There are Places I Remember

Taking a Little Walk Along the Elk River Refuge with **CR Plus

2010-09-03T23:17:00.000-07:00

Hikers set out on the mostly flat sandy trail.

It was one of those clear Humboldt mornings that lets you know summer was waning. For one thing, it was not shrouded in its usual fog. The late summer/early fall weather pattern was arriving. There were about 30 folks who showed up for this Wednesday's hike with **CR PLUS Town and Trail Fitness Walk a delightful program that encourages fitness in folks over 50, but is really an excuse to get out and enjoy some of the truly lovely trails of the area.

For this event we met at the end of Hilfiker Lane in the parking lot and were walking by 10:30. It was not a race, but some were energetic. Everyone went at his own pace.

The inlet of Elk River in to Humboldt Bay

Silvery beach grasses whisper in the morning wind.

Young Pampas Grass waves its frilly fronds.

Curious wooden barricade seems to control the flow.

The main river channel emptying into the bay.

Some other people had been walking here also.

An old railroad bridge crosses the river inlet.

Books have been written about the historic rails of Humboldt

Wild fennel? Whatever, it's plentiful and pretty

The spit: river on one side, bay on the other

Where sand dunes meet beach grass meet water weed

The ubiquitous LYFs (little yellow flowers)

Queen Anne's Lace or wild carrot?

Long live the Magnificent Wetlands of Humboldt Bay!

Covering the Bald Hills with OLLI

2010-06-21T00:44:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, June 19, 2010, we joined some 30 OLLI members who signed up for a field trip in to the Bald Hills area of the Redwood National Park. This Humboldt County area is reputed to have sweeping vistas of grassland accented by oak and fir forests forming the ridgeline above the famed Redwood Creek. Leaders of this trek were Jerry and Gisela Rohde and Jim Wheeler (no relation) of the National Parks. Their research, knowledge and expertise greatly added to the learning experience of the day.
Clicking on the title above will take you to a Picasa Album of 22 more photos of our day.

We were welcomed by Judith Wilson, the current resident and owner of this once noted stage stop and sheep ranch: the Tomlinson Ranch. This relatively recent refugee of city life, is enjoying living her dream of peace, hard work and satisfying lifestyle at the remote hillside.

At the Lyon Home Place there was a lovely sheep barn whose stout construction, geometric angles, and shadows with certain slants of light have lots of tales to tell. Throughout the tour we were treated to stories of the lives of these pioneer families and their relationship with the first people as well as the hardships and benefits of the land.

A City Weekend May 1st and 2nd 2010

2010-05-15T13:49:00.000-07:00

Take one part Essence of San Francisco and one part Essence of Norway and you get:

Norway Days Festival in San Francisco! This photo of the Bridge was taken from the dock at Fort Mason outside the festival. A lovely day. Not sure which was more blue, the sky or the water. A great weekend in the city!

This year due to its popularity, the festival is housed in the larger of the halls at Fort Mason.

Keith, wearing his Slooper t-shirt is ready to enter through this portal fashioned after a famous bridge in Trondheim and find some old friends. We didn't come last year, so it's been two years since he's seen them.

Well, here they are in the genealogy booth. Are we surprised?
Blaine Hedberg, a good friend and a man of substantial expertise, from Madison Wisconsin represents Norwegian-American Genealogical Center and Naeseth Library. He often comes to the festival and helps interested people research their family trees.

This year a contest in Norway sponsored by readers of Norsk Ukeblad (a magazine) resulted in people all across Norway voting via text message, and choosing Aidi Kongo and Torstein Mikal Bratland to win an all-expense paid trip to San Francisco to be wed at the Norway Day Festival on Sunday, May 2. And icing on the cake -- 5 day's honeymoon in Hawaii.

The traditional procession in Norway is through the town, so here it is through the exhibit hall.

They wore their traditional bunad (regional costume). The bride and groom are from the same region as Keith's ancestors i.e., Rogaland. The ceremony was conducted by the pastor of the San Francisco Seaman's Church and was all in Norwegian, so it did indeed sound official.

Julane Lund provided some exquisite Hardanger fiddling. A classically trained violinist with several degrees in Traditional Music, she was influenced by her grandfather's fiddling, and she moved to Telemark, Norway in 2001. Through the Institute for Folk Culture at Telemark University College, Julane was immersed in the traditional fiddling styles of both Hardanger fiddle and regular fiddle.

Marina Inn Hotel, on the corner of Lombard and Octavia provided very adequate lodging and featured a perfect location for walking just a few blocks to Fort Mason and the festival. We were extremely fortunate to find street parking slots really close both last time and this time, but one certainly can't count on it. We also enjoyed the restaurants on Clay Street just one block north. But our favorite Thai restaurant is on Lombard. The fare if not the prices seemed authentic to us.

Just a little photo of the waterfront near the Fort Mason hall (formerly a shipping warehouse.) An old encrusted chain recalls ship mooring of the past. I thought the textures and colors were interesting.

Quintessential Eureka -- Rhododendron Day

2010-04-25T10:14:00.000-07:00

Our son Patrick has Paris in April; we have Rhododendrons in April. I'm not sure that's a valid comparison, but we do enjoy the resplendent blooms in our newly re-adopted home town. And the town, over the 27 years, has devised a pleasant way of acknowledging April.

It was the first sunny morning in days, so we got Anya and walked the block and a half from our new little house to the parade route. After 40 years in the hills, we bask in the pleasure of being close to things like this.

We arrived just in time to see some of Eureka's finest classic cars.

Anya is 4 now - nearly 5 - and enjoys a happy parade.

Music from the HSU's Marching Lumber Jack's band was very lively.

A VERY short clip of their talent.

How's this for a great example of family fun?

A salute to fine horses. (disclaimer:don't know anything about the candidate except that he has good taste in horses.) Just outside the photo is the "pooper scooper" detail provided by Sequoia Zoo for all horse entries. It consisted of a wheelbarrow pusher and friend with a large scoop shovel -- really cute!

Sure glad they're wearing helmets. They appeared incredibly balanced, however.

What's a Humboldt County parade without a tractor?

Parade over - we walk half a block to the American Rhododendron Society Show, Sale, and Garden tour. How can you not have happy eyes with these gorgeous beauties?

Mom's favorite: an apricot color something of a departure from the more pink ladies.

There was a nice bonsai exhibit at the Rhododendron show too. Lucky us!

Later after a bit of kite flying at our neighborhood park, we took in the open house at the Eureka Model Railroad Club. Those guys have a whole world (several of them) in miniature. It's clearly for their own enjoyment and we appreciate that they shared it with us.

Later that evening there was a concert at the Episcopal Church, known for its fine organ. Here is a photo op with the Humboldt Bay Brass Quintet (and friends) during the intermission after their performance of "Suite for Organ, Brass Quintet & Percussion" by Craig Phillips, and just before the Rhododendron Festival Choir presented Mendelssohn's "Hymn of Praise" from his Symphony No. 2 to a very appreciative audience.

A Walking Tour of Some Eureka Houses

2010-03-27T12:27:00.000-07:00

Monthly tours of various Eureka neighborhoods are led by Ruth Moon. This month's was of the Clark District and included the Jefferson School which has lately been in the news.

Ruth has been leading these free walks since 2003. This was the 4th time for this particular itinerary. They are quite popular as evidenced by the participation. It was a lovely cool but sunny morning.

Ruth's printed flyer details many of the homes. This Italianate home has a hipped roof. Decorative fish and flowers have been added just above the windows on the frieze. Patterned shingles on the 2nd story add texture.

This little beauty is for sale.

It is late March and the Calla Lilies (Alcatraces) are in bloom. Look closely for dew drops.

Can only imagine the work ahead for this owner. Already there has been a great deal. Looks like it will be in keeping with the historic theme. Thank you Mr. Owner.

Many of the homes have been converted into apartments. See multiple mail boxes. The window sports a guard kitty.

A small sweetie with renovations totally in theme.

This is a rental and recently painted we are told. Great detailing in the vintage window glass. With all the colors available, one has to wonder about this particular choice.

A favorite! But Ruth says it is deteriorating since it was turned into rentals.

The controversial Jefferson school site, also rapidly deteriorating. Only one of several local schools now facing financial stress and decreased enrollment issues.

A fully restored Craftsman nicely done.

A little divergence from the designated Clark District tour on to Hillsdale street and Eureka's most noted "Painted Lady" The decorative elements (i.e., circular porch entrance) place it in the Queen Anne category. I wonder if they get a bit tired of being photographed.

And her neighbor -- "Painted Lady 220" The Mowry house is another Queen Anne/Eastlake, sunburst details on the brackets, scrollsaw ornaments on the upper frieze, beautiful corner porch, stained glass.

Still a painted lady, but more modestly so. Lovely!! 1904 late Queen Anne with complex gabled roof and classical portico

Another color combination that works well.

The context.

Nice! Across the street with the view in the previous shot.

A little detail -- green growth in the eaves.

Nice character.

At least 3 mailboxes here. AND it takes up the whole lot. You can't say it's inefficient use of space.

