TravelStream™ news feed for member kitkatgo on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/kitkatgo en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:25:59 -0500 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kitkatgo/1005/1257873976/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kitkatgo/1005/1257873976/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kitkatgo/1005/1257873976/tpod.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:25:59 -0500 Amazing Thailand!: Courtesy of Thai Airways & Tourism Authority of Thailand

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Ban Done Tao, Lao Peoples Dem Rep

We all had been lamenting about how close we were to two other countries that weren't on the itenerary. For bigtime travelers that's like having beautiful presents sitting in front of you but not being able to open them!So our guide was gracious enough to let us have a quick stop across the river at a little market in Laos. We were positively giddy. Not only were we excited about the cheap prices on everything, but they also had the cobra whiskey we had wanted to find. We did some hurried shopping; all of us making substantial purchases. As a side note, this was not a place for haggling, but understandably so, since the prices were quite low to begin with.One thing I totally regret, is that I did not get my passport stamped. I could have done it when I made my purchase, but didn't realize it at the time. I had my passport with me and lost out on a cool triangle-shaped Laos visa stamp! Grrrrrr! Guess I'll just have to go back. :)
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kitkatgo/1005/1257977726/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kitkatgo/1005/1257977726/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kitkatgo/1005/1257977726/tpod.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:16:14 -0500 Amazing Thailand!: Courtesy of Thai Airways & Tourism Authority of Thailand

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Mae Sai, Thailand

We checked out of the Anantara, but first I had to take a picture of my TravelPod bottle at the furthest point away from home so I can win a TP contest. :)Then I made a quick stop at the gift shop to buy a set of Anantara toiletries in gorgeous ceramic bottles--smells SO good. It's the same as the products in the room, and they are wonderful, not to mention that the bottles are beautiful and match my bathroom at home.Our first stop of the day was to go to the Hall of Opium just across the road from the resort. It chronicled the war torn history of the opium capital of the world, now known as the Golden Triangle. It was rather interesting--but we all wished later that we had spent less time here, and more time in Mae Sai later.We drove to Mae Sai and had lunch at the restaurant in the Wang Thong Hotel. Above the reception desk was a beautiful, blue-green mural of Thai mermaids. Quite pretty! Lunch was a buffet and nothing special. I did like the tempura vegetables though. Although tempura is Japanese, right? We had such a short amount of time in the area after lunch (maybe 20 minutes), that as soon as each of us finished eating we left to go catch the shopping and see a bit of the town right outside the hotel. It was basically the same as the other markets we had been to thus far.  I didn't find anything worth purchasing, but it was fun to walk around and look at the goodies. I like to see the food, especially. Roasted chestnuts and 1000-year-old eggs were available at this market.It was probably good to get some walking in to stretch out my sore legs...the elephant riding from yesterday had taken its toll.As a side note, the border to Burma was just a block away. You have to have a special visa to go across the bridge and into Burma though. By that, I mean, you have to have applied for a visa well in advance. It would have been fun to have been able to cross the border though!From there we drove back to Chiang Rai to catch our flight to Bangkok and said goodbye to Northern Thailand.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kitkatgo/1005/1258162740/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kitkatgo/1005/1258162740/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kitkatgo/1005/1258162740/tpod.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:53:51 -0500 Amazing Thailand!: Courtesy of Thai Airways & Tourism Authority of Thailand

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Sop Ruak, Chiang Rai, Thailand

