Overnight Train to Chiang Mai

 After 4 days in Bangkok, I think the three of us agree that we are happy to be on our way to the northern, mountainous region of Thailand. We have booked a sleeper car for the 15 hour ride to Chiang Mai which left at 1930 hrs. and is scheduled to arrive Chiang Mai at 0930 hrs plus 4 hours or so!!

We spent the previous 2 days in Bangkok wandering the very busy streets in amazement with the endless street vendors and food stands only to be interrupted by the very predictable 1400 hrs thunderstorms! No one in Thailand goes hungry; including the dingo’s (feral dogs). Did you know, that Thailand has a 0.9% unemployment rate? Can we learn something here?

One can’t describe nor can a picture depict, the absolute opulent beauty of the Thai Temples and their reverence to the many buddha’s worshipped here! We visited Wat Po (the Reclining Buddha), the Royal Palace grounds and the most sacred temple in the palace, Wat Phra Keo (the Emerald Buddha).                                                                                             

In addition to the normal tourist attractions, we have spent much of our time biking and rambling through the awesome countryside of rice paddies, mountains and rainforests. Along the way we have met so many wonderful people anxious to speak with us and share time with us. We enjoyed a cup of freshly brewed coffee with our treking guide, a Karen Tribe member, where it is grown on the hillsides.

We made a new friend, Kim, from Seattle. She has been traveling throughout southeast Asia for the last 6-weeks and is on her way to London today. We have enjoyed her company and will miss her. Mark left us 2 days ago and we really miss him. So now we are on our own!

The pictures below are just a few examples of the sights we have seen in my favourite Thailand.

 On night train

 Does that say 2,500 miles to Boston??

                          Ancient city of Chiang Mai

                            

                     This pinball looking machine will give you your lucky number for a few bahts 

                     

 Biking gang

 Hungry catfish

 Mark and his sleepy Australian friend, Ava. Poor girl asleep on her dad's lap at dinner but slept walked over to Mark's! Too funny!  

The stairs coming down from Doi Suthep            

 Rice almost ready for the harvest

 Enjoying some local coffee 

 Rice, rice, rice

 Night time on the River Ping

 Where to next?

 Pig on the hillside

 Making candy at the market

 Monks at Chiang Mai's revered mountain top temple: Doi Suthep

 Preparing the temple for a Buddhist Day

 A rice field

 The Emerald Buddah in Wat Phra Keo