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Mekong cruise day 2. Not a repeat like Groundhog Day

Today is actually February 2nd here though not yet in PA. The weather is certainly better.

We stayed overnight in the Mekong River houses. It was great to hear the river right beside us and the breaking of the houses. I really did not sleep much as I awake to every noise. It didn’t help that I slept between every attraction on the car ride up to stay the cruise and slept a solid full night. Some pictures of early in the morning.

The restaurant across the street served breakfast. Simple but tasty.

While we were eating breakfast, we heard the elephants trumpet. They were down at the water. We left to go take pictures.

There is an elephant park across the mekong and I’m sad to say that the mahout ride the elephants.

We assembled in the boat and we were off downstream again towards Luang Prabang. As we started out several hours earlier than yesterday, it s much colder. Some hot coffee and blankets helped.

Some of the sights we saw today.

Asian cattle.

It is difficult to make out, but the poles hold peanut plants in the sand.

We disembarked from the boat to visit a village. We tried fresh peanuts. Our tour guide is such a ham!

On to the village.

There is a temple. There are 3 villages in the area and the monks come to this temple on a rising basis.

Here is where the monks stay during the visit.

The villagers weave scarves and table runners to sell. It takes 2 days to make one. This is the loom that they use in the background of the first picture.

Winding of thread. And, yes, I bought a scarf. It is beautiful.

The wood pieces on the left side of this next picture is actually a pillow. You can put fabric on it but can adjust somewhat for your neck. At the bottom is a massager. On the top left is homemade sandals and yes they carved treads on the bottom.

The kids were great. I bought another bracelet from them. How can you say no.

They also distill alcohol from grain and use the top to cook sticky rice. The alcohol was pretty strong but good.

We walked along a path and these cuties followed us. We played games of gotcha, turning around quickly to surprise them and slapping hands. They had superhero shirts on and one had a cape too.

Boys carrying firewood.

This little girl was so sweet.

This is a jackfruit tree. Never saw one before.

Back on the boat for lunch and more travel. We asked if they would uncover a section of the boat. They did and we played music and sunned ourselves.

More pictures on the way.

We then stopped a Pak Ou cave where there had been a Buddha temple for hundreds of years.

I bought a flower wrapped in banana leaf to give as a prayer.

The large central Buddha is for meditation. Each one has a particular meaning.

Another place for prayer. If I would have known this was in the your cave, I would have waited.

From inside the cave looking out towards the karst formations across the mekong.

There have been few instances of flooding where large portions of the cave are under water. The highest chalk mark was in 1966. And the last flooding was 2008. All of the cave would be under water.

After visiting the cave we continued. We saw people fishing.

This was an unbelievable cruise. The crew was fantastic, the tour guide amazing, and best yet were the new people that I met along the way!

To the Aussies Kim and Tess. You guys are crazy but the loveliest people!

To the Canadians, Krista and Yvette, you guys are so fun too and we so great chatting up a storm with you. Thanks to all of you for so much laughter and friendship!

Mekong river cruise day one

First off if you go to Chiang Khong this is the place to stay.

Nice people and a great place along the mekong River in Thailand.

This was my view from my room at sunrise.

The best tour is Nagi of the Mekong and Adisak is wonderful. The tour operator makes it easy. We are given Laos visa forms and they check to make sure all is okay and there to help with the process. They like US dollars and if you don’t use it the exchange rate is not in your favor. Note : if the dollars have any weird marks like dye they will not take it and they do not like large bills like 20’s. Take small denominations. Thank goodness the canadians I made friends with had extra cash.

I also took Laos kip currency out. Like Vietnam, I am a millionnaire. Okay, that was only about 117US.

The boat was awesome.

We were able to sit at the bow in the sunshine. There were places to sit or lay down. Here is a video I made when we first started down the river:

The views along the mekong were amazing.

We stopped a few times to meet locals and they purchased a root like potato that is a bit sweeter. You peel like a flower. You were able to peel with your fingers unlike our potatoes. It was delicious. It had a texture like a water chestnut.

We also stopped at a local village. The boat brings things for kids in order to stop.

Xay is our guide on the left. His sister is also a guide. He tour is going to the river and we are going down. Was nice to see them together. He has 11 in his family and is from a village much like this one.

