Sacred Monkey Forest

Posted on January 13, 2014 by jeffenjane under Indonesia

Our travels have brought us to Ubud, Bali, which is home to the Sacred Monkey Forest; a park and temple complex that’s home to hundreds of crab eating macaques.

Visitors have the opportunity to feed, interact with, and hopefully not get bitten by these little cats-with-hands monkeys. They’re quite comfortable with humans, and it’s easy to get close enough to touch one. We had to keep reminding ourselves that they’re wild animals, and probably wouldn’t enjoy being petted or touched, and do possess sharp teeth and strong jaws.

There were macaques of all ages, and it was interesting to observe their social hierarchy. There were meek little baby monkeys, playful adolescent monkeys, and some much larger, grumpier, and more aggressive king monkeys.

The park itself was incredibly gorgeous. Indonesia has a fully tropical climate, so the growth never stops. The green mosses growing on rocks were such a bright and saturated green it almost looked fake in places.

There’s a small waterfall and river running through the lower level of the temple complex, which was flowing quite nicely due to a brief but heavy rain shower earlier in the afternoon.

We spent a pretty magical few hours on the evening of Jeff’s 26th birthday wandering around, looking at all the intricate stone carvings and lush jungle in the forest, which would have been pretty special even without the added bonus of adorable monkeys at every turn.

It was really fun to watch them expertly open bananas using both their hands and hand-like feet, although it was less nerve-wracking not to actually be the one holding the bananas. The monkeys were not afraid to demand the goods, and we saw several monkeys jump onto the backs, shoulders and even heads of visitors who were attempting to hide bananas out of reach. After one startled Jane by tugging on her pant leg like Aladdin’s Abu, we decided to go the safe route and hand them down as quickly as possible.

It was a great introduction to the tropical island of Bali and the next leg of our adventure!

The Food of Chiang Mai

Posted on January 6, 2014 by jeffenjane under Thailand

Aside from the incredible people, weather, and scenery, the delectable food is one of the best reasons to visit Thailand.

Som Tum

One of the most common and least expensive street foods in Thailand is also one of the most delicious and refreshing. Som tum is a dish with a base of shredded green, unripe papayas pounded in a mortar with lime juice, long beans (which look similar to green beans, but have a denser texture), roasted peanuts, dried shrimp, and various other fruits and seasonings. It has a surprisingly savory flavor and is filling for a nearly vegetarian salad.

Pad Krapow Kai

This dish (pronounced pad ka-pow guy) can be as spicy or as mild as you want it to be, but we think the spicier the better. Thai holy basil is stir-fried with finely minced chicken or pork and spicy Thai chilies. It’s a pretty simple and excellent dish, particularly over rice and accompanied by a fried egg.

Phad Thai

The most well known Thai dish in America, Phad Thai is common in Thai restaurants and street food stalls as well. A Chinese-influenced stir fry with rice noodles, peanuts, egg, tofu/other protein, tamarind and other spices, it’s a well rounded dish that’s a strong standby meal for any occasion.

Khao Soi

A dish with Burmese influence, Khao Soi is a great northern Thai curry. It’s a complex soup with both boiled and crispy noodles, chicken (usually on the bone), swimming in a broth of thinner-than-usual coconut curry and served with optional toppings of chopped shallots, lime juice, and pickled cabbage.

Thai Fried Fish with Chili Sauce

A whole fish, breaded and deep fried, served with vegetables or a salad and incredibly spicy chili-lime and cilantro sauce. Filling, bony, delicious.

Fried Quail Egg Dumpling

We didn’t run into this tasty treat many places, but we were sure to get them whenever we spotted them. Hard boiled quail eggs are wrapped in a thin dough, then deep fried and served with a sweet Thai chili sauce.