Fresh paint. Always an eye pleaser.

Queen Anne with a Colonial Revival porch, built in 1903. Two kinds of patterned shingles and an oval window

I liked the period lights in front as well as the circular balestraded porches -- different!
A very nice way to start a Saturday

Palco Marsh - REALLY close to home

2010-03-23T16:13:00.001-07:00

We heard that the Palco Marsh had some interesting features. We lived quite close -- just half a mile and thought it might be the closest bit of bay life to us geographically and a potentially pleasant place for a lunch. So I packed up some fresh tabouli and and orange each and set out. Here's what we found.

Scotch Broom in full blossom near the RR track- one of several which once serviced the various mills around Humboldt Bay

Unhappily, the brush partly concealed various campsites and various former campsites that were less than pretty. Not pictured were assorted dead shopping carts, rotting sleeping bags and mountains of plastic debris.

We had our lunch near here and watched the little sail boat cavort in the mild breezes.

Kinetic sculpture? Not quite. Not even kinetic. Someone's idea of sculpture tho.

More art. While graffiti is something of an art form in some places, I suspect this isn't.

Perhaps a bit better. More colorful anyway.

There is even a bit of marsh here and there.

ok this is a bit different

Ah, the tell tale signs of an artist and his tools

You've heard of riding the rails? This is writing the rails.
"So long Humboldt -- East bound '99
you will be missed" A bit sad, I'd say.

The marsh has potential but lacks a certain care. A high school class could adopt it as an environmental cleanup project for a few years. Ah, yes, but then there would need to be another place for homeless to stay.

Closer to Home - Humboldt Bay South

2010-03-23T14:17:00.000-07:00

Inspired by a local history class, we take a sunny Sunday drive to parts of the bay we haven't seen for 40 years, as well as parts we never saw back when we lived here in the 60's.

South Spit looking north

Hookton Slough on a good day for clouds

Field's Landing and what's left of the landing part.

I'm cheating here a bit, but if you will click on the title above, you will see a website devoted to the sights we saw on this day.

Nov/Dec 2009 A Different Kind of Journey

2010-03-23T12:40:00.000-07:00

Indeed! Things had changed a bit. I was able to spend some good family time: one birthday as well as Thanksgiving. I ended up staying almost a whole month.

Among the things I was able to accomplish were:

Dad enrolled in VA and had first physical exam.
Applied with Area III on Aging -- Meals on Wheels 3x/week.
Decluttered back room and Dad’s office as well as some clothes closets
disposed of boxes of outdated supplements and other assorted items – at least 10 banana boxes
organized a file for money management/ collected statements from since 2007 and before.
engaged housekeeper/eldercare person of Pat’s recommendation 2hr/day 5 days a week and oriented her
set up pill box and reminder list system for meds
Cooked lunch & dinner meals most of the time.
got Dad in the habit of fixing their own breakfasts – albeit only instant oatmeal
got dad using his cell phone again
Arranged for Mom to meet new Doctor – provided background, list of Rx and list of family concerns.
programmed "home" and other common destinations into a GPS for getting around town

Like many diseases, there were good days and bad days.

Nov/Dec 2009 A Different Kind of Journey

2010-03-23T12:30:00.000-07:00

The county gets more dramatic and different for me as I reach the high desert country north of Lakeview, Oregon. Lake Abert has been a favorite lunch spot along this route, but this day is was a bit too cold and too early for a stop much longer than a photo opportunity. Miles to go . . . and all that.

Nov/Dec 2009 A Different Kind of Journey

2010-03-23T12:23:00.000-07:00

The drive from Eureka to Boise is 15 hours. I was by myself, so I didn't try to do it in one day. I took my time and tried to enjoy the scenery. Which happily IS very enjoyable.
This picturesque barn is on the Igo-Ono road to Redding on my way to highway 299. It is very typical of the ranch country near our Mad River home with black and white oak which at this time of year are shedding their leaves.

Nov/Dec 2009 A Different Kind of Journey

2010-03-23T12:19:00.000-07:00

It was long past time to pay respects to my family in Boise. I had only visited once since I helped move them there 2 1/2 years previously. My two sisters who live there would welcome a little respite. Our mother was deeper into Alzheimer's and we daughters were concerned about the health of her primary caregiver: our dad.

Keith and I had bought a humble little house in Eureka in which to spend winters, so I decided that after Keith was settled in, I would drive myself to Boise to see what I could do to help.

Southern California Revisited: Lakewood High 50th Reunion

2009-07-16T21:15:00.000-07:00

Class of 1959 -- 50 years ago
What are they like now?
Will they remember me?
I wonder what my old neighborhoods look like?

After 5 hours' drive from our Mad River home to Sacramento, we fly to Long Beach International on Jet Blue (a first for us--it was super!)
And the airport had a charm all its own. I loved that it was small.

Reconnecting

That evening at the hotel a few of us chanced to meet in the lobby and were hard-pressed to recognize one another.

So here is what my cohorts look like. We are all not unlike each other even at this advanced age. What a kick! We're holding up pretty well don'tcha think? It was a pleasure to be remembered at all let alone fondly.

This guy (and I don't remember his name now- Mike something) was a major football player. I think he's a Republican now.

Saturday morning and a LOT of catching up to be done. It looks like it's hard to get more than 5 in a single conversation.

Memory Lane

While "the committee" set up the banquet, Keith and I checked out the neighborhoods of my childhood. Here is 5541 Hanbury Street. Significantly remodeled and well taken care of. The "vacant lots" are now handsome parks and the Jakaranda tree is still there.

A closer look at my beloved Jakaranda Tree. I spent many hours in its branches.

My elementary school -- I could remember exactly how to get there. Lady Garmin wasn't even needed.

My 6th grade classroom (the "temporary" building in the distance) is STILL there. That's some temporary!

The little "Lakewood Village" shopping center I was able to walk to as a kid, is trying to be an artist's market with outdoor vendors.

It's quite charming actually and there are adorable bronze statues in fun corners that seem to be kids doing kid things -- painting, playing, riding horses - that kind of thing.

Ah yes, the actual high school. Now heavily barricaded, a testament to how difficult education has become for city teens. This is the most glaring change I noticed. All else seemed to be functioning as one would hope and expect.

This is the 2nd house of my childhood. (Knoxville and Harvey Way) I was an adolescent here. It looked "closed up" but parked cars indicated some kind of occupancy. No clues except a basket ball hoop in the back.

Class of '59 Reunion Banquet at Lakewood Country Club

That evening arriving at the banquet, it was a bit of a reality check to see which classmates were no longer living. Some 56 from a class of 500.

People watching from our table was the activity of the evening; that and seeking out long lost friends. We pretty much had to read their label to learn who we were.

Lots of photo posing, camera clicking, and "cheese" saying.

Then there was the band. They were great! They seemed to know the right music to play. Were we that obvious? Or were they that old?

The Morning After

How to impress your long lost first boyfriend. Can't get the camera to work because you forgot your glasses back in the hotel room.

Ah, that's better: me, Gilbert Mendoza, Marilyn (Pitman) Waite, and Russ Waite.

There was an "all class" reunion picnic, but these classics were the main attraction.

My favorite!

Pretty as a picture!
There were way too many people, so we bought the obligatory hotdog and headed for the freeway and our next stop.

Leaving Lakewood -- Heading South
Traveling to San Diego/La Jolla to visit and stay with my neice, Tambra.

This is her charming house just 3 blocks from the ocean.

Very tastefully decorated by someone who knows what she likes.

A visiting butterfly quite claimed this succulent as his own. He would not be moved by
photographer or high water. There was a resident cat however . . .

Succulents are big in beach county. This was a particularly colorful specimen. Tambra had done some recent landscaping to her front yard. Lots of privacy now and great colors and plants.

An afternoon walk to get the flavor of a Sunday at the local beach.

Lots of seaweed. I wasn't clear if it was normal to have this much or not, but the seagulls liked it.
It was only moderately smelly. I quite liked it and remembered chasing my sisters with a "rope" of it.

North along the beach was not very densely populated for a So Cal beach on this warm Sunday.

Under the pier gave a nice angle and light situation.

More people were on the walk way above the sand than near the surf. There were LOTS of bicycles.

The local museum sports an installation of a "bouquet of boats" (my title) (probably not original as it's so obvious)

The sunset was well attended at La Jolla. Many, many people seemed to have come out, set up chairs, and settled down to watch it as if it was some kinds of performance art. I guess it was.

The next day, Monday July 13, 2009, we drove highway 101 north along the beach communities to catch our return flight at Long Beach.

This is breakfast at a sidewalk outside The Highway 101 Cafe, quite retro and strangely comforting in a familiar kind of way.

Huntington Beach surf where I did most of my beach activities. We had enough time to change and go swimming but I couldn't come to terms with feeling salty and sandy on the airplane, so we passed. It's so BLUE and WARM!!

Funny, I don't remember this power plant in the vicinity, but it must have been there. Ah, selective perceptions!

Tuesday, July 14.