The village used to be higher in the mountains but the government could not support them with what they needed so they moved further down the mountain.

Only about 100 live in this village. Children go to elementary school here but there is no high school. It is not free even for young grades. If a child goes to high school, the family must pay. If it is like china, then parents may have to go away to work to pay but may not be near their child.

This hut is to house sticky rice. The disks on each leg stop the rats from climbing to get into the house. There are a lot of dogs and not much cats. Here dogs do a better job of controlling the rats.

Piglets. I didn’t ask but sure they eventually are for meat.

The kids everywhere are especially fun. They wave, will high five you, and have the sweetest smiles. It is great to see kids helping and playing outside. Low tech. Note: For a bunch of the trip I did not have a Sim card or any connection which was great for connecting with others.

Coconuts.

The bones of animals are used to adorn for luck.

Drying tobacco.

Drying the sticky rice grain. Some villages like this one can pool money for a machine to remove the outer covering or bran. Otherwise it is thrashed by hand.

I bought a bracelet from a woman.

We continued on the cruise. Lunch was waiting for us when we finished the village.

At one point the mekong is 100% in Laos.

We stopped here in Pak Beng for the night. Our hotel is up here on the cliff.

After depositing our bags (we could keep what we wanted on the boat so only took a change of clothes),we met too go to the market.

Here is a picture of the room.

At the market we ate bamboo sticky rice. Some in the group had never tried it. It is always good. The bamboo sticks gold the sticky rice for cooking. Usually coconut, beans, or spices are included.

Here is banana flower and golangal. Both are used in cooking.

I played peek a boo around a person’s shoulder with this little boy.

I bought sugar cane that is processed and wrapped in the village. It becomes like chocolate. I am not going to try it until I get home to the states to share with my kids. I also purchased a bamboo spoon. I would rather spend money here for those who need it and are so friendly.

Dinner was tofu lob. Lob is a Laos dish and was very tasty. Not hot with fresh ingredients like lemongrass….

Sunset was beautiful…

Some more pictures of the village.

Tomorrow is another 8 hours of boating down the mekong before we land in Luang Prabang.

Goodbye Chiang Mai… Hello to the Mekong

I had booked a mekong river cruise in Laos and decided to just use a driver from the tour operator to get there. A private car and we toured a few places along the way.

First stop was a bathroom break in the way to Chiang Rai. There is a hot spring there and I toil time to do my tires in the warm water while munching on gooseberries. They have the bite like a tomato but slightly sweet and does not taste like a tomato at all.

Yummy!

Here is the location of the springs. Wat Suwannarum Patong.

From there we traveled to the white temple. It is beautiful. According to the internet: “Wat Rong Kun, perhaps better known to foreigners as the White Temple, is a contemporary, unconventional, privately-owned art exhibit in the style of a Buddhist temple in Chiang Rai Province.”

The gate of heaven are the two pillars in front of the temple.

This stands for the worldly temptations Buddha’s teachings encourages us to resist.

A wishing fountain.

Even the bathrooms are a work of art.

Other images. This area is for reflection and prayer.

Across the road are rice paddies.

I grabbed some lunch to eat on the way. Then it was off to Dpi Tung and the Mae Fah Luang garden.

From there we traveled to the Hall of Opium. A project of the royal family to educate and change the opium trade and addiction in the north.

Finally we went to the Golden triangle. Here is where Myanmar (the triangle piece) , Thailand (where I am standing) , and Laos (on the right) meet.

I ate a mekong river fish dish. Spicy! Also, I find with an Irish family. They are traveling the world for a year with their young kids. They were such fun.

This morning I woke to sunrise on the mekong. Off to the cruise!

All who wander are not lost…

I love that quote and had to use it somewhere!

After the hike I had a brief rest – I also needed to charge my phone.

I had an awful headache all morning and it was not getting any better. A local market had 4 pack of 500 MG Tylenol for 3.5 baht which is equivalent to 11 cents. I also found a street vendor selling Ice cream pops. That should help the headache! This one was sweet taro (it is a starchy root). It was delicious.

I had read online about this cat Cafe called catmosphere.

You remove your shoes, which you do just about everywhere here in Thailand. They ask you to wash your hands and use antibacterial cleanser.

