Friday November 05, 2010

Here we are at the end of our first week in Thailand.  It has been fantastic.  Weather has been wonderful and warm and a tinge humid but we’re not complaining.

Tony & Lainy – you would be so amazed at your Grandfather.  Yesterday he ate deep fried Bamboo WORMS!!!!!  Grams tried just two.  Gramps insisted that they tasted just like french fries.  He ate almost a whole bag of them.  He has also eaten Tofu, Pad Thai (which is noodles, bean sprouts, Thai spices, etc.), and lots and lots of rice.  He is loving it.

Yesterday we were up at 3:30 AM and caught a 7 AM flight from Bangkok to Pitsanolok in Northern Thailand.  It was only a half hour flight although we were told it was going to be just under an hour.  We had a breakfast of a tiny weiner wrapped in a tiny pastry and a little glass of water.  Guess that is all they could manage in half an hour.  Arrived at the airport and were met by our next guide.  A lovely lady that lives in Chiang Mai.  We spent the morning touring more temples much to Dave’s delight and listened to monks chanting.  Then on to lunch in an open air restaurant.  Good cold beer and Pad Thai noodles with chicken.  Off in the afternoon to an amazing outdoor market selling everything you could ever imagine in food products.  There were vegetables of all types, live frogs, dried frogs and cooked frogs, live fish and eels in bags of murky water hanging on poles, then we saw buffalo skin, feet and tails – all for sale to eat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   There were lots of cooked bugs and crickets and again all to take home to eat.  Just made our mouths water!!!!!  We could have spent a lot longer there as it was so interesting but we finally had to move on.

Then back on the bus for a one hour ride to Chiang Mai.  We arrived at our hotel at about 6 PM and just had time for a quick cold drink and cleanup before heading out to dinner.  Dinner was a set dinner with a choice of either Western style or Thai style.  It looked great but was hardly enough to feed a child.  Hmm – we might need to go to the Pizza Hut down the street for a top up.

Off today to see yet more temples and more buddhas.  We just can’t see enough of all the gold buddhas!!!!!  Tomorrow are off to ride the elephants.  Can’t wait.