On the way home, we stopped in Red Bluff to pick up my own new cruiser bike. Isn't she pretty!

Cambodia is Complicated Feb 15 - March 6: "The Temples are Still There"

2009-03-29T10:55:00.000-07:00

Beng Mealea

The Khmer temples were the reason we went to Siem Reap, Cambodia in 2003. 5 years later it was that memory that called us back. However, in the interim, we had learned of other aspects of Cambodia (specifically the world of and need for NGO's-- more on that in a later post) This post is about the temple ruins.

Beng Mealea was where we wished to go first. We had not seen it before, and all the guide books described it as less visited by tourists because it was some distance (37 miles) from the larger complex that accommodated most of the visitors to Angkor, but no less worthy. Moreover, it had been largely left to the ravages of the eons and strangler figs. Now I don't know what that says about the person to whom that is an appealing ad. They also mentioned it had at last been demined. (may explain the sparse tourist attendance.)

Among the fallen blocks are still the lintels and such-- structural features so skillfully crafted by ancient artisans to honor to the Khmer deities.

One special thing about Beng Mealea is you can still clamber over the tumbled blocks --this is no longer allowed at most of the Angkor temples. The negative side is that we chose to do just that -- clamber over the fallen blocks, and it was there that Keith experienced severe aggravation to his bursitis, a situation that would prove to be the undoing of the entire rest of our stay.

This is my favorite photo of the day. It grandly captures the towering structure atop the geometric rubble of eight and a half centuries and is at once being strangled amid and supported by the jungle vegetation.

Here the causeway is still somewhat in tact, and yet the passage of time is quite evident in the substantial trees. You might be interested in how other seekers of sacred places have interpreted Beng Mealea. Try this link: http://www.sacred-destinations.com/cambodia/beng-melea.htm

Just a simple pretty stone in a simple pretty place. Well, maybe not so simple.

The 7-headed naga guarding the eastern entrance provided a nice sunny location for the requisite photo.

Eight and a half centuries in a tropical jungle climate can cause a little bit of wear, but these two teethy naga faces are still quite fearsome. Perhaps it's the upturned nose.

Nice renderings of the Apsara figures (Hindu celestial dancers) at the base of the corners of this tower catch the sunlight to accentuate their shadowed shapes.

With this visit to Beng Mealea, we had been in Siem Reap a week and kept hoping the aches and pains of traveling and general old age would lessen if we just kept going. That didn't quite work. (Clambering over the ruins at Beng Mealea was a glorious way to finally acquiesce to that reality, however.) A day of rest would lead to renewed energy and "a step forward" which would in turn rapidly lead to two steps backward. At the end of the second week, we had to call on an old friend to "rescue" us from our own folly. We needed to give up, rethink, regroup, relocate, and try to salvage what strength and sanity we could for the long flight home.

Another Day Another Temple (or two)

Here we catch a glimpse of the sunrise on the road out to Bantey Srei, a temple to which I particularly wanted to return.
Our guide, Srun Sopheak, worked with us on an adaptive program that helped us experience the highlights of Siem Reap without depleting our physical reserves and giving Keith's shoulders and hip a chance to heal.

This delicate, detailed and intricate sandstone carving is typical of many of the style elements throughout Bantey Srei. The name is said to mean "Citadel of Women," and while, not only smaller than many Khmer temples at Angkor, it is different in other ways as well.

Here again is the detail of story in the surface texture of the temple architecture. The small temple was unusual in that it was not built for royalty but for a favored guru and teacher. There is some suggestion it was a prototype for the eventual main event -- Angkor Wat itself.

Here is one more Apsara perspective on the deeply carved sandstone. This stuff must be incredibly hard, in order to hold its shape through all these centuries.

The inner enclosure was catching the early morning light and it was here I decided to find a quiet corner and sketch a bit. Keith and Sopheak went back to the entrance for coffee. They sent me a baguette and coffee in a bag. I was in heaven! The sketch didn't turn out that well; I never was very good at scale.

The depth and substance of stone were appealing here.

Here, it was geometry and color.

I liked the obvious effort at reconstruction here. I think it was the Swiss who were instrumental at this site.

Laterite sides of this walkway are still ever so strong and well placed.

This pediment and lintel are awesome. Nearly every inch is carved. The little guy on the corner above the column is a kick.

Do you get the feeling there is/was something pretty heavy smashing down on these blocks? The colors are pretty cool too.

On to Ta Phrom

We thought we'd just make a little tiny stop at TaProhm for old time's sake. I really wanted to prioritize my time by going first to Bayon, but I was outvoted. It was late morning and quite warm and worst of all, swarms of bravely, wilted tourists were trying to see as much as they could and take as many pictures as possible. They were cuing for photo ops.

OK, we succumbed and posed for the Laura Croft classic. They now have a platform/stage-- how convenient.

Still in shaded, secret corners there were little treasures to be awed at by the closely observant.

The ravages of savages, weather, and time have taken a toll, but it sometimes only heightens the appreciation for what has survived.

Peek-a-boo (enlarge to see the face among the roots)

Note: as we were exiting against oncoming busloads of tourists and taking a few last photos, our camera battery died. So even though we continued on to Bayon and I got to climb to the face towers on the upper terrace. (Yay! ), .... I didn't get any photos.

But here is one we took 5 years ago. It's pretty good and the old guys are still smiling the same way. 5 years older when you're already 850+ years old doesn't make a lot of difference.

I invite you to check out the Wikipedia treatment of Bayon in lieu of my other personal photos. It tells you more than I could begin to. It's a very special place.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayon

Cambodia is Complicated Feb 15 - March 6: "People We Met"

2009-03-24T11:54:00.000-07:00

Yarann is cousin to Ronnie Yimsut team member of Project Enlighten, with whom I had corresponded about staying at their place in Siem Reap. Yarann met us at the airport and took us to "Yimsust Suites". They had gone to considerable effort to provide a warm and welcoming place for us.

Yarann's wife, Saeng, daughters: Thavy and Chien, as well as a family friend, Somali, live on the ground floor. Often during the day, Yarann and Saeng go to the family home in Bakong Village, west of Siem Reap where she supervises and does accounting for the cow bank and micro lending projects connected with this aspect of Project Enlighten.

Three key Project Enlighten team members meet for breakfast at Soup DragonRestaurant (old town Siem Reap), Lisa McCoy (far right), Bill Morse (left of Lisa) from Palm Springs, Ca and key sponsor of demining activities. Across the table is Richard Fitoussi a Canadian journalist and International Project Manager of CAMBODIA LAND MINE MUSEUM RELIEF Fund

Lisa McCoy, all around maven of good works, and Naret, try to pinpoint the sites of the various on-going efforts of Project Enlighten in the Bakong locale. See Lisa's AMAZING blog at http://schoolsforcambodia.blogspot.com/

Naret effectively fills the role of the indispensible translator and coordinator (along with Yarann and Saeng) for projects such as Micro Lending, the Cow Project, and now the Bike Project that serve the villiage of Bakong. Ronnie has also undertaken a major project of building a technical college (BTC) with lots and lots of potential to affect the lives of these folks. The Cambodian people "get it" that education is their future.

Canadian Jay Harrison, a Rotarian, consults with Mr. Tough, principal of the free school at Volunteer Development Children's Association Cambodia on the edge of Siem Reap town near the temples.

Linda Harrison, visiting from Canada with her husband handing out shoes for village kids (and adults) Linda, a nurse, was also able to utilize her considerable health care skills in several other endeavors during their 2 week stay.

Sim Sao, designated #1 tuk tuk driver for Project Enlighten enjoys bringing visitors to his home village of Pongro in Kantreng Commune. Sao was a very young survivor of the Khmer Rouge genocide. He lost his identity in that he never knew his parent's names--so he didn't know who he was. He has a family now and a purpose. He heads up TukTuks for Peace.

At Sao's village we are priveledged to meet his beautiful wife and 9 month old daughter.

Next door (actually across the road) from Yimsut Suites, while out walking, we met this young couple enjoying their newly born son. Their pride and happiness were contagious. I love this photo for capturing their evident joy.

Keith's painful joints became more and more aggrivated and we finally had to admit that we needed to be in a slightly more convenient location. So, we called on our tour guide from 5 years ago, Srun Sopheak. He helped us relocate and also to revisit some of the great ruins we'd been wanting to see again.

Mr. T. was still the driver for Sopheak. It has been a slow year since tourism generally is down. However, there are more and more Korean, Japanese, and Chinese tourists these days which is a good thing.

Sopheak's family: Tarro, (age 7) Naret, and Vichea, (age 3.) Join us on our last night. The Pizza parlor next door to our hotel had a playground setup for kids which was roundly enjoyed by the boys and we got a chance to say good-bye.

Cambodia is Complicated Feb 15 - March 6: "On the Street Where We Lived"

2009-03-23T21:56:00.001-07:00

This charming site was rather an anomaly and a little anachronistic.
Don't get the wrong impression. Siem Reap is no "horse and buggy" town.
It is a bustling, vibrant, amazing city! We were here 5 years ago, and it has
vastly changed. Because of the tourism for the ancient temples of Angkor,
it has quite exploded -- especially with high-end resort hotels.

