Blogs from Chiang Rai, North-West Thailand, Thailand, Asia

Mit dem „Green Bus“ (so heisst der Busanbieter) sind wir von Chiang Mai in knapp ca. 3 Stunden bis nach Chiang Rai gefahren. Dort angekommen haben wir per Fahrrad ein bisschen die Stadt erkundet. Weil es in der Stadt selber nicht so viel zu sehen gibt, entschieden wir uns einen Roller zu mieten, weil wir nicht immer von den teuren TukTuk oder von den Tourveranstaltern abhängig sein wollten. Die Asiaten haben wahrscheinlich das Rollerfahren im Blut und deshalb hat Vy fürs erste das fahren übernommen. Mit dem Roller wollten wir einen Ausflug zu den Sehenswürdigkeiten im Süden der Stadt machen. Zuerst sind wir zum Weissen Tempel gefahren. Der Tempel selber ist sehr prunkvoll und sieht von aussen sehr gross aus, aber innen ist nur ein kleiner Raum mit einem Altar. Vy hats supertoll gefunden, für Jan ... read more

Feb 19th, Three is the magic number What a beautiful end to a beautiful city and positive start to an incredible journey. Last night we made it safely back to Chiang Mai where we got to have a farewell dinner with Beckah and a few of her close friends at a Burmese restaurant. The food was so delicious and sooooo spicy. I found out later that Beckah told them to kick it up a notch. Needless to say we were sweating after the first bite, 2 bottles of water later I was more than satisfied! What a treat. The next morning went just as smoothly as the last. We were able to grab some breakfast before getting in a van that picked us up from our hostel. Our all inclusive package includes transportation to the border ... read more

4 ora buszozas fel a hegyekbe, feluton az eszaki hataratkelo fele Burmaba. Meglatogattuk Gergot, talaltunk makrobiotikus menzat, elzarandokoltunk a meg epites alatt allo feher templomhoz, ami meger egy miset. A templom belso freskoi a szokasos Buddhaabrazolasokkal jelkepezett mennyorszag es a szemkozti fal pokolinstallaciojabol allott. Ez utobbi, mint a vilagi hivsagok remiszto kovetkezmenyet kulonbozo rajz es akciofilm igazan szepen megrajzolt karaktereivel diszitettek imigyen hivva fel a figyelmet a nyugati media megvilagosodasellenes hatasaira. A latogatok reakcioit figyelve azonban ugy tunik nem igazan sikerult elrettento hatast gyakorolni rajuk, merthogy boldogan kurjongattak ha felismertek egy mesehost - aaaa kung fuuu pandaaa - hallatszott mellettem. Kar, hogy nem lehetett bent fenykepezni, gondolom a jogvedoktol felnek, mert volt ott Batman, Freddie Kruger, robotok a Csilla... read more

When we weren’t busy indulging and pampering ourselves (or nursing someone back to health!), we did actually manage to take in some of the sights, sounds, and flavours of this culturally rich and diverse region. Thank goodness we had allowed ourselves almost 3 weeks here, which was still barely enough. Northern Thailand is rich in natural beauty, extraordinary wildlife, and with an impressive cultural heritage. The biggest draw for tourists is perhaps the fascinating hill tribe communities, the ethnic minorities referred to in Thai as “chao khao” which translates literally as “mountain people”. Among the largest and best known hill tribes are the Hmong, Karen, and Akha. The most recognizable and iconic are the Kaya (known as the Longnecks), and the Kor Yor (also known as the Big Ear tribe) and yet these are ironically less ... read more

On the first day of Christmas, the Andrew family found: A turtle in a palm tree... On the second day of Christmas... Two turtle doves... On the third day of Christmas... Three French turtles... On the fourth day of Christmas... Four calling turtles... On the fifth day of Christmas... Five GOOOOOOLDEN turtles... On the sixth day of Christmas... Six turtles laying... On the seventh day of Christmas... Seven turtles swimming ... Due to unforeseen circumstances (Eleanor's injury and a tablet that has stopped working...) we are unable to continue our joyous celebration of Christmas with turtle. We hope you enjoyed his adventures up until the seventh day.... read more