Red Curry with King Prawns

Spicy red Thai curry with king prawns, eggplants, and other veggies. An excellent curry seems to be one of the main dishes to separate a great restaurant from a mediocre one. This was an excellent curry and a great restaurant: Nest 2 in Chiang Dao

Panang Curry

Another superb coconut milk-based curry, flavored with kaffir lime leaves, galangal, lemongrass and chilies. Our favorite version had plenty of vegetables and tiny bitter eggplant for an extra kick.

Pork Noodle Soup

Our favorite lunch for the past several weeks, this soup is a simple but scrumptious meal. Rice noodles, bean sprouts, and cabbage are briefly boiled, then topped with pork balls, a meaty pork bone, and slices of pork loin in a flavorful pork-based broth. It’s finished off with bits of deep fried pork fat and garlic, and crunchy wontons.

Favorite Fruit Shake

We realize these might not look like anything special to the casual observer. But the casual observer would be wrong. There are an abundance of fruit shakes in Chiang Mai, with every ingredient available: pineapples, strawberries, passion fruit, dragon fruit, oranges, apples, carrots… The list goes on. Our favorite fruit shake is made with ripe avocado, juicy mango, and fragrant banana, with ice, honey, and sweetened condensed milk for good measure. The avocado may sound like a strange addition at first, but ripe avocado is so creamy, and that’s what puts this fruit shake over the top. Here’s our shake-barista from Kalare Night Bazaar food market, hers is the stall to look for:

Thai Fried Bananas

Another street food dish, these taste like a banana inside of a donut. It’s not just breading, but a thick, spongy sesame seed batter that coats these bananas. Sweet and frighteningly good.

Crema Latte

While lattes are not particularly Thai, this one was too delicious not to share. Crema Café has become one of our favorite spots to relax, thanks to their delicious coffee, friendly owners, and serene setting. The lattes we had there were some of the best-made coffee we’ve had in Thailand, and our only complaint is that we finished them too quickly!

Well, there you have it: our favorite local Chiang Mai dishes to cap off our time in this wonderful city. We’ve had the most enjoyable time living in Thailand, but we head off tomorrow on a train to Bangkok to our next destination of Indonesia. Can’t wait to see what excitement this change will bring!

New Year’s Eve – Ladyboys and Fireworks

Posted on January 1, 2014 by jeffenjane under Thailand

To celebrate New Year’s Eve, we decided to check out the local ladyboy cabaret!

Ladyboy with a split personality

The dancers were extremely enthusiastic

The show consisted of elaborately costumed performers lip synching and dancing to a wide variety of songs ranging from old standards to disco hits.

Dramatic closeup

The cabaret was a unique and decidedly Thai experience

The ladyboy cabaret was a unique and decidedly Thai experience

The Thai name for ladyboy is kathoey (highly recommended read), and ladyboy cabarets are a celebration of this gender which is commonly accepted in Thailand.

Since the cabaret wrapped up a few minutes before midnight, we headed to the moat to take part in the city-wide party, complete with constant fireworks and sky lanterns.

Our view of the fireworks and lanterns on the moat surrounding the old city

Floating lanterns are popular for pretty much any holiday

Some of the lanterns have fireworks or flares attached

It was an absolutely wonderful way to bring in 2014. Happy New Year!

Thaton to Chiang Rai

Posted on December 31, 2013 by jeffenjane under Thailand

Thaton

A town near the border with Burma, Thaton is about a four-hour bus ride north of Chiang Mai. It’s a beautiful, quiet, laid back valley town with the Maekok river running through its center and surrounded on all sides by picturesque hills and mountains.

Thaton at sunset, on our way to dinner

The heart of Thaton is Wat Thaton, a Buddhist temple a located a short hike up the hillside.

The panoramic view of the town of Thaton from the Buddhist temple Wat Thaton

The temple had lots of statues, including a tremendous Buddha that’s visible over the trees from miles away.

Giant Buddha a little further up the hill from the Wat Thaton temple

After exploring the temple area, we took the rest of the afternoon to wander through side streets and scenic neighborhoods.