We were fortunate enough to have learned through a
friend about a Cambonian-American couple who had a
guest house available a couple of miles from the center
of old town. Here is the dirt road in front of the place
where we spent the first two weeks. It was a neighborhood
of wonderful variety. We really felt we were allowed to
see a part of what living in Siem Reap would be like.

Here is the first flight of stairs to our third story room.
I had a wonderfully long phone conversation at its top
one day when my son phoned from Brussels. Unfortunately,
Keith acquired some mobility problems and these quickly
became problematic. Ah, to be young again . . . .

The third floor with an overview of the big high school.
Always there were at least 2 or 3 soccer (excuse me: football)
games going on if there was any daylight at all. This veranda
was shared with one other guest room (the suite) occupied by
a Canadian woman who was involved with several NGO's
(more about Lisa later). Internet was by a pre-paid card and
connectivity was spotty at best.

I loved Somali's laundry domain here. She stays with the family
of Yarann and Saeng who live on the ground floor with their daughters.
Yarann is the cousin of Ronnie Yimsut, the owner. All of these folks
are very involved with small NGO's trying to help the Cambodian
people improve their lives as they recover from a generation
of war and genocide.

One interesting feature of this neighborhood was the prevalence of
numerous "private" schools. (Small crowded desks or benches with a
single white board or green chalk board. These are attended in addition
to the public schools. It is said the kids love school here. I tend to
believe it if attendance is any indicator. Of course, I couldn't tell
how many did not go to school. It was suggested that some
teachers deliberately omit some necessary part of their subject
so students must take a private lesson to complete the curriculum.
It is true teachers are not particularly well paid.

In Thailand gasoline for motorbikes was stored in
soda bottles. Cambodia goes for whiskey bottles.

The University of South East Asia is a few short blocks
away at the paved street that took us west into town. It was
just a wee bit too far to walk in the heat of the day, so
we rented some bikes that helped us get around. It was
still best in the early morning.

This is the turn off from the paved street onto
our little neighborhood. We enjoyed patronizing the
local stores. As much as we'd like, we couldn't quite
pull off being a "local," but folks were patient and
very friendly with us "barang"

Feb 14, Last Days in Thailand

2009-02-26T01:26:00.000-08:00

Tom and Tae take us to BKK where the new airport
was efficient, friendly (absent of protesters) and our
flight to Siem Reap went very smoothly.

Tom was a gracious and informative tour guide of
this Heritage Park "Ancient Siam" which featured
ALL of Thailand's history and then some. Very well
done and HUGE! She had also arranged a very
convenient hotel for us afterward and called for us
the next day to enjoy the cinema before the ride to
the airport. We certainly hope she can visit us in the
US some day so we can return the favor.

Waiting outside Yupadee's shop house and keeping company
with the newspaper lady while waiting for the pick up
from Tom and Tae. We're down to four bags. Wishing
Rotraud was around to give us a bad time about it tho.

The BanPong ferry is still running and an early morning
stroll allowed us to catch the photo on the nice still
river. A dinner conversation with Yupadee about possible
strategies to help clean up some of the litter on the river
bank led to her calling her brother, the mayor, which in
turn resulted in an effort of a pick up crew while we were
gone. It looked better.

During the two months we had been gone, Chinese
New Year happened and this festive decorating
of the town clock tower was a distinctive improvement.
We quite liked it in red and gold.

Feb 6. 2009 Last Days in Chiang Mai

2009-02-25T20:38:00.000-08:00

Hey Dottie! I finally got the photo of the inside of
the 2nd class sleeper train between Bangkok and Chiang Mai.
This one is going to Bangkok. The smoothest one yet. (Until
we got there to learn our connecting train to BanPong was
not running due to a closure of the line because of a derailing.
We ended up taking a taxi which while a bit pricey was probably
the most efficient.

This, our floating sky lantern, was sent up from the balcony of
our upstairs neighbor in a small ceremony with our sincere
wish for returning next fall.

The lovely pla mauk at the Sunday Night Walking Market!!
Yum!

We visit the new aquarium with a walk thru tunnel
and a shark stops by for a tummy scritch. We hardly
need to fit in a snorkeling trip, this seems so "in the water."

Chiang Mai University senior English students presented
their senior projects to which the public was invited. We
were privileged to see both a Pocahontas production as
well as Phantom of the Opera. Amazing!

Jan 31 An English Teacher in Her Element

2009-02-01T07:51:00.000-08:00

I decided to attend a locally held production of
Romeo and Juliet. Thai students have a happy habit
of engaging farang with "Hello, where you come from?"
It turned out these were freshmen from Chiang
Mai University also interested in Shakespeare.

This was a musical performance with some very
serious and compelling choreography. Here Father
Laurence counsels Romeo while school children
look on. It was in Thai of course, which gave it all
a remarkable flavor for my Thai-challenged ears.

Mercutio dies an elegant death. The staging was
masterfully done in this rather elegant theater.

Curtain calls, since there was no curtain, were quite
fun.

This budding actress was enjoying being photographed
by an appreciative farang. (foreigner)

Jan 26, When in Chiang Mai, You Do Elephants

2009-01-31T20:35:00.000-08:00

Chiang Mai is all about elephants. They are highly
revered and a source of pride. There is quite a lot
of controversy over they fact that since they are
no longer needed in the obsolete logging industry,
their livelihood has turned to entertaining -- it's
not the best of all possible worlds, but there seems
a sincere effort to provide many with a good and
healthy place to live as well as a means of self-support.

Ok, so teaching an elephant to paint for tourists may
be a bit of a stretch, but it could be a LOT worse. And
this guy has some talent.

They seem affectionate and it's hard not to anthropomorphize
that that is really a smile when their mouth corners turn upwards.

Each elephant gets his own lifelong mahout, who in
turn is truly proud of his charge. I've never seen
a female mahout . hmmmmm.?

Here is a very female and very pregnant female.
Gestation is some 22 months. Yes, the babies are cute!
They had better be after 22 months.

Jan 25, 45th Anniversary Serenade & Walk-About

2009-01-31T20:15:00.001-08:00

After ice cream, it was the Sunday Street market
which we prefer to the Night Bazaar because it is
attended by more locals, the vendors are less
aggressive and food shops seem fresher.
Here a farang practices bargaining for a Hmong
stitchery piece that caught her fancy.

Later at our regular Sunday afternoon Jazz in
the Park, Keith let it be known that today was
our anniversary for which we got a spontaneous
rendition of "Happy Birthday" It was great fun!
Then we went out for ice cream with a group of
Canadian visitors from our condo.

This was the house. We spent an hour lounging on
the deck in fascinating conversation about his life,
and future plans.
Keith promised to help him advertise to other
farang who would be staying longer and wanting
to be near nature.

We met a man who had a house to rent. He was a
teacher of English, a collector of antiques, a player of
tennis, and a singer of karoke. Quite a guy!

Walking in the neighborhood south of Wat U Mong, there
are no shortages of interesting sights. This hedge (and
garage covering) was vibrantly blooming.

Jan 22 A Few of Our Favorite Things About CM

2009-01-23T01:28:00.001-08:00

One of these wires is our internet connection. This
little office runs our unlimited high speed internet system at
a charge of 300 baht per month. (about $8.50)

Across town for a 60 baht song teaw ride, we can
enjoy these great musicians on Sunday evenings
during Jan. and Feb. They do a pretty good rendition
of "Ain't Misbehavin'"

Finally got a good light angle to get this of the entrance
to Chomdoi Condo (Interior view at this link) I've
already posted the sunrises. Despite the concrete
nature, we have been here nearly 6 weeks now and find
it just too convenient to move -- or NOT move asthecasemaybe.

Try not to look too closely at the green yolks and the
transparently brown whites, it TASTES really good.
These are the pink shelled fermented (30 days) eggs.
The ginger and shallots are an added treat.

Jan 22, Graduation Week at Chiang Mai University

2009-01-23T01:08:00.000-08:00

Something kind of cute about Purple and White as
colors of the university. The street vendors of floral
and stuffed animals were making a fortune.

The ever-present presence of this essential and
sometime elegant transportation was particularly
fun to watch this day. Often there were huge
floral bouquets clasped in the arms of the passenger.
You just had to smile! (tricky to photograph tho)

Poor photograph, but important to Thai people. The
Princess had come to hand out diplomas to the
graduates. That's her beige car in the center.

This was only one of hundreds of proud photographs
being taken at Chaing Mai University this week.

Wow! Fluttering flags, pretty girls, gorgeous flowers --
what a happy day for the eyes!

Jan 21, A Bit More of Phayao

2009-01-23T00:56:00.000-08:00

Well, not ALL the signage is Thai. And I guess there
IS an attempt to woo the tourist. Here I am all
wooed.

As we walked the lake edge on this morning after
our new president is official, these two young,
monks-in-training have come to watch the local
fishermen.

