Thailand Summary

We skipped the next leg of our train ride and decided to fly instead to Chiang Mai in northern Thailand.  There we stayed at the Palm Springs Resort, a modest and charming place outside of town with a friendly cat named Farah.  We booked a tour with Chiang Dao Tours, a eco-friendly outfit.  Our day included an elephant ride in a forest and river, a hike through a huge underground cave that was also a Buddhist temple and a trip down a river on bamboo rafts that really didn’t seem sturdy enough to support our weight, but we made it through anyway.  The famous Night Market in Chiang Mai was lovely and we were particularly struck by the talent of the artists painting portraits from snapshots at the market.  The next day we flew to Bangkok and checked into one of our splurges, the Oriental Hotel.  A longtime favorite of travelers to Bangkok, this hotel is right on the Chao Phraya River.  There we met family (Duncan & Ellen) and friends (Dena & Mark) from Massachusetts who were on a package tour of Thailand, Cambodia and Hong Kong.   It had been a while since we had anyone to talk to, so we are sure their ears were tired from listening to all of stories!  Among other things in Bangkok, we booked a river tour, enjoyed riding in one of the famous fan-tailed boats and visiting the beautiful temples and palaces of central Bangkok. 

Kona Moment:  Friend Mark’s Aloha Shirt

Starbucks:  None seen

Weird McDonalds Menu Item:  Did not go, who needs it when you can have high tea at the Oriental!

Cultural Moment:  The catfish in the river are very smart.  Buddhists believe you should not kill anything on temple grounds, so the fish gather in the rivers and canals outside the temples where they wait to be fed.  These are some very fat fish!