A farmer watering his field

Our accommodations were a small riverside bungalow at a place called Apple Resort, which proved to be a nice place to watch the sunset.

Sun setting over Wat Thaton–the speck of white you can see on the hill is the Giant Buddha

The journey from Thaton to Chiang Rai

Connected by the Maekok river, Chiang Rai can be reached from Thaton with a three-hour longboat ride. The scenery was incredible.

Going around a bend, trying not to get splashed

On the way we saw water buffalo, small cows, villagers and fisherman. We waved at most of them.

Little tree that looked like it belonged on the savanna

Chiang Rai

Our first impression of Chiangrai was pretty impressive

Chiang Rai is actually slightly older than Chiang Mai, which itself is almost 800 years old. There’s a lot of gold decorating the town, and the atmosphere is like a smaller Chiang Mai. We were lucky to be in town for the ASEAN Flower Festival, which we didn’t realize until we arrived. We just have all the luck.

After our songthaew dropped us of at the Chiang Mai clock tower, we wandered around a while and found a guesthouse nearby. We settled in, then headed back out to make the most of our 24 hours in Chiang Rai. We walked through the night market and came to the Wat Mung Muang temple around sunset, which made for a great photo op.

A mythical temple guardian with the head of an elephant and the body of a lion

Walking back through the night market, we found a street food stall selling chicken with sweet Thai chili sauce, which was thoroughly enjoyable. We also happened upon an incredibly friendly Thai family, who graciously let us sit with them when there weren’t enough tables to go around. We shared our drinks, and they shared their som tum (a sweet-spicy shredded green papaya salad). They asked if we wanted to go dance, and wouldn’t take no for an answer. It seemed as though we had accidentally crashed a huge Thai wedding, and we felt like the guests of honor.

Lovely Thai family who adopted us for the night in Chiang Rai

Doing our best to keep up with all of the dances. It was kind of like line dancing.

The following morning, we took a local bus out to Wat Rong Khun, better known as “The White Temple.” It’s located about 12 km from the city center, and was definitely the most touristy, strange, and modern-looking of all the temples we’ve seen in Thailand.

The crowds at Wat Rong Khun

Since the White Temple was more crowded than we’d anticipated, we didn’t stick around too long. Instead, we headed back into the city to take a look at Wat Phra Kaew, an older and more traditional temple with a longer history. Housed in this temple was an incredible Jade buddha inside of a really interesting jade-tiled room whose green glow gave it a science fiction feel.

The Jade Buddha room at Wat Phra Kaew

After Wat Phra Kaew, we spent our last hour visiting the ASEAN Flower Festival, an installation of thousands of flowers including lilies, tulips, begonias and roses, among others.

Jeff and Nāga the Magical Dragon… sounds like an old fairy tale

That evening we took a bus back to our Chiang Mai home base, and for New Year’s Eve we’re going to see the ladyboy cabaret. Should make for a fabulous evening!

: Statues overlooking the hills and valley of Thaton from the temple Wat Thaton

: The statues overlooking the hills of Wat Thaton with dramatic clouds in the background

: Pretty little house next to the Maekok River in Thaton

: Jeff enjoying the view from the Wat Thaton overlook

: Sleepy pup at the Wat Thaton temple

: A Buddhist saint keeping watch in the woods

: Giant Buddha a little further up the hill from the Wat Thaton temple

: He looks even bigger from up close!

: Buddha is so serene and flexible…

: Golden bird overlooking the town of Thaton

: A ground-level shot of the palm house, with a little more river scene

: A small orchard at the golden hour makes everything look like an oil painting

: Glowing fuchsia-tipped plants

: Humble little wildflowers, but so perfectly lit!

: The view of mountains from our guesthouse

: All lit up. very festive

: Our first longboat trip, a little different than we’d imagined

: Misty view of the mountains as we pass

: Our first impression of Chiang Rai was pretty impressive

: Temple we stumbled on while searching for the night market

: Tiniest pineapple!