To arrive at the Four Seasons Tented Camp, you must drive to a point at the river and meet hotel staff who will then take you by speed boat. It's quite an exhilarating ride. There wasn't much wild life to see, but you can see farmers on both sides of the river tending their crops.We were greeted at the dock and relinquished our life vests to climb the stairs to the lucky gong. We each had to strike it three times before ascending the rest of the stairs. When everyone made it to the top, we were given some iced lemongrass green tea as a refreshing treat while Sanjay told us about the resort.It has only 15 air-conditioned tents that are made to accommodate two people each. While the resort is designed for adults, they will allow older children to stay there upon request. The resort is set up for all-inclusive packages starting for three nights. The packages include your "tent", food and drinks, arranged activies, elephant training and excursions, a spa treatment and transfer to and from the Chiang Rai International Airport.If I were staying there, I think the Burma Bar Lounge would be a favorite spot to hang out. It overlooks the river and seems as though you've taken a step back in time. It was also quite fun taking the Range Rover to the lounge, because it was just like being on the Indiana Jones ride without the swooshing darts and fireballs.We got to explore the Elephant Tent which was lovely. It looked very comfortable and was my kind of tent. There wasn't anything rustic about it. It even had two massage tables on the deck, not to mention a beautiful view of the river and roaming elephants. After a quick tour of the restaurant, wine cellar and pool area, they rushed us back to the speedboats. You see, the border closes at dusk. The border is the middle of the river. There is no going in and out of the Tented Camp once the sun is down. Not only did they need to get us out, but they had to get back! It was close.The Tented Camp is a beautiful place.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kitkatgo/1005/1256504711/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kitkatgo/1005/1256504711/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kitkatgo/1005/1256504711/tpod.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:05:45 -0500 Amazing Thailand!: Courtesy of Thai Airways & Tourism Authority of Thailand

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Chiang Saen, Thailand

We finally arrived at Anantara Resort. It is located about an hour's drive outside of Chiang Rai. Wow, is it pretty! I love how it is decorated and laid out. I think of all the places we stayed, this was my favorite.We got checked in, and I loved my room. To me, the whole place was decorated in a British Colonial style with a Thai twist. Just gorgeous.We met back at the lobby for a tour of the hotel. Mainly we saw a nice suite. Unfortunately, when we were walking down one of the stairways I saw the biggest spider I had ever seen in my life. Considering I have arachniphobia, that was not a good thing. It had to have been at least 10 inches in diameter. I was somewhat freaked out. After that we had dinner on the patio with the guy in charge of the elephant camp. They have a wonderful program at Anantara where they rescue not only the elephants off the streets (yes, streets), but also their mahouts and their families. The mahouts continue to work with their elephants, the wives learn silk weaving, and the children attend school.Our dining table was out on a patio overlooking the jungle, and since I had had an encounter with spiderasaurus, I wasn't too enthralled about being seated at the forest end of the table. It was also very dark out there. And with little light at the table, I never quite knew what I was eating. In fact, I ate something out of the soup that was slimy and fishy, and had I not been on my best behavior, I would have spit it out immediately. I shudder to think what it could have been.But other than that, the dinner was great. Our host was very interesting and did a good job talking about the area and the elephant program. It got us all very excited for our time with the elephants the next day.After that we were all ready for a good night's sleep. That bed was soooooo comfy!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kitkatgo/1005/1258749938/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kitkatgo/1005/1258749938/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kitkatgo/1005/1258749938/tpod.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:59:20 -0500 Amazing Thailand!: Courtesy of Thai Airways & Tourism Authority of Thailand

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Chiang Rai, Chiang Rai, Thailand

Our final stop before arriving at our hotel, was Wat Rong Khun which is a contemporary temple created by renowned Thai artist Chalermchai Kositpipat. It is still under construction and is not being built with help from the government.As of this year (2009) it is in its 12th year of construction, and even though work is yet to be done, it is Chiang Rai's top tourist attraction.It is really beautiful and very intriguing. The mural art inside the ubosot depicts many modern images, like the burning twin towers, a Rolex watch, and even Batman. Chalermchai has said, "Money and possessions are insignificant. They are not mine but are only make-beliefs. Merits belong to me; therefore, money is of no value to me. Money is valuable only as a way to make merit for further journey of the soul."
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kitkatgo/1005/1258326528/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kitkatgo/1005/1258326528/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kitkatgo/1005/1258326528/tpod.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:57:28 -0500 Amazing Thailand!: Courtesy of Thai Airways & Tourism Authority of Thailand