This lovely carving fragment, sitting among many in
the shadow of a venerable old tree, near the center of the
friendly wat previously mentioned, echos the
theme thereabouts -- the fish of Lake Phayao.

Our lunch! the local lake fish, stuffed with wads of
lemon grass, covered with coarse salt and bar-b-qued
over a roadside grill. Yum!

Jan. 20, Checking Out Phayao

2009-01-23T00:25:00.000-08:00

We made some kind of promise to ourselves to explore
a few of the more rural/remote corners of northern
Thailand as potential retirement settlements. However we
have begun to realize the merits of city living, possibly
because we do "rural/remote" in our other life in California.
Regardless, we take a 3 hour bus trip over a mountain and arrive
at Phayao for a looksee.

Phayao has much to commend. Here they have chosen
an especially good name to bestow upon this fine
soi of teak houses and a friendly wat.
To all my Susan friends: Gordon, Kohl, Kosis, Rogers, Hill,
and the list goes on . . . If you'd like a street named after
you, this is a good one.

The pride of the district is the fresh water lake, rather
large, full of fish (also rather large) and water hyacinths
from which the local handicraft product is made. There
is also a partially submerged temple ruin some
distance from the shore. You can take a leaky
boat out to it. We didn't do that.

There were plenty of good sitting rocks along the
shore among the shade trees.

Playing with the camera sighting through a hole in the
cement wall, you get an idea of the native flora.
Phayao is a town where tourism is only a distant concern.
Most of the signage is completely in Thai. We
kind of like that ---- until we need to communicate.
There was a very decent hotel just a block from
the bus station. The hotel was where we would watch
the inaugural address of President Obama.

A Bicycle Ride Through Some Residential Neighborhoods.

2009-01-17T17:43:00.001-08:00

Here is an ingenious use of recyclable bottles. It rather
looks like it has been here a while. Good on 'em!
We'd never have been able to see this kind of thing
on foot. Keith's sciatic nerve had been acting up so we
hesitated to rent the bikes, but it turned out to not be
a problem for his leg and a big help in getting to outlying
areas which we are so interested in doing. We need to
do it in Chiang Mai as well.

one of the bridges over Mae Wang was a "no automobiles"
bridge which made it nice for us timid bicyclists.

Crossing a bridge on our bikes rented from the
guesthouse, we came across this little scene where
the farmer was giving his livestock either a break
or a bath (or both) It was a cool day, but perhaps
they had been working hard.

These midget dragons were so cute, they were
almost cuddly.

Just a fun little arrangement somebody took
the trouble to do. Even corrugated
galvanized walls benefit from a little greenery.

Lampang's Market (One of Them)

2009-01-17T17:29:00.000-08:00

If you like curry, this would be heaven.

Ah, lemon grass! I wonder if it would grow in Mad River.

And there are stacks and stacks of eggs. There are
almost always brown. Later we learn about pink
(fermented 30 days) and white (salted 30 days)

These guys fit cozily in their little steamer boxes.
I've been noticing this arrangement at several other
towns in Thailand this trip. I'm not sure how they
are prepared or how they taste. They seem popular tho.

Realizing I hadn't taken my requisite "fish market
photo" in Thailand yet. It all started in 1999 in Tokyo.
Then of course: Bergen, Norway, New York, San Francisco,
Dubai --all those fishy places. Here we are eyeing
the squid (pla mouk) At least they don't "eye" back.
Maybe we can find a restaurant that will serve it
later that evening -- stay tuned.

Jan. 13, Lampang - a Smaller City Day 1

2009-01-17T17:08:00.000-08:00

A section of the old town has a street with these
architectural prizes -- a mix of old Lanna and Chinese.

A REALLY yummy Thai restaurant -- also called
Riverside. I don't think they share anything with
the guest house other than the name and a good
reputation -- earned and deserved. I was enjoying
probably the most tasty mushroom omelet in the world:
just FULL of my favorite Thai flavors --
lemon grass, lime leaves and basil!

A view of Riverside Guest House from across the
river. You can't miss the wildly blooming bougainvillea.

The view from our veranda of the river over
the wildly blooming bougainvillea. The weather
was lowest in a decade. Keith had to buy a shirt
with sleeves and we needed that extra blanket.

Was glad I had phoned ahead for a room at this
popular guesthouse. It turned out to be rather
full and busy. We met some very interesting
folks. Fellow travelers do tend to have interesting
experiences.

First Week of 2009 - Small Things We're Getting Used To

2009-01-17T16:47:00.000-08:00

The best mornings begin around a Skype conversation
with our 3.5 year old granddaughter. She usually shows
us her guinea pigs and her latest drawings.

What has come to be our favorite lunch spot. "The
noodle shop in the soi" He cooks, she washes dishes and
they seem to have done alright for themselves. Witness
the rather nice (by our standards) little house.
With a half dozen tables and a tasty product, they are
seldom without customers. But at less than a dollar
per serving, one wonders how they do it.

A Sunday afternoon Jazz in the Park led to this
encore Christmas program across town. Many of
the Payup University Jazz Band members had to
leave early for their commitment with this event.
We went also, catching the last of the mass at Sacred
Heart Catholic Church. I chose the harp pictures
for our Bridgeville friends and devoted harpists, Lynne
and Michael

At the zoo, the ever graceful giraffes are my favorite. Probably
because they are Anya's all-time, very favorite animal.

We had been telling our granddaughter, Anya that
we would be going to the zoo soon. Chaing Mai has
a pretty nice zoo (as zoo's go) For more photos, see
our Picasa web page. I paid 10 baht for some carrots
and sweet potatoes which quite interested this beastie.

I am able to get up enough nerve to approach an
optical shop for an exam and new glasses. It was
a very pleasant and easy experience and of course
the best part was the price. The exam, new frames
with progressive and chromatic lenses for under
$140US. The real treat was that the prescription
had changed enough since my last pair 7 years ago
that I can now see distances a great deal better.

New Year's Eve 2008

2009-01-09T19:06:00.001-08:00

Our interest in photographing them led to an invitation
to participate -- something we rarely turn down.
Great local fun. We returned to our condhotel room to
watch the rest of the evening's celebration from our window.
The sky lanterns were randomly released over the next
3 hours while the world here waited for 2009 or 2552.
The midnight culmination was probably the most amazing
one I've seen in the last 67 years. Check out our Picasa web
album if you haven't already.

Following the pageant, we walked up the soi a ways to
where some families were lighting their krathong -- a sort
of paper hot air balloon. They are set aloft by the
thousands across the city and make a most awesome
display. AND they're biodegradable - or so we are told.
It's a big deal for the kids. You gotta love the little
gal and her high heels for the occasion.

The highlight was a most wonderful beauty pageant.
It featured the "mature women" from the soi. We
were not able to understand all of what was going on,
but some appeared to be in native garb. There were
individual introductions and LOTS of applause.

Then we moseyed over to the neighborhood soi
where we had earlier seen they were erecting a
stage for some kind of event. The revelry had
already begun and the happy ladies presented
us each with a cone hat for the festivities.

The evening began with an extravagant spread
at our little sushi spot in the next block from the
condo. We really splurged for a whopping
$8.53 USD. This is just the first course. It was
the beer that pushed the tab so high.

Dec. 29, Lampuhn is just an Hour Away

2009-01-07T16:19:00.001-08:00

The entrance to the covered bridge of shops stuffed
with local hand crafts and products. Move over Coldwater Creek!

Can't you just hear him crowing?
. . . and crowing! . . . . and crowing !!!! All night long, I'll bet.

The theme of the main temple, Wat Phra Haripunchai,
seemed to be chickens. Possibly some important person
was born in the year of the chicken, but there are
a couple of awesome rooster statues.

One of the lovely huge trees lining the river side
of the moat.

Dec 29 - Just an Hour's Bus Ride Away - Nampuhn

2009-01-07T15:39:00.000-08:00

What this trip was supposed to be about was checking
into small town places with potential to set up housekeeping for
a few months at a time. We found that without language
skills or a means of transportation, we were ill-prepared
to do much searching on our own. We walked some
side streets of town and actually found an empty
house. Realizing that there was only so much
walking we could do, we had to give up, find a lunch,
and act more like simple tourists.

Crossing the covered bridge we came upon this temple
sponsored community weaving cooperative. The few
ladies there that day were justly proud of their
products. Their friendliness and smiles were great fun.
I had been fighting my addiction for buying textiles
of any kind just because I didn't want this trip to be
about buying, but succumbed in this instance.

A couple of blocks away was a pleasant water feature
that seemed to be the object of some development, care and effort
on the part of the municipality.

These little guys were more than tiny, they were tenacious
and yet they seemed a little tenuous tucked in their little crevice
cracks at the base of the tall stupa.

Lampuhn is home to one of the 8 most
important temples in the country. It was
clearly very popular given the sheer number
of visitors this day. It was also just a pleasant
place to be. This is the first of our forays
into nearby towns to try to get a sense
of their potential for "life as we'd like
to know it."

