February 3, 2016 Chiangmai Thailand




Our BYU China Teachers tour group in Thailand -back row: Cameron McKay, Tim Taylor, Glen Shaw, Chris the handsome husband Davis, Roland Johnson, Don McClean (Nope he didn't sing Bye Bye Miss American Pie but he does get asked that a lot) Front row:  Susan Taylor, Linea Shaw, Me, Gloria Johnson, Espie (Esperanza McClean)


 We flew from Bangkok to Chiangmai and went straight to the Karen long neck village.  I could been fooled into believing that I had just landed in Africa.  We were told the village had migrated from Burma.

We fell in love this little angel who was 8 years old.  She was totally all made up for our pictures. She is a great salesman and marketer! They let you take pictures but then ask you to buy something from their stall. Chris told me I needed to buy something, so I gladly did! 

    

The Long Neck women start to put brass rings on their necks to stretch them as young as 5 years old.  She is making a yarn ball to use to weave the scarves they sell.

You can see from this grandma, ( we are probably the same age, yikes) that her neck is so much longer than mine.  The brass rings she is wearing weigh about 8-10 pounds total.  It has to be hard on both their necks and back.
Each of the women who we saw in their little sales both had a mirror right by where they were sitting so they could  keep looking beautiful!  I wondered with all the things I do for looks if someone in China might think I was vain????
                                               
Here you see the scarves they sell and a lady who is weaving one.  The scarves are beautiful.  I bought one to remember the work required to make one.  Also, I thought it was interesting how they wore bands on their legs too.  All women want to look beautiful!  
These two boys are standing between two houses, one is on stilts and the other is the grass roof.  They use boxes and aluminum and bamboo for walls.  There is no grass only dirt and a sparce tree here and there.

 
I really like this shot, it was as we were walking out and a group of children were walking along with us.  One mom came by to get the baby so I turned and snapped it.   You can see the mom can't really put her head down or turn side to side very well.  It was really facsinating to watch them.  I wanted to pick them up and talk to them and hug and kiss them.  They are so priceless.  I just think how different and yet how precious each of His children are to our Father in Heaven.  How he knows each of them in any circumstance anywhere.  

              
Chris is following the group of children as we leave the long neck village.  On the left side in the orange pants is the girl and she and one of the boys held hands as they walked and that just warmed my heart!  As you look back you can see this the path in and out of the village.

February 4, 2016





















Check out the name of the Summer Palace of the King and Queen of Thailand because it kept us in stitches!!!! You pronounce this the pooping palace.  So every time our tour guide "Toon"  told us we were going to the pooping palace we just snickered!!! Tee Hee!  The grounds were filled with beautiful homes, lakes and gardens.  We walked up and down many hills and vales.




This is one of fence post Buddhas along a garden path.




This is the Magnificent Naga, the dragon-headed serpent staircase consisting of 306 steps to get to Bhuping Palace.





When Chris and I got to the Bhuping Palace our shorts were considered inappropriate.  We were required  to  rent pants that covered us to our ankles.  Chris and Don had pants that the top folded over and it reminded me of the Food Network battles of the chefs so Chris and Don are ready to battle!

Just down the hill from the Palace is....... I bet you'll never guess........ Oh, right you got it ANOTHER Buddhist Temple!!!!




Check out the three headed elephant, with the mother on it. This is always in the dream of a mother who will have a new baby Buddha.  This picture has amazing symbolism to me.
Our guide explained to me through the murals how a new Buddha is born. I really saw some similarities to our beliefs.   I was glad to know.  There is significant symbolism which had  I could understand and recognize.  The world is small!!!!


We always enjoy watching the Monks in the room with the Buddhas.  They read and chant and pray.They will pray for people who bring them gifts. Some temples have buckets full of various items you can purchase from the monks and then give to them and they in turn will pray for you.

This is the magnificent Naga  306 step staircase leading from the Temple. We walked down them. We took a tram up to the temple. :)

We went to the Chaing Mai night bazaar and bought elephant pants!  I fell in love with them.  I bought them for all the girls in the family.

February 5, 2016



When I woke up on Friday morning I looked off our hotel balcony and saw this little family in the court yard.  The mom sitting down the dog by the gate and little girl with her backpack riding her bike around the driveway all ready for school.  Then I saw this monk walking by and decided to snap a pic.


