Hello Everyone!
While the holidays can be a wonderful time to be with family and friends, I know that it can also be stressful. I hope you've had a non-stress week!
My week started out great! Angela, and her friend, Golf, treated me to sushi (one of my favorite meals) at a Japanese restaurant right around the corner from me named Kitchen Hush. The restaurant is housed in a lovely wooden house; has downstairs restaurant seating and upstairs event seating. We didn't know that we had to make reservations, so they sat us upstairs. We had a room all to ourselves with air conditioning and lovely jazz music. It was perfect! We only took pictures of the food - yum!:-)
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| Angela's meal |
On Tuesday, I rode with Han (our driver) & Janet to Doi Inthanon (Inthanon Mountain) - the highest mountain in Thailand. The drive up to the mountain without stopping is about one hour and forty-five minutes. On the way, we stopped at a lovely eco resort - Chai Lai Orchid (http://chailaiorchid.com/) - near where they allow people to ride elephants. We did not ride the elephants! It is also near the place where a bull elephant recently killed its new mahout and ran off with a Chinese family on its back. An interesting but sad story (gotta love the Thai PBS version):
http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/berserk-elephant-kills-mahout-runs-away-with-chinese-tourists-on-its-back
The Guardian did a much better job: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/aug/27/thai-elephant-gores-handler-to-death-and-runs-off-carrying-three-tourists
We also stopped at a lovely cafe and almost ended up becoming dog owners. Immediately upon arriving, a cute dog befriended us, and we almost couldn't leave because he kept trying to jump in the car with us. He was the friendliest Thai dog I've encountered so far, and we didn't even feed him!
Our last stop before driving up to the mountain was at Wat Tam Doi Tohn - one of Han's favorite temples. He often goes to this temple for meditation retreats. Here is a You Tube link in case you would like to know more about this temple (the website for the temple is at the end of the video):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hes50TcBZb4
Upon arrival at Doi Inthanon, we were immediately disappointed because the mountain was obscured by clouds. Dang! We did take this picture, though:
Here are a couple of links about Doi Inthanon:
http://www.chiangmai-chiangrai.com/doi_inthanon_park.html
http://www.tourismthailand.org/Attraction/Doi-Inthanon-National-Park--153
We ended our time in Doi Inthanon at the two chedis dedicated by the Royal Thai Air Force to the King and Queen of Thailand. This whole area is quite impressive...and the views are amazing! One website (http://www.chiangmai-chiangrai.com/doi-inthanon-national-park.html) described it this way:
"At Km 43 a few kilometers short of the summit of Doi Inthanon, the Royal Thai Air Force constructed two magnificent chedis with a spire reaching into the clouds dedicated to the King and Queen. The views from this area are stunning, and the gardens house many unusual plants.
This temple should not be missed. It is symmetrical in all manner and the entire temple is shrouded in the mountain mist. From the parking area below, you'll ascend a set of stairs which are both wide and surround the temple on all sides. At the top you can walk around the outer stone walls and occasionally tuck yourself into structural overhangs as a brief respite from the wind. In any weather, this temple is astounding in and of itself, but the view it offers is out of this world."
We had a great time! Here are some of our photos from this beautiful area:
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| King's chedi and gardens |
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| Queen's Chedi & me |
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| View from behind Queen's chedi |
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| Han, me & Janet |
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| Antique bicycles in front of 137 Pillars House lit up for the holidays |
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| Christmas tree at Subway sandwich shop |
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| In front of hotel near Thapae Gate |
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| Triple Palms Guesthouse |