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Wiang Pa Pao, Chiang Rai, Thailand

Another stop along the way on our journey to the town of Chiang Rai...Wien Kalong Pottery. The place was just off the road, and we were greeted by a woman who looked rather surprised to see us.We browsed in the store briefly, while she went out back. They had a lot of glazed Celadon pottery which I really like. When she returned, she told us that we could not have a tour of the factory because everyone was at lunch. Darn. None of us was at all upset by that. We took a look around outside and even looked around the factory on our own. Outside were bigger, unglazed pieces. The pottery was nice, but nothing out of the ordinary that I couldn't get at home. And certainly nothing I wanted to pack in my suitcase or a crate for a longhaul flight. Anyway, factory tours, to me, are not a selling point of Thailand; they are rather boring. We quickly finished up our do-it-yourself tour and let it be known that we were ready for lunch ourselves.We stopped down the road at Charin Garden Restaurant and had a nice lunch overlooking the river. They had some homemade jams, so I bought some for my husband and kids who love the stuff. I got them mixed fruit, starfruit and jackfruit. The latter two really *were* something out of the ordinary.Meanwhile, everyone else was having a hard time deciding which dessert to get. This place had quite an array of pies to choose from, including macadamia nut (just like pecan pie--I had a bite and it was good), different meringues, chocolate, pumpkin, etc. It was a nice break...but back in the van we got to trek onward.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kitkatgo/1005/1256504575/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kitkatgo/1005/1256504575/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kitkatgo/1005/1256504575/tpod.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:54:17 -0500 Amazing Thailand!: Courtesy of Thai Airways & Tourism Authority of Thailand

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Mae Khachan, Chiang Rai, Thailand

On our way to Chiang Rai, we stopped for a break at Mae Khachan Hot Springs. There was a small geyser right off the road, so it was easy to spot. There were some shopping stalls, a couple of food stalls, bathrooms (thankfully), and of course, some bubbling, sulfur-scented water. The water cascaded down from the top of the hill. It is hotter at top; not as hot at the bottom.We took off our shoes to dip our toes in, but honestly, it was too hot for me. So I took a spin around the shops. You could also purchase a just-boiled egg from the ladies at the round pool. They put the eggs in little individual baskets then dip them in the hot water, and voilà, you have a perfectly boiled egg. We didn't spend much time there, but then, it wasn't necessary. It was a good place for a break though--always nice to get out of the van.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kitkatgo/1005/1256503911/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kitkatgo/1005/1256503911/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kitkatgo/1005/1256503911/tpod.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:49:48 -0500 Amazing Thailand!: Courtesy of Thai Airways & Tourism Authority of Thailand

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Bangkok, Thailand

We all met up just outside the plane. We were finally introduced to each other and I found out who my companions would be for the next week. We had someone from Thai Airways, someone from TAT-L.A., and five other writers/photographers in our group.We slowly made our way to our connecting gate minus one writer who had stopped at a bathroom right after exiting the plane. We kept thinking she'd catch up to us, but that didn't happen. Eventually, we were at the departure gate waiting to board our final flight. The airport is only three years old, and it's striking in design. But that took a backseat to the fact that we had a member of our newly formed troop missing in action. Phone calls were being made, and we even sent out the cavalry to find the girl. We were all quite concerned, and I asked if anyone had ever been lost on one of these trips. Thankfully, the answer was no, accidentally left behind on a boat tour, but not lost. ;)Just before we were ready to board, our MIA girl showed up, a bit dazed and confused. The workers at the gate she had been at kept telling her she was at the right place until all of a sudden they realized that, no, she WASN'T at the right gate. So she ran over to our gate just in time, and right behind her was the cavalry.All together again, we boarded our final leg to Chiang Mai. No upgrade to Premium Economy this time, but the flight was only a little over an hour and was pleasant enough. There was even a light meal served.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kitkatgo/1005/1256504472/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kitkatgo/1005/1256504472/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kitkatgo/1005/1256504472/tpod.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:40:39 -0500 Amazing Thailand!: Courtesy of Thai Airways & Tourism Authority of Thailand