They had all kinds of great drinks, deserts, and food items. Yes, this is the foam on the green tea latte. Someone is talented.

And of course there are lots of cats, toys, and pillows to sit on the floor.

This is on the wall and there are steps at the end for the cats to get up there.

I actually walked around 4 miles to get there. I didn’t think it was that far. I did walk back too as there were other things I wanted to see.

And yes there is was a dog Cafe. A quick search on maps showed it was permanently closed. More can go wrong with a pack of dogs.

I had noticed a Chinese new year celebration in front of a mall with street food. I stopped to have Pad Thai. (I know, twice in one day… You can’t have enough Pad Thai).

At the Chinese new year celebration.

On the way to the cat Cafe and back I passed through those remnants of walls that used to be around the old city. At Tha Pha gate on the right side of the square (inside of the square is the Old City), I noticed large wood doors.

That side is also the most intact wall.

This city is decorating for the flower festival which starts at the beginning of February. Unfortunately I will be in Laos then. Here are many of the decorations found on the perimeter of the Old City.

And this would not be complete without more temple pictures. They seem the same but are not.

Tomorrow I will leave to go on a private tour to Chiang Rai and then to stay overnight in Chiang Koung on the Laos border.

Doi Suthep hike to temple plus bonus waterfall and MONKEYS!!

This morning I was picked up by the tour operator at my hotel. I had pre-booked the tour before I left China. It turns out I was the only one on the tour. Since I am fairly fit and we were traveling faster than my guide usually goes, he offered to take me to the waterfall also.

It was much like many trails I have dinner in the forest but there were some vertical climbs. It was interesting to see how the jungle changed as we climbed higher.

We first came to an old temple that is not used anymore. The monks used to walk the path we took but since the road was built, go by car instead.

There we saw a Peacock and hens. The make Peacock seemed to be aggressive to everything including the chickens that wanted nothing to do with him.

https://youtu.be/xt6FgPE8Lts

Paenaezo, my tour guide, helped capture some great video.

On the way to the main temple we were quiet and on the lookout for monkeys. And we found them! He said that we were very lucky. This is only the second time he has seen them in all the tours that he has done.

https://youtu.be/J50CcJDVWSg

From there we went to the main temple. At these stairs are places where ashes are placed when a monk or benefactor dies. After 100 days it is sealed. I asked Paenaezo what happens when he dies. His ashes are scattered in the jungle as he is from the Hill tribe on the mountain.

Pictures of the temple.

The view of the city from the top of the mountain. It was a heavy pollution day.

More temple pictures.

The murals behind each statue tell the story of the Buddha. The statues are erected for benefactors to keep repairs of the temple.

Inside here men and women are blessed with health. Men have water put on their shoulders and women are given a cotton bracelet to wear for 3 days.

There is also candle flames for each day of the week you are born. You take oil from the trough and add it to the correct candle for luck.

From there we headed down the other stairs to where the hill tribe sells items and food.

Heading to the waterfall.

The waterfall. The source is at the top of the mountain and this water feeds into the canals that go around the old city.

From there we went back a slightly different path. We passed an old fig tree that is huge.

On the right side of the previous picture is a what looks like an elephant head. They call it the elephant tree.

I also saw a banana tree. I have not been near one before.

The bananas are small and very sweet. They are like the ones the park uses to feed the elephants.

There were bikes waiting for us to ride down the mountain on the road. On the way, we stopped to eat lunch near the base of the temple. I had Pad Thai. The total climb was 6.5 miles (10.5 km) to the top.

At the bottom we stopped at an arboretum and had coffee made from local beans.

Riding back to the bike and kayak shop, we rode the whole perimeter of the old city. I miss the padded seat of my bike! Paezaeno took me back to the hotel in his motorbike. He has an apartment in the temple near my hotel.

What a great day!

Chiang Mai walkabout

After returning from the elephant park, I wanted to find the warorot day Market though I was sure it would be closing soon. It was but at least I found more of the city along the way.

I stopped at the night Market though.

I also stopped at an expat night Market. You can find foods from all over the world.

I

I wanted mango sticky rice. Yummy! Coconut milk with sticky rice, sliced mango, and crunchy rice.

There are quite a few of these vans at the markets. They are a watering hole for expats.

The next day, I left for the warorot day Market early. Lots of fresh and dried fruits and veggies, teas, and just about anything you can imagine.

