Back to Thailand!

We 'checked out' of Laos, took a boat across the Mekong, and immigrated into Thailand.  Within 20 minutes, we had secured a tuk tuk, hit up a 7-11 (oh thank heaven!) and gotten ourselves onto a local bus bound for Chiang Rai - a deal at $2 each to travel the 150 km from the border.

There is so much that we have missed about travel in Thailand: spicy food, good roads (relatively), lack of garbage EVERYWHERE, beer Chang, the people...the list goes on.  Our first day in Chiang Rai rekindled my love affair with this country!

Feeling the need for some exercise after 3 days of sitting led us to a bike tour with Chiang Rai Bicycle Tours.  Bee and his brother Amon were the most amazing, free spirited, organized and friendly guides!  Along the way we:

-Observed local rice farmers
Rice farming is an incredibly complex, sophisticated, labor-intensive process.  Many steps, starting with planting the seedlings, picking the shoots, re-planting the shoots in orderly rows after a month to increase crop yield, harvesting the grains after 2 more months...much of this is still done by hand.  (The OT in me was not impressed with the poor ergonomics and excessive repetitive movements involved.)  Certainly something to consider next time you leave rice on your plate!

-Visited Wat Rong Khun
The brain child of Chalermchai Kositpiptat, it wins for most unique temples we've visited.

 

-Hiked to Khun Korn waterfall.

 

It was a classic Northern Thailand day, rounded out with the Saturday Night Walking Market where we witnessed en masse Thai dancing (looked similar to line dancing) and a flamboyant performance by a live band/ladyboy dancing troop.

Liz