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Chiang Mai, Thailand

We got up at the crack of dawn. I'm not fond of getting up that early. But since I was off kilter because of jet lag, it wasn't too bad. Once in the van, we headed in the same direction as Doi Suthep, but stopped before going up the mountain.There is a shrine there, and it is a popular spot for giving alms to the monks who walk there from a couple of different temples. There are quite a few tables set up with trays of food for sale at 20 baht each which equals about 65 cents USD.For the Alms Giving Ceremony, our guide would invite the monks over as they passed by and they would lift the lids of their bowls. We then put the items from our trays into their containers (again, as a woman, I had to be careful to not touch them). Afterwards, locals take their shoes off and kneel in front of the monks while they give their blessing. Foreigners can remain standing. The blessing is given in Sanskrit. Then the monks continue their walk to accept more offerings. They do this for several hours each morning which gives them their food and drink for the day: breakfast and lunch. They receive so much food, though, that they are able to provide for the needy as well. The temple dogs will get fed last; none of them looked underfed.Every Thai boy or man is expected to join the monkhood at some point in life. They can join for 1 week, 3 months or their whole life (for any amount of time). It really seems like a pretty decent idea. Living a meek and humble life for even a short period might do some good for our spoiled male population in the States.We returned to the hotel and went to Kad Kafe for breakfast. I had a really nice meal. Such great fruits and fruit juices in Thailand! Some of our group went for a more traditional American breakfast, while others went more along the lines of a traditional Thai breakfast. I went somewhere in the middle, eating fruit, nibbling on potatoes, and drinking tea.After breakfast, we met a chef from the Four Seasons at a food market (I'm afraid I don't have the name of it). Her name is Por, and she showed us all around the market. Our first stop was a stall selling little Thai "donut holes" that were absolutely delicious. There was a sugar-coated one and a plain one...both were very yummy. We all would have liked to eat more of them, but we were still full from breakfast. Next, we needed something to drink. So we went around the corner to get Thai tea or Thai iced coffee. I got the Thai tea, which came in a bag. I remember seeing Anthony Bourdain posing for a photo shoot with a bag of Thai tea on one of his shows. Now it was my turn. It was great. I had not realized how easy it is to make. Everyone uses the same type of tea in Thailand (No. One Tea), then you add condensed sweetened milk and evaporated milk...you know, good ole Carnation. That's it. So good. Still not sure why it turns orange though.From there we walked around the different stalls investigating the vegetables, fruits, fish, meats, you name it. Por showed us the inside of a 1000-yr old egg. Did not look appetizing to me. It smelled ok though. The meat section was kind of gnarly: snouts, entrails, eyeballs looking at you. I admit, sometimes I prefer the American plastic-wrapped, styrofoam tray option. Lastly, we stopped at the hot sauce booth. We all made purchases of hot sauce, dipping sauce, and spice mixes. A couple of the spice mixes you can only get in that particular part of Thailand. Por said she would get us a recipe for the mix (and she did later).Then we headed over to the Four Seasons Chiang Mai (in the Mae Rim District)  for a cooking class. We were taken to the Cooking School via golf cart. The Cooking School was built for the sole purpose of teaching people how to cook Thai cuisine. There are only two walls at each end; it is open to the outdoors and a trully beautiful kitchen. Before we entered the kitchen, we made wishes and lit some incense for the Spirit House of the Cooking School.Our Chef, who we christened Tiger Chef, was fantastic. He demonstrated each dish for us, then let us taste it. Then it would be our turn to make it. We each had our own station and staff members would watch over us and help when needed. I love cooking, and Thai cuisine is something I have little, ok, no experience with, so it was great fun.I did nick my finger with the knife, and you'd think I had hacked off my hand or something. They were so attentive and took great care of my finger. It really was a minor injury and no big deal. Most of the others didn't know until later that I had even cut myself even with the fuss the staff had made.Our first dish was Thom Yum Kung (Spicy Prawn Soup with Lemongrass). It was delicious. I realized when I was eating it, though, that I could have actually made it a little hotter. To go with the soup, Tiger Chef gave some of us a