The cylinders are bamboo sticky rice. Rice that is steamed in a bamboo stem.

I bought assume of these to eat later. It is a coconut dough that is steamed in leaves.

Yes, these are meal worms!

I also bought bamboo sticky rice for lunch. It is put into a bamboo section and then steamed (much like how we use corn husks). I have had it before and it is delicious. I walked around looking at temples for hours, but here is what lunch looked like.

Here is part of the bamboo peeled away.

This is the steamed coconut dough. In the left wrapped in a banana leaf. The stakes dough on the right. It was pretty tasty.

I went to visit the temples in the old city. It is a square in the center of Chiang Mai. There was literally a square wall around the city surrounded by canals.

At the 3 kings statue, there is a metal “city plan” that shows this. There are entrance on each side. At the bottom of the picture is the gate I entered.

The three kings statue. It is the sculpture of Kings Mengrai, Ramkamhaeng and Ngam Muang, who are founding fathers of Chiang Mai.

From there I visited the Buddhist temples in the city center.

I also stopped at the Chiang Mai Historical Museum to learn a little about their history including occupation with Burma and Siam. The museum is built on top of the original temple and part of the archeological dig is in the basement. Bricks back then did not have mortar between them.

I did want to walk more but I used up all my phone battery (I’m charging it now as I’m writing this post.)

I have been on the lookout for funny signs (though china has some of the worst signs.) here are things that caught my eye :

Not a funny sign. This is an actual place. They are supposed to be good. The women’s prison also offers massages. I think they have finished their time and is now their job.

This garlic is only 80 baht which is 2.50us.


Elephant park again (this place is just awesome)

I am actually sad I left here. So peaceful.

After feeding the herd this morning we learned of how the mahout will report to the vet about the physical and psychological well-being of their elephant. One in particular needs extra nutrition and so we made rice balls with very ripe banana and other grains mixed in them til then to feed her. This is an older elephant that does not have many teeth left.

We also fed another younger elephant that is not drinking enough and it’s feces is dry and tough to pass. She needed another snack of peeled watermelon to help. Sorry no pictures as of hand were quite messy.

While we were feeding we saw again the one elephant that is not happy in any group yet is happy to be by herself. You can tell by her behavior that she is happy (ears flapping and tall wagging).

While having a siesta on the patio, we saw another elephant across the river that is so traumatized by the past abuse she is visibly upset and can be unpredictable in behavior. The park keeps them separate for safety while they work on gaining trust. An elephant that moves her head and trunk from side to side is not happy.

I also said goodbye to as many cats, dogs, goats, and water buffalo (they tolerate being close but not contact).

Water buffalo bathing. Poor joy!

We had a great lunch away from the compound overlooking the herd we had fed.

On the way back I liked the sticker on the van.

No goats, weapons, attacking others, dogs, alcohol, durian!!!, smoking. Love the signs here in Asia!

Elephant park day two

We awoke to elephants and dogs making noises because they know they will be fed soon.

After breakfast, we loaded packs with watermelon and banana to walk to the outer area where the family we are to feed is.

Once we arrived it was time to feed.

Here is a video of feeding the elephants :

We then learned about how they are working to stop local parks from bad practices. They bring in their own people for free and set up a program to show how they can make money and be humane to elephants. After the owners see a different way they look at the animals differently. Slowly they are making progress. It is easy to tell when an elephant is happy. Their tail moves from side to side and their ears flap.

Our tour guide was Apple. She said there are also 600 dogs and 400 cats here.

She explained how animal herds get along and their mannerisms. They are amazing animals. They are like every other mammal species. You have the trouble makers and those who just don’t get along. You also have those that want to help each other and be a friend.

We also watched a vet administer medicine to an injured one. He stepped on a landmine and the wound needs cleaned twice a day.

The mahout teaches her how to put the foot up. The reward is food. You can tell it still hurts and it has been 20 years.

The mahout is chosen by the elephant and gains its trust and can sense love. No one is assigned an elephant. There are 7 mahouts for the family we fed. Since an elephant eats 10% of its body weight, it eats 18 hours a day. Food has to be delivered overnight and they light fires to keep the older ones warm at night. Sometimes they must see the elephant every 2 to 3 hours. They do care for the elephants who chose them as a mahout. They are carrying, patient, and steady.