: Wat Mung Muang in profile

: Ornately carved elephant on the door of the Wat Mung Muang temple

: The songthaews (local taxis) in Chiang Rai were all blue instead of red like they are in Chiang Mai, and this one was so small!

: Learning how to properly bend the wrists

: Doing our best to keep up with all of the dances. It was kind of like line dancing.

: An enthusiastic and creatively costumed dancer. An unconventional costume for the flower festival, but it worked.

: It felt like a tour of a Disney castle

: It’s Hellboy! And Batman! And Freddy Krueger!

: Museum at Wat Phra Kaew, constructed of teak

: Kneeling elephant outside a temple

: ASEAN flower festival in Chiang Rai

: Tulips in the front, lilies in the back!

: Ruffly white lily, close up

: Morning glories and tiger lilies, oh my!

: Thank you, we will!

Christmas in Chiang Mai

Posted on December 25, 2013 by jeffenjane under Uncategorized

Merry Christmas from Chiang Mai!

Shiny little Christmas tree, very festive

Specifically, the incredibly delicious American-style diner and bakery, Butter is Better. Walking in feels like taking a short trip back to America, which is quite nice (and rare) in Thailand.

Enjoying a tasty meal at Butter is Better Diner and Bakery

For Christmas dinner, we shared a chicken plate with stuffing and gravy, a muffuletta, and a big bowl of macaroni and cheese.

Chicken and stuffing plate – forgot to take a photo before taking a few bites

According to Butter is Better, the Muffuletta is New Orleans’ greatest contribution to the world

Thick, creamy, cheesy mac and cheese.

And coffee.

Some of the best coffee we’ve had so far in Thailand

And dessert.

Pumpkin cheesecake with gingersnap crust

Merry Christmas from Chiang Mai!

Doi Inthanon

Posted on December 24, 2013 by jeffenjane under Thailand

Northern Thailand is a region filled with hills and mountains, and towering above them all is Doi Inthanon. At 2,565m (8,415 feet) it’s not snow covered at the peak, but it’s cold for Thailand, and the air is noticeably thinner.

The view from the twin Chedis, not quite to the peak of Doi Inthanon

To get to Doi Inthanon from our home base of Chiang Mai, we decided on a day tour from a tour company. There are many that offer these kinds of packages, and it’s basically the only way for a non motorcycle- or car-owning foreigner to make it up. At about 8:30 am, the tour van picked us up from the corner outside of our apartment and we began the journey up. The ride was about an hour and a half, and made several stops along the way, including a visit to the twin chedis dedicated to the King and Queen of Thailand. The view down was lovely, and it seemed as though the clouds would roll right over us as we walked through the gardens. We could watch clouds forming and swirling in the valley below as the cooler mountain air mixed with the warmer air from the lower altitudes.

The recently restored Chedi dedicated to the beloved King of Thailand

As impressive as the twin chedis were, the view from the peak of Doi Inthanon was nothing short of majestic. The surface of the clouds looked so solid and welcoming, it felt like we could scoop up a clump of fluffy cloud.

The clouds were a still lake as far as we could see at the peak of Doi Inthanon

Pretty breathtaking view. We wanted to dive in.

At the peak there’s a dense forest with a path leading through. Thailand is an unbelievably lush place, everywhere and everything is covered in life. The nearly tropical climate allows incredibly diverse plant growth year round.

Large mosses growing on the forest floor – looks like undersea life

The light shining through the mossy forest near the peak of Doi Inthanon

After visiting the peak, we had a lunch provided with the tour, which was pretty tasty after so much walking (although not as spicy as the Thai food we usually go for). When we finished lunch, we went off to explore the nearby waterfall. Having never seen a waterfall before, it was an awe-inspiring experience for both of us.

Us in front of a gorgeous, misty waterfall on the way back down from the peak

We were also interested to learn that the water that flows down from Doi Inthanon provides irrigation to much of Thailand. Doi Inthanon National Park was established by the King in 1972 to protect the area’s forests from being destroyed, and in turn the trees’ roots help to keep the water flowing down the mountain to the many farms that require irrigation to operate in the dry season.