shot of the cobra/scorpion whiskey that we had spied on the shelf earlier. It was surprisingly smooth and mild. Then we made Thom Yum Gai Muang (Northern Style Chicken Soup). This dish used one of the spice packets we got from the market and is a Northern Thailand specialty. Next we learned how to make Egg Net...not an easy thing to do, but it was fun. I wouldn't make it at home though, because it's rather messy. We found out that the egg nets would be wrapped around the Phad Thai Goong (Stir Fried Rice Noodles with Prawns) which we made following the soup. Tiger Chef also demonstrated how to make a couple of other amazing dishes.We tasted everything along the way, so we had little room for the feast we were served after all the cooking. We sat at a long table and were served all the dishes we had made (with the exception of the first soup). Each of us ate our own creations. Tiger Chef joined us for another shot of whiskey, but this one was some other kind.We had such a good time. Tiger Chef must have enjoyed it too, because he invited us for a vegetable and fruit carving class and also to stay for dinner. Sadly, we could not stay. We were presented with Certificates of Completion of Traditional Soups & Noodles, new aprons, the recipes of the dishes we had made and a dinner set. What a fantastic experience this was!After we returned, we had a tour of the hotel, which included a look at the beautiful spa. I wish I'd had time to have a treatment there or take a yoga class in their teak yoga pavillion. When we were returning from the spa, there was a rainbow in the sky, which seemed especially appropriate considering we were in Shangri-La.After our site inspection, we would have had dinner, but we were all too full from our megafeast at the Cooking School. I went back to my room to make final contact with TravelPodders who were interested in having a meetup. Unfortunately, it just didn't happen.So I met with a couple of the writers at the Horizon Lounge and had a Gin & Tonic. We sat and talked and relaxed until our fourth muskateer showed up. We then went out to the Night Bazaar which was within walking distance from the hotel.We shopped along the way and finally made it to the Paradise Bar. It turned out that this was their last night because Chang Beer had bought up the whole block of bars and stores to open up a beer garden. It was quite sad, because I'm sure it will lose all its original charm. We had fun there though and played the longest pool game EVER. We said a fond farewell to the Paradise Bar. However, before we left, Ally and I had to go to the little girls' room. Ally had asked at the bar, and they suggested going in the alley rather than using their facility. Hmm...scary. So we went a couple blocks to a public restroom we saw while walking to the bar. Dang, it was closed! So we went to the bar across the street and asked them. They pointed down the way to another bathroom. The good news was that we didn't have to pay to get in, the bad news was that they were squat toilets. EEeeeeek! I had avoided them in France, I had avoided them in Japan, but it just wasn't going to happen in Thailand. So I had my first experience with a hole in the ground. You'll be happy to know everything turned out ok. TMI, I know.We decided we were finally hungry, and we wanted street food. We finally came across a vendor, and we each ordered something different: chicken, beef, fish, and pork. Mine was the beef, and it was like little bits of jerky. It all came with a bag of rice. I liked mine, but it was a little strange have beef jerky & rice for dinner, lol. We ate our "dinners" and drank some Singha at the Kangaroo Bar. As is implied, it's owned by an Aussie who didn't even look old enough to legally drink. Loi Kathong was still being celebrated, so he lit some, well, I wouldn't call them fire crackers, more like fire bombs, off right in front of us. If I lose my hearing at some point in life, I'll know why. They'll light anything, anywhere in Thailand!There was a Fish Spa next door...you know, you stick your feet in a fish tank and they nibble off the dead skin off your feet. We had thought, "Hey, let's go do that!" but the last customers were there and they wouldn't let any more come in. The owner came over to our table and explained that it had been very busy because of the festival and the fish were tired.So, no Fish Spa. Instead we walked down the street back to the hotel and went nighty night. Another fun, but very long day had slipped by.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kitkatgo/1005/1256503969/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kitkatgo/1005/1256503969/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/kitkatgo/1005/1256503969/tpod.html Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:09:23 -0500 Amazing Thailand!: Courtesy of Thai Airways & Tourism Authority of Thailand

