Northern Thailand


 White Temple in Chiang Rai is illustrious.  After flying from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai, our first stop was this beautiful Buddhist temple.

We dined at a quaint restaurant for lunch and posed for a pic beside this jackfruit tree.  


Thai food is one of our favorite cuisines.  Thai food in Thailand is amazing.  I love the fruit shown above, passion fruit, guava, papaya and dragon fruit.  Ruth Ann and I both love the coconut milk base in many dishes.

After lunch, we toured the Opium Museum.  It was more interesting than you might think.  The displays were first rate and information was provided about the complex societal issues caused by the opium trade beginning centuries ago.  Northern Thailand was a major growing area for opium poppy until the government established programs in the 1990s to help change the culture and dependence on poppy farming in Northern Thailand. 

Mekong River boat was next where we motored to what is called the Golden Triangle where Thailand, Myanmar and Laos borders merge at the river.


Thailand New Year is being celebrated while we are here and the new year is marked by a water festival.  Countless young people fill the beds of pick-up trucks and line the streets to drench each other with water using buckets, hoses and water guns.  The were having so much fun all day long and into the evening.  It was all in good fun while even non-participants who sometimes fell victim to the water fun took it in stride.

  Drummers are everywhere and are easy to recognize when they are beating a drum to welcome us to the Anantara Elephant Camp and Resort.


 Elephants are out there and they sometimes wonder by the lodge and block the roads.  We'll meet them tomorrow.

Traveloka and Ji Chang Wook sing in Travel the World;

Tara ra raaa~

Let’s travel the world

We fell in love, yea yea yea

Hear the sea calling in Bali

Under the warm sun, yea yea yea

I was dazzled by the beauty, baby, can’t you see?

We'll go explore all the way, what you're waiting for

Seoul and Solo, baby, just run away

From Osaka to Sa Pa, wherever we go

Just travel the world, let's go, ooh oohh

Wanna fly with you

Wherever you go, Traveloka dulu

Wanna stay with you

Whenever you want, Traveloka dulu

Let's travel the world

Tara ra raaa~

Let’s travel the world


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