Dec 25 - Wat U Mong - The Forest Temple (Read from bottom up)

2009-01-02T01:57:00.000-08:00

A thoroughly modern sign announces the site of
Wat Umong.

At the end of our visit, we came upon this artificial pond, the island
of which was being remodeled. There were huge catfish one
could feed, and turtles as well as cats that seemed to belong
to the cottages lining the perimeter of the pond.

Near the chedi against the jungle backdrop is this
emaciated depiction of the Lord Buddha. This style,
showing him during his fasting period was popular
for about a century at one time, but there are not
many around anymore.

The principle chedi was quite large and one wondered at
the weight of it over the tunnels. There was also the
remnants of a former honey bee colony near the top. Now
that would be a place left undisturbed!

A number of tablets were leaned against the outside of the "Spiritual
Theater"building wherein were murals painted in the 60's by
monks depicting Dhamma lessons, allegories and metaphors.

Dec 25 - My New Favorite Temple in Chiang Mai

2009-01-02T01:18:00.000-08:00

Yet another fun feature of Wat U Mong is that it seems
to be the place where broken Buddha images are taken
when they are no longer wanted. There were ancient heads
like these as well as recent plastic hello kitties. Well, you
can't just throw them in the trash!

Another delight were the frequent and randomly placed
words of wisdom tucked away in quiet little corners
throughout the temple grounds. I loved that some
were in English.

There were really ancient pictures painted on some
of the walls. These date from the 14th century and
are in such good condition largely because the wat
had been abandoned for centuries. It wasn't until
the 40's that it was reinstated and became a monastic
community again in the 1960's.

The second best thing about this wat is the
tunnel system under the main chedi. Legend
has it that the tunnels were built for a popular,
charismatic monk who was also a little crazy. This
kept him from wandering.

Probably the most obvious reason I liked
this temple was that it was situated in a forest
and yet still near the university and the rest
of the city. It was good to be in the green and
shady coolness. We arrived early by song
theauw and were awed at the stillness and
sense of antiquity.

Dec 23 Saying good-bye to Once and Future Traveling Buddies

2008-12-30T20:41:00.001-08:00

This is my choice for a parting photo to remember them by.
The fantasy is to get together here again next year.
hmmmmmm. Or at least in the states somewhere.
California? Texas?

A farewell meal at Chiang Mai's Blue Diamond
restaurant. We'll miss their fun perspective and
great conversations.

Here is a quick photo from the song theauw on the way
back to Chiang Mai. Rice harvest time is pretty much
over for the year in this area.

Only a couple of engineers (and Keith) would study at great length
the mineral content score of the hot spring's baths.

Watching kids play in the warm pool at SamKaphaeng
Hot Springs was altogether almost too fun to leave.
This was also our last day before the couple with whom we
had spent several recent outings were scheduled
to leave for Luang Prabang -- and points beyond.

Dec 23 Recipe for How to Boil and Egg

2008-12-30T20:08:00.000-08:00

Ever see a monument to the egg? I sure hope they
recycle the little baskets. It all made it seem closer
to Easter than the actual two days from Christmas.

Further downstream where the 105 degrees began to
cool a bit, were places where we could sit and soak
our feet. Many folks were enjoying the relaxing waters.

Just downstream from the geyser is this hot water tank with
hooks from which you hang your little basket of eggs. There
is a sign nearby that tells you how long to leave them in.
"3 min - soft boil, 9 min. half done, 15 min well done 105 degrees."
It must have been a cool day (it WAS December) because
after 30 min, it was only half done. We ate them
anyway -- well, 3 out of 4 of us did. I preferred the local
food shop version of som tam thai with sticky rice.

James, Irama and I check out the mechanics of what's
happening to the natural geyser. It is capped with
a pipe of the correct diameter to allow for a spectacular
spout. It's constant so no ETA is needed - unlike Old Faithful.

17.5 miles east of Chiang Mai (20 km east of SamKhampang)
are these hot spring geysers. This is a popular place for Thai
families. We saw very few farang this day, but many Thai
people enjoying the warm waters, public mineral baths,
and boiling eggs.

Dec 22 Temple Doi Suthep - the pride of Chiang Mai (one of them)

2008-12-28T15:43:00.000-08:00

And mine is the standing Friday Buddha.
Want to know what yours is?

Each day of the week has a governing
Buddha image. Here is Keith's which is
the Thursday Buddha.

Lots of things to talk about as we put our shoes
back on.

Irama gets a good shot of the worshipers surrounding
the central chedhi, a 16th century gold covered extension
of the original. The four multi-tiered gold leafed filigree
umbrellas at the corners, are very important for Thai families.

Elephants, Elephants, Elephants! These handsome
beasts are the base of the lampposts throughout
the temple grounds.

Sorry - (couldn't resist) More photos of the Royal Garden

2008-12-28T15:31:00.003-08:00

I guess every culture might have its own version
of the monument pole. "Bauta" in Norsk. These
Thai versions were intricately carved with culturally
significant symbols.

The water reservoir was nicely done. The dancing aerators
were set to music -- a bit anachronistic, but not unpleasant.
You only had to accept where you were. Functional for sure.

But there WAS this little guy at the base of the giant
bamboo. He seemed intent on climbing and climbing, but then
he fell back down. We named him Sysiphus.

Just a colorful shot. . . .and then there were roses galore.
Too many to photograph actually. So I didn't.

What is it with engineers? Irama and Keith puzzle over
the map of the gardens. James shrugs with patience.

2008-12-28T15:31:00.001-08:00

Dec 22 The Garden at the Royal Palace - James and Irama come to visit and we go out

2008-12-28T14:59:00.000-08:00

The bamboo is big here too. The guys are only
there to give scale to the poles.

Then there is the requisite photo op before the
gorgeous orchids.

I want a job like this!

Peg was rather excited about the size of the Poinsettia
trees. Irama, a native of Indonesia, was only Ho-hum.
Apparently they grow that way in the tropics.

Catching a song taeuw (or however you spell it) out
to the gardens at the Royal Palace which is some distance
up Doi Suthep mountain just beyond the favored local
temple by the same name, proved to make the most
sense if we just hired the driver for the afternoon. That
way, he could wait for us, take us to the gardens AND the temple
and we'd have a ride home. The driver thought it
was a good idea too. 500 baht for him and we split
$US15+four ways. Very OK!

Dec 21 From Tourist Town to Residence Condo -- Surprise!

2008-12-26T05:43:00.001-08:00

6:00 AM and "the dawn comes up like thunder ..."
over the city. We also have ring side seats for the
fireworks that seem frequent and usually for reasons
unknown to us. Thai people just like fireworks.

Note: I know we wrote to many of you that we would
be spending Christmas in Cambodia. Obviously our plans
changed. What happened was our friend, Roger who was
to be our leader on the adventure, was hurt in an
accident as his school. He fell over a student on the stairs
and was banged up enough that he did not feel up to
traveling. So we decided to become residents of Chiang Mai
instead of tourists, and we took up residence at the
Chondoi Condohotel. The cost was reasonable enough
that we could afford to keep it as a base and travel out
from there. Roger is getting better and x-rays said nothing
was broken.

Stepping off the quick elevator and in only a few steps
we are at our door on the 12th floor. This will also
be a test of how we really like condo living - the kind of
thing we threaten ourselves with when yardwork and house
maintenance get too troubling. We are pretty sure
we won't like it. ...and No birds sing, well, not much but we do have a gecko.
But no mosquitos as they can't fly up 12 stories.

And of course there is high speed internet. We can
continue to skype Anya with webcam and generally
research places and traveling. We did not know then
that there would be a significant temptation to just
stay "home" and pretend we live here. Several other ex-pats
reside here, but most neighbors are Thai grad students
as this is near the university. And AWAY from the tourist scene.

While I was dyeing with the ladies, Keith took care of
the business of renting a condo for a month. We had
decided it only made sense. We saw it as an opportunity
to keep an inexpensive place from which we could afford
to explore about the country and still come back to.

We, "The Girls" --acquaintances of like-minded ladies:
Irama from Indonesia via Texas and Erica from Austria
via Sweden took a day together and signed up for a happy
Batik class offered by a local artist in her home. Such
good instruction and materials that it was impossible to
make a poor product.

Dec 20 When in a Tourist Town,. . . . . you do as the tourists do.

2008-12-26T05:09:00.000-08:00

Late December in a city that caters to tourists
comes replete with Christmas symbols but many of
these lights are all year events.

I found these bamboo umbrella struts drying in the
sun rather charming.

Heading out of town a bit to see some of the handicrafts,
a few of us accept a ride from a relative of the hotel
management to where she works stopping at a few other
shops on the way back.

It was still a vibrant and fun place to be. This family
seems at home and enjoying a very clever means of
transport. You can also get an idea of how narrow the
streets are.

This movable feast of oranges is the kind of thing
you'll see making its way along the narrow streets of
old town Chiang Mai inside the old wall and its defining
moat. Our little NE corner was only one of several
guest house/trekker catering neighborhoods. While
it was considerably less crowded than normal (so we
were told) due to economic and political issues it still seemed
very gringoized to us. When the menus are ONLY in
English, there's something not quite right.