Dog in the drained rice paddy

Our final stop on the tour was to a Karen village of only 88 people. The Karen people are the largest of the so-called hilltribes in Thailand, and were originally refugees from Myanmar. We were able to walk around their village and watch a woman weaving the traditional Karen fabric by hand, with a large loom that rested on her lap as she worked. We also saw the drained rice paddies, as the rice had been harvested a little over a month prior, and a photogenic little dog we wanted to bring home with us.

The tallest spot in Thailand!

We returned home by about 5:00, but it felt much later. It was a long and interesting day, definitely a worthwhile day trip!

: Clouds swirling around the mountain

: It was pretty chilly up here, even at 11 am

: At this overlook, there are two chedis (Buddhist temples) dedicated to the king and queen of Thailand

: Can’t get enough of watching these clouds–it looked like they were close enough to touch, but we couldn’t quite reach

: A mossy elephant at the peak of Doi Inthanon

: Tall tree at the peak of Doi Inthanon

: A bee drinking from a yellow flower

: Tangled forest life

: Tree covered in moss and different terrestrial lifeforms

: Ferns growing on a tremendous sprawling tree

: Wooden walkway through the thick forest

: The thick, luscious forest near the peak

: Royal project farms, known as Doi Kham, is a program to encourage rural hilltribes to grow organic produce instead of opium.

: Closeup of coffee cherries at the Doi Kham royal project garden

: Jeff lookin kool at the base of the waterfall

: Us at the base of the waterfall

: Clear water in currents at the base of the waterfall

: Jane at the base of the waterfall. Supremely clear water.

: Misty, tall waterfall

: Recently harvested rice fields at the Karen village, one of the six hill tribes of northern Thailand

: Cute dog at Karen village

Chiang Mai Sunset

Posted on December 15, 2013 by jeffenjane under Thailand

A temple with a glimpse of the mountains in the distance

A few days ago, we decided to try and find a vintage clothing shop in Chiang Mai’s old city around sunset. We didn’t have much luck finding the shop at first, but it did give us a great chance to explore Chiang Mai and play around with the HDR setting on our camera. It was a particularly lovely evening, and we had a great time saying “sawasdeeka/p” to everyone we saw. The more we see of Chiang Mai, the more we find to like about it. We’ve never been to a city that is so friendly, and where complete strangers constantly greet and smile at one another. It’s remarkably refreshing. The gorgeous weather and delicious food don’t hurt either, of course.

Extremely friendly and talkative Thai men. They said that Jeff looked like Keanu Reeves.

We said hello to these guys as we passed them eating their dinner together, and since they happened to speak English, we struck up a conversation. They were interested to learn that we’re spending two months in Chiang Mai, and gave us the advice to “take it slow.” We told them we agreed, and they decided that Jeff looked like a movie star, but couldn’t remember his name. Jeff finally figured it out when they pantomimed Keanu Reeves’ bullet-dodging scene from The Matrix, complete with sound effects.

The moon and a palm tree and a few wispy clouds

As the evening turned to nightfall, we saw the moon through the clouds and glimpsed a lone star beneath a palm tree. We also gave up on finding the vintage shop we’d initially set out to find, and took a little break on a bench to decide where to head next. We had just settled on heading to dinner and turned a corner to find the very shop we were searching for. It seems that in order to find somewhere in Chiang Mai, it’s best not to have your heart too set on it, and only then will it appear! Even if we hadn’t found the shop, the evening would have been well worth it nonetheless. Chiang Mai is a wonderful city full of cheerful people taking it slow…it’s an attitude that’s rubbing off on us, and we’re definitely the happier for it.

