Thailand

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We recently vacationed in Thailand (February 11th through the 24th) where we covered the following route:

The trip was great; we rode elephants, got attacked by monkeys, shopped extensively, went boating in the Mekong River, visited an opium museum in the golden triangle, took a cooking class and in general had a really great time!

The trip started in Pittsburgh on February 11th when we flew to Los Angeles via Atlanta.  We spent the night in Los Angeles (enjoying the opportunity to have a great Mexican dinner) and left the next afternoon to Bangkok via Taipei (Taiwan).  The total airline portion of the trip (not counting stopover time) lasted 23 hours.  We arrived in Bangkok at 1:30 am on the morning of February 13.  Since Thailand is exactly 12 hours ahead of Pittsburgh time I never had to reset my watch (although the date was wrong for half the day.)

Click on any of the photos for a larger version.

Day 1&2--we began by visiting some of the most unusual Buddhist temples in Bangkok; Wat Traimit, Wat Pho, and Wat Benchamabopit.

Ornate statue outside Wat Traimit. Everything is so colorful!

Golden Buddha--Sukhothai Traimit.

Flower display to the side of the golden Buddha.

Other Buddha statues at Wat Traimit. People buy small pieces of gold leaf and stick it on to the statue.

Guards outside of Wat Pho (the temple of the reclining Buddha.)

Wat Pho.

More cool archetecture at Wat Pho.

These spires are made from millions of pieces of ceramic tile.

One of the Buddhas at Wat Pho.

More ornate archetecture--the colors are breathtaking!

Another angle--Wat Pho is huge!

This is the marble temple at Wat Benchamabophit. It was constructed in 1899.

This monk we met was from New Jersey!

This stream ran through the center of Wat Benchamabophit.

Front view of the temple--I really enjoy the ornate archetecture.

This is the Buddha inside the marble temple.

Day 3--We departed Bangkok to Ayuthaya, the historic capital of Siam and home to a collection of ancient wats dating from 1375.  We saw the gigantic bronze statues at Wat Mongkol Borpitr and then ontinued to Wat Yai Chai Mangkol.  We then stopped at the Wat Chai Watthanaram.  Finally we went to Lopburi to visit Prang Sam Yod (the three sacred sandstone spires).  We spent the evening in Phitsanulok.

Wat Yai Chai Mongkol at Ayutthaya.

A reclining Buddha--the reclining pose depicts his last moment before death.

Another Buddha statue--there's lots of them!

In fact, here's a row of Buddha's.

Here's a view from the top of the temple--it's a really pretty country.

A couple of non-Buddhist cats; they went at it just after this was taken.

First view of Wat Maha That at Ayutthaya from the bus.

The monument at the center of Wat Phra Ram.

This is the final resting place of one of Thailand's kings.

The heads of the Buddha's were destroyed by the Kahmer invaders.

It doesn't look too high but it is--and the steps are very precarious.

Here's a picture looking down from the top.

When those about you are loosing their heads...

Wat Phra Ram was my favorite. The feeling of antiquity was overwhelming!

Another shot from the corner of the Wat. It was really beautiful here.

Tuk-tuks are a common mode of transportation. This one was particularly ornate.

One Buddha in Wat Mahathat at Sukhothai.

View of Wat Mahathat--the ruins are my favorite.

Another view of the ruins.

Buddha statues are ubiquitous.

Wat bridge?

Wat Mahathat from a distance.

The lakes really enhanced the scenery.

It was very tranquil--and quite hot.

The whispering Buddha at Wat Sri Chum.

Monkeying around in Lopburi.

I don't have pictures of it but these guys jumped me!

The monkeys would also steal from vendors.

Mom and baby.

We stopped here for lunch

A fountain at the garden.

The lake behind the lunch area.

Day 4--We began by visiting Wat Maha Dhat Phitsanulok with its revered Buddha statue, Phra Buddha Jinaraj. We then departed for Sukhothai, continuing to Sri Satchanalai. We then visited Wat Phra Sri Ratana Maha Dhat, which stands on the site of the Khmer fort called "Chalieng."  We then proceeded to Lampang where we spent the night.

The Phra Buddha Jinaraj at Wat Maha Dhat Phitsanulok.