I wanted a picture with our guide Toon to remember her great help.  It was a mystery to many whether she was a boy or girl.  I had no problem.  I knew she was a girl.


We walked up a ramp and were loaded onto this adorable elephant.   We were told she was 60 years old!  One of the few things our guide could say in English. She sure had the slooowest walk ever!!! Up and down hills I was sure she would either stop or lay down and what in the world we were  going to do!!!! Our guide kept kicking her behind the ears and saying words in Thai, but we knew he was saying, "You slow little grandma, get going!!"  We had a great time but everyone passed us and we just laughed and were grateful for grandma elephant!

This is Chris being thanked by the elephant, by putting his trunk in the air and rearing back, for feeding it so many sticks of sugar cane and bananas.

We liked the way the moms with babies got to keep the babies with them, they just stayed right by their side! Of course it helped that they were literally chained together but the little ones didn't want to stray very far anyway.

























The elephant is putting the hat on Chris' head off of the trainers!!! They are so fun!  This is a baby maybe 6 years old.

These amazingly smart little elephants painted these pictures and the workers sold them.  Their trainers initially teach them to paint a picture and then they copy it.  They totally won our hearts!!! Even if they gave slobbery kisses!

The great hat trick, AGAIN!!! 

Ready for a sloppy kiss!!!

Finish with a rafting ride.  Chris taking a turn moving us down the river on a raft

 

Now its my turn and you can see the guide laughing at my abilities!!! Look out  I'm sure we are ready to hit the rapids!!!

Bangkok Thailand

January 31, 2016 we flew into Bangkok Thailand. What a gracious people. The  country is 95% Buddhist. They greet you with their hands clasped in a prayer-like pose and bow.
We joined a group of BYU teachers for a trip to Thailand.  One of the most favorite places we have visited.  It seemed like we were back in U.S. with so much English on the signs and regular western beds and toilets (in many places)!!!  Small things have become to mean so much!!!
Our firs stop was Bangkok, home to 8 million.
A group of Soldiers were marching out of the Royal Grand Palace former home of the Royal Thailand family. Visiting dignitaries still stay on the grounds.  Many formal government activities are held here still. There are places mere tourists can not enter.  The Thai people love their King. It is a monarchy similar to Great Britain. You see pictures of the King everywhere.

                          

Temple Wat Pra Kaew a famous Buddha Temple with much gold inside the King's palace.

                               
                          Here lies the BIG gold reclining Buddha, she is large and in charge in this room. (which she is it?)

                      

               Chris giving the guard a few tips on how the police in the U.S. do it along with the   protective dragon of the temple.
                              
Another Buddha inside one of the temple rooms.  There were monks in this particular room doing some chanting.
                    
            One of the means for taxi service in Thailand.  Sahweeet! 

Canal tour with houses and a barge passing by our boat and Chris feeding the catfish.  Not really any water I want to jump off the boat to go swimming in!

This is what the boats we were on looked like with huge diesel engines ending with a propeller that was on a long rod on the back of the boat.

Next stop on the river Chao-Praya is the "Temple of Dawn" a white temple of the dock of the river.

As we exited the boat I saw very interesting fruit that looks familiar.  I was told it tastes like pears.  I loved seeing this little girl asleep in her car seat with her doll.  Couldn't resist the picture.

This is really high and is under renovation as you can tell.  We weren't able to climb very high but the workers were hanging off pretty high in the air with no tethers.

There are so many inlaid tiles and glass it was very colorful and had been very carefully built.

Our trip across the river on the boat had us joining a monk.

 







In the evening, a dinner show with native Thailand dancing, story telling and live music.  We had no idea what was said, but it was beautiful!

             

February 2, 2016
We loaded  narrow long ended canoes and were taken down canals where people live in stilt houses on the banks of the waterways as we journeyed our way to the floating market.  It was very fascinating; I felt like I had gone back 100 years to a time where we would raise our own food and barter for our needs.

Here is a lady doing her dishes with river water

Reaching the floating market. Anyone for fresh squid with your coconut ice-cream?

Selfie with our guide driving our little motorized canoe. the floating market was a maze of commerce with traffic jams of vendors and tourists vying for position.

This was a great little day of gazing into how simple life is for many people

on the earth.  It made me become introspective about how many things I 

need to simplify in my life.  Keep it simple, don't over do.