Monday, May 21, 2018

Power

Hi,

The weather in Chiang Mai has been hot.  This is our second night here and we’re hearing thunder rolling around in the distance.  Chiang Rai has rain in its forecast for the rest of the week.  Oh joy.

The ‘Old School Friday’ song was “Don’t Be Cruel” by Elvis Presley.  Apparently, nobody remembers this song.  Whata shame.  Anyway, here’s an ‘Easy Monday’, I think:  “They say the neon lights are bright __ __ (__ __).  They say there’s always magic in the air (__ __).  But when you’re walkin’ down that street, and you ain’t had enough to eat, the glitter rubs right off and you’re nowhere (__ __).”  Hint:  It’s about a street in a big city.  

Sunday morning we got on the road and headed south for Chiang Mai.  We made our traditional stop at Charoen Gardens for pie, but started with a little meal, since lunch would be later than usual.  The apple pie was delicious of course.

The drive to Chiang Mai normally takes 3 hours, even with the stop for pie.  We got a big surprise in the form of major road construction that added another hour to our journey.  Giant machinery was hard at work, chewing into the side of a twisty part of the road, making it wider on both sides.  The traffic going south (us) moved slowly, but kept moving.  The northbound had a long line of cars just sitting.  When the trucks had to do something near the road, everything stopped.  Water trucks were used to keep the dust down, but meant that there was a thin layer of mud that is now all over the van, with more to be added tomorrow.  

When we got to town we went to our first appointment, which was our chiropractor.  A few things were adjusted and new exercises given to help stabilize my lower back.  From there we went to our hotel.  To say that we love the Dusit D2 would be an understatement.  As soon as we pulled up, the parking attendants opened the doors, welcoming us back.  Some of the staff were genuinely happy to see us.  It was like that in the dining room as well.  When we sat down the check in, we were told that the level of room we had reserved was full, so we had been upgraded to a suite.  Oh, what a shame.  Now we have a sitting room, a changing room, and a bigger bedroom and bathroom.  

Our big adventure came late in the afternoon when we met with our friend Khun Aom, the producer of the Chiang Rai Balloon Festival.  The plan was to go to dinner, but first she wanted to show us a place in the country.  We drove into an area with huge rice fields and forests until she turned onto a little road.  It seemed like we were going up a long driveway.  We were at the entrance of a tiny boutique bed and breakfast called ‘Rice and Zen’.  They have tiny little cabins for only 3 parties at a time.  Aom is friends with the owners and they let roam around and take photos.  We fell in love with the place and hope to return someday.  

Today’s photos are from ‘Rice and Zen’, Chiang Mai.  The horses in the second photo are made of pieces of wood.  More tomorrow.



Our Sunday evening ended with dinner at a little Italian restaurant in the same area.  Wonderful food and a mellow vibe, just us in the dining room.  

Have a Great Week.

                   Peace,
                             Danny

“When the power of love
overcomes the love of power
the world will know peace.”
~Jimi Hendrix

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