Looking back at the tour bus from the top of Wat Phra Sri Ratana Maha Dhat.

Proof that Pepsi and Coke are ubiquitous.

A hut next to the rice fields.

Water buffalo grazing; rice farmers use them for plowing.

A coconut vendor (it's a refreshing drink in the heat of the day.)

All kinds of interesting fruit in this Lampang market.

A local butcher stall--the meat is kept on ice blocks.

A vegetable stall.

Real Thai take-out.

Day 5--We drove to Ko Kah to view the Emerald Buddha at Wat Phra Dhat Lampang Luang and then departed for Phayao, a unique rural town with a short stop at Kwan Phayao, Thailand's largest natural lake.  After lunch, we drove to Chiang Saen, the former capital of the first Thai Lanna Kingdom, located on the Mekong River.  We then visited by boat, the Golden Triangle where the borders of Thailand, Myanmar and Laos converge.  We finished up in Chiang Rai where we spent the next two days.

Buddha multiplicity.

Inside the walls at Wat Phra Dhat.

This building is actually a camera obscura and only men are allowed inside.

The entrance to Wat Phra Dhat.

A musical interlude as we shopped.

Pineapple plants.

The pineapple plantation. The hut has a satellite dish out front!

Agro-tourism is growing in Thailand.

My wife, working for her fare.

Golden triangle where Thailand, Mayanmar (Burma) and Laos intersect.

This Buddha was built as a present to the queen.

We're getting on a boat to tour a section of the Mekong River.

That's Laos in the background.

Enjoying a warm afternoon outing on the Mekong River.

For 200 bhat ($5.00) you can dock in Laos to shop.

A display at the center of Chiang Saen.

Display in the opium museum.

Weights used in opium trade of the 1800's.

Opium pipe collection.

View looking back at our room--Rimkok Hotel at Chiang Rai.

View from our front door--it was our favorite hotel on the trip.

A huge spider outside (down from our room).

Ya gotta have fancy drinks every now and then.

The back of our driver in the tuk-tuk.

The tuk-tuk ride back from the night market in Chiang Rai.

Our tuk-tuk.

Day 6--We traveled in a typical long-tail boat on the Kok River in order to visit the water shed at Pa Kaew Village and visit Akha Village (a hilltribe village.)   That evening we shopped at the night market in Chiang Rai.

Elephants at a village on the way to the Akha Village.

Akha Village.

Locals selling their wares. We toured the house behind them.

Locals performing traditional dances.

More selling--their income is mostly from visitors to the village.

Once you bought from one child--you got swarmed by the rest!

The main living area in the house.

The kitchen.

Our longboat got stuck on the sand so I had to push.

Rice farmers in the field.

Dancers on stage at the night market in Chaing Rai.

None of them are women!

Day 7--We departed to to Chiang Mai where en route we visited a handicraft village where they make silk umbrellas.  We then got to see a demonstration of the spinning and weaving of Thai Silk.

This is the beginning stage of the umbrellas.

This guy turned out the top portion of the umbrellas--he used a knife as the lathe tool.

Forming the outer edge--she was very fast.

Umbrellas ready for their covers.

Many of them are hand-painted.

Finished umbrellas drying in the sun--very colorful!

The village actually had umbrella celebrations--this sign was over the main street.

We ate lunch here--it was a very pretty area and the food was great.

This is how Thai silk begins--with silkworm cocoons being unspun in hot water.

Weaving the silk into cloth.

Here's the night market in Chaing Mai--the night markets were always exciting.

Day 8--We visited an elephant camp, where elephants demonstrated their formidable and highly valued forestry skills followed by a visit to an orchid farm. 

Right after the elephant finished with his bath in the first four pictures below, he immediately got up and stole a bunch of bananas that my wife had laid on the bridge that we were watching from.  Visitors can buy bananas and sugar cane to feed the elephants so they are always vigilant for unattended snacks!

The beginning of the day at the elephant camp.

These guys really enjoyed the daily bath.

Gotta clean behind the ears.

The final rinse--notice the trunk being used as a snorkle.

We got to see them paint.

It was funny to watch the determination--notice the open mouth.

This is a finished picture by the elephant in the foreground.

All the pictures that were painted--I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it myself!

They gave a demonstration of how they clear forests.