Elephant Nature Park | Chiang Mai, Thailand

Another highlight of my trip to Southeast Asia was visiting the Elephant Nature Park.  This is an elephant rescue center in Chiang Mai, Thailand.  On the ride to the center, we watched a video of the mistreatment of Asian elephants.  It had me in tears in the back of the van.  But the work that Sangduen Chailert (Lek), has done warms your heart.  Lek rescues these elephants and they get to live in a natural environment with a river and mountains surrounding it.  And everyone who works or volunteers there loves these sensitive, beautiful giants.  We spent the day visiting, feeding and bathing them in the river.  
Lek has received Time Magazines (2005) Asian Hero of the Year award and the park has received many awards, one being from the Smithsonian.

Loy Krathong Water Festival | Chiang Mai, Thailand

We were incredibly lucky to be in Chiang Mai for the Loy Krathong Water Festival.  It is held on the full moon night of the 12th lunar month.  It is a time to pay respect to Buddha and thank the Goddess of Water.  I had made my own floating Krathong a day before, filled with banana leaves, flowers, candles and incense.  Our hotel, The Chedi Club, had a celebration that night and everyone lit the candles and incense and placed the krathongs into the Mae Ping River and watched them float away.  You make a wish and as it drifts away it symbolizes letting go of old grievances and starting life anew.  Supposedly the longer your candles burn, the better next year will be.  You also light a very large lantern and it flies up into the sky.  It was an amazing sight to see the whole sky filled with thousands of lit lanterns and a firework display that lasted into the wee hours of the morning.

Earlier in the day we passed these monks having a celebration of their own.  They sent a couple of lanterns to the sky but one fizzled out.  They were having a great time.

As this Loy Krathong festival also celebrates a new year, so do we.  Here's to a happy, healthly and peace filled 2014.  Happy New Year.

Chiang Rai, Thailand and the Hilltribes

While in Chiang Rai, we visited the Hill Tribes.  These villages are made up of the Yao, Lahu, Akha, and Long Neck Karen tribes.  The most fascinating of these tribes, to me, were the Long Neck Karen tribe.  As very young girls, they get their first coils put around their neck, each year having them cut off and getting a new one with an additional coil.  These coils can weigh up to 30 pounds.  They don't necessarily make their necks longer, they just push their shoulders down.  You ask "why?"  One myth is that long ago tigers would grab them by the neck and take them away.  This coil was used to protect them from the tigers.

The woman below has the largest brass coil of all of the tribe members.

And the little girl below is probably the youngest to wear the brass neckless.

Bangkok, Thailand and the Buddhas

Wat Pho is home to the 160 foot long Reclining Buddha.  What an amazing sight.  His body is made of gold leaf and his feet of mother of pearl.  Wat Pho is the largest temple in Bankok and has over 1000 other Buddha statues.  It also houses a monastery .  We were lucky enough to be able to see a monk initiation ceremony performed while we were there.  The monks were chanting, incense was wafting through the air, the family were seated at tables, eating and praying.  

At Wat Traimit you will find the Golden Buddha, which is exactly that, solid gold.  It is just short of 10 feet and weighs 5 1/2 tons, and is estimated to be worth 250 million dollars.

While in Bangkok, we stayed at the Sukhothai hotel.  This is a beautiful hotel and in a great location.  Just 2 doors away is the Moon Bar and Vertigo Restaurant at the Banyan Tree Hotel.  These are both on the roof of the hotel with an amazing, panoramic view of the city of Bangkok, all lit up with lights.  Gorgeous and quite the romantic spot.  Not to be missed.