes it easy for mahout to climb up onto its back
feeding the elephant
putting on the "seat belt" for peace of mind
just a string for a seat belt
crossing the Pai River
winding through the woods
traffic jam
Lisa riding on the neck of the elephant
David rode on the neck of his elephant
Michael feeding an elephant sugar cane
Chad feeds his elephant after the ride
taking a longtail boat ride on the Pai River to the Thai-Myanmar border post
beautiful views on our boat ride
testing our balance crossing the swaying suspension bridge at the border post
three little pigs
our longtail boats waiting for us across the suspension bridge
spicy jungle curry with chicken and an assorment of vegetables, Khai Mook
crispy crab and pork rolls, Khai Mook
stir-fried roast duck with chillies and crisped holy basil
panaeng chicken curry, Khai Mook
stir-fried chayote greens and fresh shitake mushrooms, Khai Mook
a refreshing pineapple shake
torch ginger blossom, Fern Resort
a giant spider in the garden, Fern Resort
bamboo and water sounds, Fern Resort
Den – the very pregnant receptionist at Fern Resort
a Karen hilltribe woman at Fern Resort
Karen woman collecting vegetables and herbs for her dinner
Karen woman in the shelter she lives in at the far end of Fern Resort
Karen woman babysits her two grandsons while her daughter works at the resort
the two sons of one of Fern Resort's hilltribe employee
our secluded cabin where Brad P and Angelina J stayed two years earlier
hot-and-sour fish soup, Bai Fern
boiled pork with a spicy hot-and-sour sauce, herbs and sliced garlic, Bai Fern
fried fish served with spicy stir-fried long beans with prik king chilli paste, Bai Fern
spicy crisp-fried garlic-chilli chicken, Bai Fern
stir-fried morning glory with chillies, garlic and fermented bean sauce, Bai Fern
one of our breakfast snacks: black sticky rice with coconut-egg custard topping
two young monks buying food at a stall in Mae Hong Son market
sticky rice snacks in Mae Hong Son market
buying spices in Mae Hong Son market
offerings of food, beverages and flowers in front of a spirit house
Lisa and Barry on the paddy field walk
Soybeans and onions are planted in the off-season from rice farming.
fog lifting from the valley
Young watermelon plants are mulched with dried rice straw.
walking the paddy fields
a farmer's temporary shelter
Kasma leads the group in crossing a stream on a narrow, rickety bamboo bridge.
adventurous followers
more adventurous followers
farmers planting cabbages across the stream
returning the same way
a farmer hauling rice straw to mulch newly planted watermelon plants
species cymbidium native to Thailand
Hmong woman doing cross-stitching
our group lining up to take pictures in the Mae Hong Son Hmong village
Hmong woman with son
Hmong boys picking green papayas
Hmong grandma
Hmong girls
Hmong girls in front of their home
looking at pictures Kasma brought from the previous trip
Hmong woman with hand-made Hmong textile for sale
Lisa bought a beautiful piece.
the stunned chicken Michael saved dangling from a string tied around her feet
the Shan temple in the Mae Hong Son highlands by the Hmong village