Dec 14 There's More to Chiang Mai

2008-12-26T00:32:00.001-08:00

The Sunday night market (not to be confused with
the other night market) was an amazing and crowded
place. Here this excellent sushi was enjoyed at the feet
of the three kings while watching local community
theater groups give a rendition of something we had absolutely
no clue about.

a corner market where it is possible to find nearly
everything. With a fridge in our room, we could
keep a good supply of fruit.

The Three Kings monument and landmark had an additional meaning
during this holiday season. Religion aside,
you must admit these are handsome fellows.

At another wat, the elephants are getting a bath. We
wonder if the light yellow monk garb signifies novice monks,
and his toothbrush duty some kind of merit making task.

My favorite chedi from last time, the Chedi Luong.
I love the elephant's halves that are stepping out
to challenge intruders. Apparently the large portion
missing from the top was a victim of an earthquake in
the 15th century. Some sources say it was from cannon
fire in 1775 when it was recaptured from the Burmese.
Keith insisted on a monk chat. It was pleasant -
our monk was an authority on British poetry.

Dec 13 Getting to Know Chiang Mai

2008-12-26T00:06:00.001-08:00

Dec 12 Making a Small Move

2008-12-25T01:58:00.000-08:00

Our new neighborhood had considerably more
population density. Family life spilled out on the sidewalks.
Indeed the corner laundry lady's little boy was doing
his homework when we came to pick up our laundry.

We got into a silly pattern of photographing elephants for
our granddaughter, Anya, who seemed pleased to see
them. There certainly was a variety.
This life-sized guy was quite glittery.

Of course there was the requisite neighborhood walkabouts
to explore the numerous wats.

Here for an additional $10/night we had really good
high speed wi-fi and could contact family and catch up
with other correspondence and planning.

As much as we liked the setting of Je T'ame we reluctantly
had to admit that we needed access to internet. So,
turning our backs on this 200 baht/night room (about 6$US)
we moved into the old city environs inside the moat to
another residence house.

Dec 9-11 Chiang Mai - settling in

2008-12-25T01:08:00.000-08:00

Other features of Wat Ket Karam include a resident
gray and white cat unbelievably clad in a red and white
santa suit. To protect him from the frigid 70 degree
winter I guess. There was also a strangely misplaced
Maniken Pis, albeit a terra cotta version.

This handsome Naga and mythological gecko-like
critters lining apsara door decor were residents of the
neighborhood Wat Ket Karam, an especially
fun wat as they housed a drum museum and local boys
were pounding out some pretty powerful rythms on
genuinely traditional instruments.

Here at the corner of the flower market are the red
song teaws that proved to be the main mode of
getting around CM. They have a good bus system, but
no one seems to use it. Tuk Tuks are also common.

The walk to the "action" was along west bank of
the River Mae Ping. She is a broad river with tourist
boats going and coming. The Warorot Market and the
flower market as well as the famed night markets, were
just across the nearest bridge.

The courtyard of the restful and lovely Je T'ame
GH in Chiang Mai looking toward our very pleasant
room. The innkeeper was a very kind and serene lady who
made us welcome even at a way too early hour.
The train had arrived at 5:30 AM, but we managed
to stall the song teauw driver for a few hours before
taking us there. The location was a bit away from
the concentrated old-city/tourist scene, yet close enough
for a nice walk to get there -- if we wanted. Which we
really didn't. We relished this chance to catch our breath
and collect ourselves.

Dec 8 Thai Rail Way Overnight to Chiang Mai - don't forget to read from the bottom-up

2008-12-24T16:24:00.000-08:00

Lots of nice rice fields in various states of growth cycles.
Our final sunset photo before turning in for the night
-- sorry Dottie, but we didn't get any photos of those
dramatic blue privacy curtains you and Amber
enjoyed. But thoroughly enjoyed the lullaby/rocking
of the train. It was comfortable and comforting.

From the window we caught sight of this monkey
community which seemed to be interested in the
passing train. Such a temptation to engage in
anthropomorphism.

Time for a photo before leaving the station. Our
seats were the last ones on the last car. It turned
into a rather cold night and these 2nd class seats
(approximately $15 US each) were a bit cold since
the windows didn't completely close.

I was recruited to help these students with their
English. They were on their way to Chiang Mai for interviews
for admission to a university. I certainly felt right
at home. They were sweet, earnest, and hopeful.

The waiting area of Hualamphong Railway Station
in Bankok where we relaxed for a few hours while
awaiting the departure of the overnight train to
Chiang Mai. Yellow shirted helpers were everywhere
available to help travelers. We even saw one diplomatically
inform a scantily-clad gringo that she might want to
cover up a bit.

Dec 7 Last full day in BanPong - saying goodbye to favorites

2008-12-23T15:41:00.000-08:00

Our traditional evening walk along the river was a bit more
colorful than usual on this our last night before heading
north to Chiang Mai.

This happy lady was selling yummy sweet rice wrapped
in banana leaves. It's a good thing she didn't come
every day. I've already far exceeded my daily
calorie needs. But we have adopted the theory (yet
to be disproven) that everything green is good --
especially those neon green "noodles"

Will surely miss our favorite bar-b-qued chicken
place around the corner. They knew I preferred
the som tam thai (papaya salad) with no shrimp and
only one half a hot pepper and a packet of sticky rice
on the side. It always came with lots of smiles.

The lovely man had wonderful soy milk and and
other afternoon pick-me-ups and came right
to the door. He was very popular.

We spoke to Yupadee's advanced Sunday class
to give them exposure to native English speakers.
We were astounded at their comprehension and
the depth of their questions. How would you
answer "Can you tell me about the American lifestyle?
They even laughed at our jokes.

Dec 3 A Day in the Life of BanPong

2008-12-23T02:49:00.000-08:00

Yupadee's brother has just purchased this fine old historical
mansion and compound which once belonged to a very
successful Chinese gentleman. Their father had once been
in his employ. It will take some serious renovation, but it's
a beauty with much of the fine old teak still in good
condition.

Even little kids know the protocol for honoring
the ancestors and the spirits of the house. This
one at the dentist office afforded a particularly
charming example.

Lunch with Jing at a riverside food shop near
her hospital.

A walk through the market shows a nice rice variety.

The night of the smiley moon over BanPong.
December 1, a rare alignment of moon and planets
that was photographed from several locations
on earth, and engendered much excitement
throughout our town. In the US the positions
were such that it was a frowning face.

Dec 1 Of sandpiles and Cow races

2008-12-13T19:50:00.000-08:00

here cows are tied to a framework of poles and held
until needed for the event. It was a colorful, "lubricated"
mostly-guys event -- not unlike the Ruth Rodeo in many
respects.

We tried but were totally unable to fathom the
mechanics of the contest. It had something to
do with lining up and tying some 10 cows who ran
concentrically around a pole. Only the outside
2 cows were in the contest, the remaining 8 were
something along the line of "spaceholders"

Later that evening, we were invited to the home of
Jid's (the housekeeper) son-in-law where a local
cow race was to be held. Cows were being trucked
from neighboring farms and prepared for the night's
contests. This farmer was especially proud of
his cow and wanted a picture taken.

Here we watch the dredges come to the staging area.
There are several an hour, the sand is dumped into
shallow water and vacuumed hydraulically onto
belts that carry it to the pile.

Yupadee's brother owns some serious sand mining
operations to the north of town.
For many years they have been dredging sand from
the local landscape. There are now huge fresh
water lakes as deep as 14 story houses.
To say they have altered the ecology is an understatement.

Nov. 30 - Making merit with 1500 monks

2008-12-13T03:34:00.000-08:00

Up at five to arrive at 6:00 with our baskets full of
donations to the monks. Actually it will go to the
temples in the south we were told. I guess we believe it.

Numerous and assorted civic groups attend to show
their support. These nurse students are much like
those we taught 5 years ago. Of course all our
students have long since graduated.

The main street was closed and covered with
plastic in this highly organized and choreographed
event. The 1500 monks were bussed in from Bangkok.
The public wore white.

Then they symbolically walked up the street and
down collecting donations from every person there.
The donations were placed in the monk's bowls which,
when full, were emptied into large plastic bags
handled by student soldiers in uniform. Later huge
trucks were loaded with the bags of noodles,
cans of sardines, and assorted foods. There was a
lot of rice which spilled and was enjoyed by the local birds.

Nov 29 Getting Down to Business

2008-12-13T03:02:00.000-08:00

Yupadee's two best 5th grade students are given
the task of teaching me some basic Thai language.
It's a stretch for this old brain, but they make it fun
and get a bit of English practice in the bargain. They
come twice a week for an hour. I learn numbers,
colors, time, foods, and how to say "I am lost."

Keith visits the kindly dentist who is also a good
friend of Yupadee's. With good directions from his
Fortuna dentist including some pointing, they were
able to communicate and a very fine appliance
was prepared.

3 weeks later, a new smile.

