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Hi,

We went to Chiang Mai for the weekend. In the big city we went to a festival of arts, crafts and gifts of all kinds. We rode in tuk-tuks, song taus and stayed in a cute, odd little hotel. We also witnessed a tribute to the King.

'Old School Friday' had two winners. Cousin Trudye knew the song and the group. Linda knew the song. It was "Could This Be Magic" by The Dubs. I'll try to be gentler next time. Here's your 'Easy Monday' challenge:
"Oh yeah, I'll tell you something, I think you'll understand. When I'll say that something __ __ __ __ __ __ (repeat dashes 2 times)." Hint: First big hit by four guys from across the pond that invaded the world.

Saturday morning we jumped up, had breakfast and hit the highway. We dropped John off at the bus station for his trip to Burma. He'll be there until the 17th. We got to Chiang Mai around 11am and had to wait to check in. We walked down the road to another hotel and had a nice lunch and then got a call from our friend Tye. She was in town for her daughter Napa's ballet class. She came and got us and we went to the Art Fair where our friend Nat had a booth. We strolled up and down and saw many beautiful things. It's hard to describe all that we saw, it was such a mix of things. There were incredible fabrics, wood carvings, jewelry, custom made clothes, and antiques. Tye left us there and we waited around for Nat. We finally met with her and then went back to our hotel. The Tuk-Tuks in Chiang Mai are much faster than the ones in Chiang Rai. They're like hot-rods and the drivers are crazy. I'm just happy our journey was only 12 blocks.

The hotel where we stayed was unlike any we've ever been in. There were little decorative touches all around, as if we were staying in someone's home. In the room nothing was bolted down as it is in most places. There was a vase with flowers on the dining table, we had a little kitchen with an electric kettle and dishes in the cabinet. The hotel has six floors but the elevator only stops at landings between each floor. Hmm.

We returned to the Art Fair in the evening and it was a crush of people compared to the afternoon. There were young women passing out long candles. We didn't know why, but we took them anyway. At 7pm a song started playing on the P.A. and everyone stopped where they were, lit their candles and started singing the song. There must have been four verses and they were all singing with much enthusiasm. It turns out it's a birthday song for the King that everyone learns in school. It was really something to stand there and watch and listen as several generations of Thais sang this song. Quite moving. After the song the candles were put in planters and anything that would hold them, still burning.

It was unfortunate that we forgot the camera. There were so many things to take pictures of, but I did get a shot with my phone of a woman with an unusual vending gimmick. She had a tiny mini-van with a little stove on the tailgate. She was cooking skewers of pork in various forms, and playing disco music, with a disco ball spinning inside the van. The side of the van had a cartoon painting of a pig and the word 'Piggy' under it. Amazing Thailand.

To be continued tomorrow. Have a Great Week.

Peace,
Danny

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"Let us not look back in anger,
nor forward in fear,
but around us in awareness."
~James Thurber

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