This was an amazing visit. A great relaxing way to start vacation!

Elephant sanctuary day 1

After not even being in Chiang Mai for 12 hours, I woke up at the Thana hotel and had a great breakfast before packing to leave on a tour.

I met 3 great ladies and we talked about trip plans and what they have already seen. It turns out I had planned to go to the same park that two of them had been to.

Not all elephant parks are the same. Many let you ride the elephant and are not interested in rescuing. If you choose to go to one, choose one that is responsible. Elephant nature park is amazing. They have parks in more than one country. They also try to change current park practices helping them change to a better place for elephants through partnerships.

We started out the tour in the van watching a video of what to do /not do when we arrive. This was followed with how elephants have been used in the past and is a very sad history. From circus to logging to peddling on the streets and for riding… All elephants start out the same way. Babies are taken and the adults harmed. They are tied up between trees without being able to move and denied food and water. After they are submissive they walk in circles around trees while being tied tightly to only allow one type of movement. They are considered broken when they follow a simple command. They suffer physical and psychological abuse.

The park has about 80 elephants. Only a few were born here… The rest were rescued. The oldest is 90!

We started out feeding the elephants. For the first day we stand on a platform and with the exception of feeding the baby we stay behind a line and let the elephants take food from our hands in their trunk. The snack is bananas, watermelon, and squash.

Afterwards there is a little time to look at the many cats and dogs that are also found here. They are rescues as well. All are neutered which is good. There is a cat area:

There are also dogs who are in very large kennels to run while many must roam free (trouble makers or those with severe emotional scars are keto separated).

Lunch was completely vegetarian. Amazing food.

After lunch we visited all of the elephant families. There are a few where they have a normal structure. Bulls are kept separate. There are many groups of elephants that have serious handicaps. Many are blind from cataracts or being shot in the eye with a slingshot (it is a common way to keep them in line in captivity but often time they miss and hit the eye.) There are a few that stepped on land mines and have serious injuries. Others have broken legs that never healed properly when in captivity. Many have found another elephant they bonded with and are kept together to be sure they get adequate food. Being all together would be difficult to ensure safety and adequate food.

Every group of elephant has two people that they have learned to trust. This people are in charge of them, making sure they get what they need and picking up cues from them. Such large animals can easily do harm unintentionally when spooked.

https://youtu.be/xQKU0FdGRLk

They have quite the set up here. They also rescue water buffalo, cows, and horses… I even saw an alpine goat!

The amount of food they go through is impressive. Must are locally sourced but the demand is too much for just the locals. Some elephants cannot suggest a well or have lost teeth. They get did that is chopped up or peeled.

There are large pens where they stay at night. Not only are they safe but they get fed through the night. Elephants feed constantly and don’t need much sleep. My bungalow is right near the pens and I am writing this post listening to their noises and trumpeting!

The sand mounds are to help older elephants get up and is better for their skin.

There is a pool for the elephants to use as well as many ponds.

https://youtu.be/M9aA8ewySEs

We were able to touch an elephant. Usually we are only to do so when we are feeding.

We were able to see them in a natural a habitat as possible and are guide was invaluable in telling us how they truly live. These were taking a dust and mud bath.

https://youtu.be/tintQz2Dd5A

https://youtu.be/z5x_DSsupuY

Finally, we met the elephant family we will walk with and feed tomorrow. This first one was so traumatized psychologically that she cannot be in the company of others. The park purchased adjacent land for her to live. She walk separately from the others.

Then came the family. Whatever the baby decides the rest follows. That includes walking in the water or the path they take. As much as we would like to walk with the baby tomorrow, we won’t. Families are protective of the young ones. This baby is 8!

It is now the end of the day. After a massage and good dinner, time to wrap this up. The bed has mosquito netting so we can hear the elephants at night!

Breakfast is at 7 and a walk with the elephant family is at 7:30! Our house dig is outside and will be happy to see our group tomorrow!

Chinese new year

At school we had Chinese new year celebrations before dismissal.

The Chinese lion:

There were activities with painting, making Chinese crafts and more.

Around our area crews were planting different flowers and shrubs as sprinf is coming. Decorations are also going up for new years celebrations for the year of the pig.