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Chiang Mai, Thailand

The flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai was just over an hour, pretty quick and painless. We all got our luggage just fine...yay Thai Airways! After looking around a little, we finally met up with our Tour Guide, Nok. He is with Trikaya (www.trikayatours.com), and I have to say that he was an excellent guide. Of course he is very knowledgeable, but he has a wonderful sense of humor and made our time with him a lot of fun.One van was loaded up with our luggage and we piled into the other van on our way to the Shangri-La Hotel. We were greeted very warmly by the staff. They gave us juice to drink and ice cold cloths that were scented with lavender, my favorite aroma. I could easily get used to this kind of treatment!We got checked in and put our things away in our rooms. Fortunately, we had enough time for a much-needed shower. After more than 20 hours travelling, we *all* needed that!We met up in the lobby and got back in the van to go to the Hong Tauw Inn for lunch where we had a variety of Thai food: spicy mango salad, snakehead fish, fish cakes, morning glory shoots, pad thai with tofu, soup, and rice. I had watermelon juice to drink...so refreshing. I love morning glory shoots; I had them the first time in Japan. They're delicious. The snakehead fish would have been good except all the bones were still in it...wouldn't serve it that way in the U.S. That's for sure. It was a good meal at a casual place.After that, we took the long, winding road up to Doi Suthep, home to a 600-year old temple (www.doisuthep.com). Some of us took the funicular up to the temple, others walked up the 304 steps of the Naga staircase. We took a walk around the outside buildings first, learning about the history and architecture. We saw some interesting trees covered in money that had something to do with one's zodiac sign. Obviously, I didn't quite understand, but it looked cool. Near there was an overlook of the city--too bad it was too misty for a good view. There were a lot of stray dogs lazing about. Throughout Thailand, the strays seem to be a real problem. I think they need to implement some sort of spay/neuter program. From there we continued on around and rang the temple bells for good luck. Originally the bells were used to call the monks and people to worship. We made our way back around to the front and took our shoes off so we could enter the wat. It was almost overwhelming, all that gold to look at, especially the central chedi. Even though it was interlaced with scaffolding for refurbishment, I assume, it was very beautiful.Nok gave us some incense, a candle and a lotus flower. I had asked him what the people were doing who were walking around the central chedi. He said you hold the items in your hands with your palms together, make a wish, and walk three times around. I guess it must be like a mini-pilgrimage of sorts. Anyway, I concentrated hard on my wish as I walked.I found Nok after my circular journey and he asked if I wanted to be blessed by a monk. Well, yes, I do! So he took me into this little separate building where a monk was bestowing blessings. We had to be on our knees, and in groups, the monk sprinkled water on us. Then each of us received a cotton, woven bracelet from him while he said his blessing. Being a woman, he could not touch me. I had to cup my hand and let him drop the bracelet into it. Nok tied it on my wrist for me. I was the only one in our group that got to do this; I felt blessed indeed.Then Nok took me to an alter (not sure what else to call it). I lit my incense sticks and poked them next to the others in the bowl of sand. Then I lit my candle and placed it in the long holder. I knelt, hands together, and said a prayer thanking God for such a wonderful opportunity to be on this trip.We all finished up at about the same time and made our way to either the Naga staircase or funicular. This time I used the stairs. A naga is a mythical serpent, and its undulating body makes up the "handrail." Nagas are believed to be guardians against bad spirits. It makes for a really beautiful entry, or in my case, exit. We walked down the hill to the Orchid & Jade Factory. We were offered some Iced Lemongrass Green Tea which was completely rejuvenating. Then we were escorted into this little room for a video about jade. It was fairly interesting. From there we went into the back where they select and carve the jade. That was pretty cool too. I so love the lavender jade.Then we came out into the store, and that's where it went downhill for me. Now I like jewelry, and