: An alleyway near our building

: Thai glass lamp outside of a restaurant

: Temple and a passing songthaew

: Proud mountains looking soft in the golden light

: The golden hour in full effect

: Jeff looking rather pensive

: Loved the geometric feel of this picturesque water tower and power lines

: A tuk tuk passing by a luxurious garden during our walk

: Colorful apartments and motorbikes, very Thai

: Dragons guarding a temple at sunset

: Taking a little break from walking around all evening

: One of the many incredible temples in Chiang Mai, including ominous-looking Buddha

: We asked to take his photo, and it took some convincing–he seemed a little embarrassed–but just love how this portrait turned out.

: Speedy little guy helping out by clearing the tables

: Skillful cook at the North Gate

: Wise broccoli man

Chiang Dao getaway

Posted on December 4, 2013 by jeffenjane under Thailand

This weekend we took A Day of Photography with our neighbor Alan on an excursion out to Chiang Dao. We left Chiang Mai early in the morning and caught a bus out to Chiang Dao, which took about an hour and a half. Once we arrived, Alan flagged down a songthaew and negotiated a route further up into the mountains. We stopped several times en route at spots that Alan had scouted out for great photographs at the optimal time of day. His knowledge of northern Thailand is surprisingly deep and was quite useful in knowing the differences not only in the lighting of given scenes, but also how clouds and fog moved through the mountains at different times of day.

Our group consisted of us and one other couple, and all four were already rather familiar with the technical aspects of our cameras, so most of the day’s instruction was regarding bracketing and composition of shots rather than camera controls and exposure settings; in other words, what makes up an artistically interesting or unique image as opposed to simply a sharp, well-exposed one. We were able to capture some very moody and interesting shots of the Doi Chiang Dao mountains as fog rolled through in the morning, and as the day progressed, the fog subsided little by little until much more of the mountains were revealed.

After stopping at several shot locations, we arrived at our lodging for the evening, Malee’s Nature Lovers Bungalows. We opted to stay for the night, but the other group on our tour decided they’d rather head back to Chiang Mai that evening. Either option makes for a full day of photography, but it was definitely nice to have a second day in Chiang Dao. It’s a charming, beautiful and aromatic area that makes even laid back Chiang Mai seem like Manhattan by comparison.

From the Bungalows, we walked a few KM stroll up to the Buddhist Cave Temple, which allowed for interesting shots in a low light environment. A fast prime lens really would’ve shined here, but even our relatively slow kit lens was able to get some great shots with nice shadow gradients.

After the cave temple was a truly delicious lunch at Chiang Dao Nest 2. After a month in Thailand and some wonderful meals, Nest 2 had some of the best food yet, and an excellent view of Doi Chiang Dao mountain.

From lunch we took the hike towards Wat Tham Pha Plong temple, which was nestled high in the mountains. On the way up the 600 steps to the temple, we met several monks. Alan was able to converse with them in Thai, and was able to politely ask if it would be acceptable for us to photograph them. This was a great opportunity for stimulating portraits of several monks at a Buddhist monastery in the jungle. Wat Tham Pha Plong was definitely our favorite stop of the weekend, despite the 600-step climb up. The view was worth it! Walking the path was not as strenuous as we’d expected either, and we got to see a lot of interesting and beautiful flora, and even a little fauna (hello, giant spider!).

It was a fantastic day of photography, hiking and food. Alan’s knowledge of fine art photography, northern Thailand, and the Thai language allowed for a day that we wouldn’t have been able to provide on our own. Chiang Dao was a good chance to explore the more rural side of Thailand, and to fill our lungs with fresh misty mountain air. If you’re planning a visit, be sure to wear comfortable shoes and pack extra camera batteries if you have an itchy shutter finger, as there are a plethora of gorgeous subjects to capture. All in all, an excellent day of photography and culture with Alan MacArthur, and very highly recommended!

: Our first glimpse through the fog of the mountain at Chiang Dao

: Foggy mountain at Chiang Dao

: Dragonfly at Malee’s garden

: Thai style colored glass in the dining room at Malee’s Nature Lover’s Bungalows

: We have no idea what kind of flower this is. But it’s beautiful.

