THAILAND AND VIETNAM
Overseas Adventure Travel
November 24 – December 19, 2011
Chiang Mai, Thailand and Vietnam
Note: This is not much of a travelogue, but simply my impressions and reflections, of some of the people I met, the places I discovered, and the cultures I encountered, along the way. Of course, there was so much I didn’t capture, either because my new camera broke, or because email access was limited, or just because I was too busy experiencing. The text is simply drawn from the emails I sent along the way. As always, I am short on details and dates, but long on thoughts and impressions. And the photos -- well, I am taking classes to become a better photographer, so please be patient.
Overseas Adventure Travel
November 24 – December 19, 2011
Chiang Mai, Thailand and Vietnam
Note: This is not much of a travelogue, but simply my impressions and reflections, of some of the people I met, the places I discovered, and the cultures I encountered, along the way. Of course, there was so much I didn’t capture, either because my new camera broke, or because email access was limited, or just because I was too busy experiencing. The text is simply drawn from the emails I sent along the way. As always, I am short on details and dates, but long on thoughts and impressions. And the photos -- well, I am taking classes to become a better photographer, so please be patient.
After a very long flight from Austin to Bangkok (made more than tolerable in Business Class on Singapore Air, thanks to miles collected), we caught a short flight north to Chiang Mai, Thailand. We LOVED Chiang Mai and had a wonderful time. It’s a great place to start a trip in Asia. It’s easy to get around, (around 250,000 population); there are lots of backpack travelers, and (seemingly) even more westerners living here (Mostly Aussies and Europeans). Chiang Mai is filled with amazing Wats (Buddhist Temples), like the Doi Suthep Wat (left). And elephant and tiger farms (no lions or bears), but lots of crocs and snakes.
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An orchid farm near Chiang Mai, Thailand
And of course, shopping. A “daily” night market, plus special markets on Saturday and Sunday nights, provide lots of opportunities to buy, well, anything, including silk scarves and table runners, which we tried to hold back on a bit because we would like to save room in our suitcases.
We loved our hotel (on right), a peaceful enclave on a busy street. And the food....every meal is
excellent. Lots of Tom Kha Gai and ginger tea and amazing fruit smoothies that I wish someone would make me at home ;). I loved being back in Thailand, and particularly Chiang Mai. After Bali (of course) it is one of my favorite places.
We loved our hotel (on right), a peaceful enclave on a busy street. And the food....every meal is
excellent. Lots of Tom Kha Gai and ginger tea and amazing fruit smoothies that I wish someone would make me at home ;). I loved being back in Thailand, and particularly Chiang Mai. After Bali (of course) it is one of my favorite places.
Yesterday we flew to Bangkok and spent the night so we could join our fellow OAT travelers the next morning. We ate dinner at a restaurant owned by an 82 yr old from Michigan, who visits (and visits) with every customer. He fell in love many years ago, and never left Thailand His chef is known for his amazing meat loaf, but we stuck with Thai
food.
food.