I was even toying with the idea of getting something. But they were so "hard sell" that it wasted all my time, and I didn't even get the chance to look at anything I could afford. Meanwhile everyone else had been waiting outside for me, and I didn't even realize it. So that kinda sucked. I don't like sales pitches, and I don't like making people wait.After the jade factory, we piled into the van to drive across town to go to an umbrella factory. Yup, an umbrella factory. We went through the little courtyard that showed each step in the umbrella-making process for all types of umbrellas. Then at the end they had painters who wanted nothing more than to paint anything we were willing to hand over to them: cell phones, purses, hats, you name it. No thanks.We walked through the store and out the door. They did have some pretty umbrellas that looked like they were made from parchment paper. But I don't really need a decorative umbrella, and they aren't so easy to pack. So we got back in the van. Our guide asked us if we wanted to go to the wood-carving factory. We all diplomatically and unanimously voted, "No!". We had gone to more than enough factories for the day. I really would have preferred to do something else, like get a Thai massage. Yeah, that would have been good.After a short break at the hotel, we went to dinner at Baan Suan where we celebrated Loy Krathong. It's a festival that happens on the November full moon to pay homage to the goddess of rivers and waterways. Mainly it's to say thanks for the water that provides the crops and a good harvest. The restaurant was open and looked out to the river. It was very serene and quite beautiful. While the atmosphere seemed somewhat casual, clearly this was a top-notch restaurant. We were in for a treat.Our group sat down at a long, gorgeous table made from a solid plank of wood. I believe our guide ordered the food for us, but I somehow ended up being the sommelier. No one was willing to try a Thai wine (I would have), so I picked a New Zealand White and an Australian Shiraz. I don't care for white wine too much, but I really liked the red. Everyone seemed pleased with my choices--I got a lot of compliments. The food was delicious. My favorite was the soup. I don't know what it's called, but it's got coconut milk, shrimp and green chilis in it. I loved it! For dessert, I had the very traditional Mangoes with Sticky Rice, very yummy. Some ordered Coconut Ice Cream which looked pretty darned good too.After dinner, they gave us our krathongs, pretty floating flowery things that you float down the river. Mine was a pretty white one, most were yellow. We all went down to the dock below. Now normally I'm a fairly graceful girl, but tonight was not my night. I nearly fell down the stairs going down to the dock because the stairs narrowed all of a sudden, and I didn't know it. And, well, I was trying to light the incense and candle on my krathong while walking down the stairs so I wasn't looking at the ground. Probably shouldn't have done that. Then my candle broke so I couldn't get it back in with the flowers. Two other people had to help me because my flowers were starting to catch on fire. So I made my wish and quickly got my krathong in the water. It gently floated away with the others, and thankfully, didn't burst into flame.I didn't know it could get any better, but then we got to send off our own khom loy and make more wishes! Holding the lantern while you wait for it to get some lift is somewhat treacherous. Although you get to make a wish, you're also hoping the skin on your hand doesn't melt. Just kidding. It's not *that* bad. But it does get a bit warm on your hand. Then when it's ready, you let go and watch it float away. It goes up first, then follows an air current with hundreds of other lanterns. It's like nothing I've ever seen before. Trully amazing. Then, to our surprise, the Vice Governor was there watching the festivities with his family. He allowed us some time for one of our members to interview him about tourism. It's tough to follow a conversation that goes through an interpreter! It was timely for him to be there when we were, and an honor for us to meet him.When we got back to the hotel, I went out to the pool area where they were releasing some khom loys. It was great seeing the people holding their lanterns and that special moment just prior to them letting go. After taking a few pictures, I was so tired I could barely stand up. I went to my room, fell into bed, and plunged into a deep sleep. That is until 3:00 am or so. Stupid jet lag.
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