: Spirit houses next to a tremendous tree

: The temples outside the entrance to the cave temple

: Temple closeup

: At the entrance to the cave temple

: Another temple near the cave entrance

: The cave ceiling with a view of a Buddha statue scene

: Close up of the Buddha statue scene. These are more abstract looking than the more ornate gold Buddhas – they look kind of like puppets.

: Buddha seen through a port in the wall

: Buddha and bodhi tree

: Three headed dragon statue

: Another shot of the twisted cave ceiling

: Buddha’s hand glowing in the dim cave light

: These red flowers were everywhere at the temple grounds

: We asked for his portrait outside of the cave temple

: Decorated posts near a Buddhist cemetary

: The view from our table at lunch

: Red curry with pineapple and king prawns – probably the best dish we’ve had yet

: Exploring a field at the foot of the foggy Chiang Dao mountains

: Touching the dragon

: A young monk

: The 600 step path up to Wat Tham Pha Plong temple was scattered with quotes of Buddhist wisdom

: An older monk who spoke excellent English with us in a deep, booming voice

: Our first good view of Wat Tham Pha Plong temple

: View from the top of the temple – the dragons guarding the stairs leading up

: Our group at the end of the great first day

: Jane lounging at our little bungalow on the morning of our second day

: Wat Tham Pha Plong on our second day – less foggy today

: Jeff resting next to a carved wood sculpture.

: There was gorgeous foliage everywhere, and leaves of all colors. This crimson one was particularly beautiful.

: Another flower we didn’t know the name of, a little further down the jungle path.

: The view of the mountains from the top of Wat Tham Pha Plong on our second day – sunnier, and with a blue sky.

: Beautiful design on the door to Wat Tham Pha Plong

: Photo through the gold mirrored tiles on the dragons

: Big scary spider guarding the temple entrance

: Another view of Wat Tham Pha Plong temple with more sun peeking over the mountain

: Us in front of Wat Tham Pha Plong temple

: Some kind of lilly, maybe?

: The view from our lunch on the second day

: Malee’s Dog

: Us and Malee, owner of Nature Lover’s Bungalows

: Taken from the back of the Songthaew leaving Chiang Dao

Baan Lanna Moon

Posted on November 30, 2013 by jeffenjane under Thailand

Our apartment is tucked in between two busy roads here in Chiang Mai, so we can stay plenty occupied, but we do appreciate that we’re on a quiet back lane. A little more local, and most of our neighbors here at the Baan Lanna Moon apartments are expats or on extended vacations, much like us. Our neighbor Herb is a friendly Canadian with a lovely garden and an open-door policy. It kind of feels like the dorms at college, but with a global twist. We have lots of interesting and chatty neighbors, and Jane has even had a few occasions to practice her French.

We’re paying 7,000 Thai Baht per month for our place, which is about 220 USD. Pretty much a steal! The apartment isn’t huge by any means, but that’s not a problem since we have access to a great pool and lounge area downstairs, as well as a communal kitchen when we feel like cooking. Not to mention, it’s fun just to get out to wander the streets of the city and get a little bit lost now and then.

Our room

Another view of our bedroom

The view down the hall – Herb’s garden

The pool area

The shower at the pool – waterfall style

The view from the deep end

Poolside garden

The view down our street, including sleeping cat

One of the sweet little cats that lives downstairs

Another cute little cat sleeping downstairs

Loi Krathong

Posted on November 20, 2013 by jeffenjane under Thailand

This past weekend we attended the Loi Krathong and Yi Peng festival held at Maejo University on the outskirts of Chiang Mai. It’s an annual multi day festival during the full moon of the 12th Thai month, usually falling in late November. The lantern liftoff was absolutely breathtaking. It was mesmerizing to watch thousands of lanterns float up into the sky and swirl together and away into the breeze, like watching a galaxy form in fast forward. The pictures barely do it justice.