Thought you'd like to see the office front. Not fancy
but the work is quality. About one tenth of what it
would cost at home.

Nov.28 Bicycle day

2008-12-13T02:45:00.000-08:00

The view from our morning shower -- a cat curled
up in the awning between the rows of shop houses behind us.

Roger meets us on our bikes and takes us to
this nice river front restaurant.

Peg practices on Yupadee's town bike. It all comes back.

Keith is given several words of caution about using
this bike which belongs to Jing's brother. Ban Pong
traffic can be fearful if you are not used to it.

Nov. 27 Dedication of Family donation to Temple

2008-12-13T02:28:00.000-08:00

Yupadee's family commissioned this fine building
for their local temple. It will be used to house funeral
celebrations. It was made in the honor of their
father who died about 10 years ago and mother
who died 2 years ago.

Yupadee's younger sister, Wan and husband,
Pucket, from Bangkok.

The monks gave an inspiring chant. Both brother
Sombat and wife, NaPa, are seated in the front row.
The cat was there to keep order.

The morning started with a fancy dress parade
in front of our house. (apparently not related to
the family dedication) It seemed to feature several
schools of young kids. The little majorette in
the front will have some sore toes I think from
those big boots.

Nov 26. lunch near the orchid farm

2008-12-13T02:05:00.000-08:00

Peg's absolute favorite Thai dish: Som Tam Thai
(papaya salad without shrimp) and sticky rice. MMMM.

Across from Yupadee's school is an orchid farm.
The owner gave us a tour.

Yupadee's brother is mayor of the municipality
and lives here. Yupadee has started living here also.

Yupadee picks out the grilled fish. It was stuffed
with stalks of lemon grass. Very pleasant.

Nov 25 Bat caves and nearby temple

2008-12-13T01:51:00.000-08:00

at dusk every evening millions, yes that's millions,
of bats exit their cave over the period of an hour
and spend the night devouring mosquitos. Yay bats!

The requisite temple on a hill with breathtaking
panoramic countryside below.

This soapstone carving and two associate dragons
of the same ilk, graced the lovely cool teakwood
floor of the temple. Charming guys. Cuddly

More bells than you can shake a stick at. We did anyway.
Lovely sound. Relaxes the soul.

Nov. 21 visiting our old haunts and some new

2008-12-13T01:40:00.000-08:00

The new coffee shop where Susan's favorite noodle
shop used to be. Despite the extensive menu, they
only know how to make one kind of coffee so order
whatever you want as long as you will accept plain
strong black coffee.

Keith walks along the river with wat in the distance.

Yupadee selects some dragon fruit for our snacks

Peg practices Thai word "saparot" for pineapple
with the fruit vendor who comes each morning to
sit with the long term newspaper lady to exchange
stories.

Nov 19 Day one walkabout

2008-12-13T01:32:00.000-08:00

Enjoying a walk about the neighborhood, we
thought this little pink bike was way cute

A nice stroll by the river Mae Klong behind
the Chineese Temple

I like the old wooden house set among newer old houses.

Here is our favorite breakfast lady.
Her pad pak guy mit is pretty special.

Nov. 19 We arrive at BanPong

2008-12-13T01:19:00.000-08:00

Arriving at BanPong and the old familiar
elephant herd at the train station

Yupadee and Peg share the first of many
afternoon fruit breaks around the table where
many English idioms were explained. Yupadee
is a master English teacher and is in such
demand as an instructor that all her classes are full.

Here ia an outdoor shot of our humble little shop
house. Our room is the one just above on the right.

Yupadee's table of important photos. Her uniform
came when she achieved the honor of C-9 as an
English teacher. She never wears it, even when she could.

The Sleeper Train to Thailand

2008-11-30T23:18:00.000-08:00

A relieving celebratory dring upon clearing passport control and entering our beloved Thailand
This blog entry reads best from the bottom up. (this is what I dislike about blogging -- the sequencing)

Nearing the Thai border, we are aware of the added "protective" forces.

a few statuesque formations add visual interest

A lovely gaggle of ducks are frightened by the loud train

Keith catches a bit of a nap

and some familiar rubber trees

Ah, here comes the green -- a familiar rice paddy

But first a classic bit of new construction

Leaving the industrial city scape behind and looking forward to some space and green

Peg gets settled in the seats in preparation for the 14 hour overnight train ride into Thailand

A photo of Keith as we leave the ferry and walk the ramps to the very convenient train station.

crossing the ferry from Georgetown back to the mainland and Butterworth

Summarizing Georgetown

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This crumbling but obviously once elegant structure says it all.

Busses, clean, spacious, and efficient.

Fairly crowded. Too many people for the limited space has created stresses on the resources and infrastructure.

Large almost clannish populations of Chinese, Indian and Malay.

We are glad to have been here. It is a fine introduction to Malaysia as is not so huge as Singapore or Kuala Lampur.

The food alone was worth it.

Bussing Around the Island - Penang

2008-11-30T22:46:00.000-08:00

We've really become fond of this little neighborhood in the older part of Georgetown and begin to wonder what else might be farther afield. Getting acquainted with the regional bus system seemed the first step. The hotel desk clerks directed us to main bus terminal at the tallest building in town. The route took us unexpectedly through the Sunday market.

After considerable confusion, we finally found our correct bus to head toward the northern beaches and the interior part of the island.

We disembarked the first bus at the Butterfly Farm sign and decided we might be in a little place a local had told us about which was a pleasant and friendly Muslim community. We found a very friendly fellow at what looked like a popular eating place who helped us decide on the specialties of the place.

We passed on the Tropical Fruit Farm because we were concerned about uphill walking only to learn later that we should have gone because that was not a problem.

Two more busses and we were back "home".

Food, food, fabulous food!

2008-11-16T23:52:00.000-08:00

Keith gets a lesson in preparing lok lok -- fish on a stick from a myriad of fresh and flavorful choices. (not to be confused with fish sticks)

Here a stand featuring rojak provided an enjoyable experience. You select from the various meats, breads, fish, vegetables and fruits. Then it is taken behind the counter and chopped to bits whereupon a lovely sweet and spicy sauce is spread all over. Very good and lots of fun. Next time I will chose more cucumber and fresh pineapple and less fried bread.

At a very muslim corner of the island some distance from Georgetown, we asked the waiter for a recommendation and were offered these lovely breads baked thin on a griddle and then one was rolled into a long tube and served with assorted dipping sauces. Yum~

Penang quite prides itself in the vast varieties of cuisine. Here we enjoy probably the best Indian meal we have ever or will ever have. The chef must be a genius to get the flavors so right and the ingredients so fresh. Passage Thru India
http://passagethruindia.org/

A bit of the neighborhood in Penang, Malaysia near our hotel

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This little gal is a very important part of her family-run business.

Row houses add pleasantness with greenery and there seemed a whole row here with a common interest in pretty porches

A very typical sidewalk scene. Stucco falling away from original brick, accents of the ubiquitous mold, cement stepping stones and a little greenery trying so hard.

Trishaw is a popular and friendly way to get around the old part of town.

Street scenes in the Neighborhood

2008-11-15T13:49:00.000-08:00

Asian lions have a mythology all their own here -- a nod to our European son who is also fond of lion staruary and carvings he has come across in another part of the planet.

Well global marketing has been here awile. According to the manager at the Levi store, Levi has been here since the beginning of time -- 25 years at least.

Corner market with ubiquitous Tiger beer banners. Tiger beer is ok we decide, but Belgium is better.

While I am fond of photographing old decaying architectural compositions, Keith seems drawn to drainage systems. Go figure.

First day walk to the ATM

2008-11-15T13:28:00.000-08:00

This is a famous house we will tour tomorrow. The people here in Panang (Georgetow) are quite proud of its World Heritage status. Justly so it seems.

A once stately colonial mansion, now guest house. Had seen it online and considered it for ourselves, but ended with Mingood which turned out to be a happy choice. Explanation to follow.

A handsome mosque with great history. The site was "granted" to the Sepoy soldiers (in service East India Company) by said company. Restored with funds of local community in 1958.

I found this little piece of architectural loveliness to be touchingly charming.

First morning in Georgetown

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I enjoy the roof top coffee/breakfast area. Most views in the city are marred by the "big guys" but you can get a glimpse of the sea between them.

Coffee outside on the morning after a good rain.

Really lovely blooms inthe potted arrangement.

the corner noodle and coffee shop - usually beneath a well-welcomed fan. Still aclimating to the heat we are.

A bit more of the 14 hr train to Butterworth

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This was much of what we saw: steamy jungles giving way to massive palm oil plantations. It reminds one of the vinyards of California. There is either a great market for what is produced or land owners THINK there is a great market for the product.

Yes, our car was this empty for most of the 14 hours. There was an hour of an family with 3 annoyingly rowdy little boys. The youngest running up and down the aisle dropping all the food trays at all the seats. He had a great time! grrrrr.

Typical street scene. Many folks waved and smiled. Not so much when it was raining. It was a very relaxing ride.

Coming up on Kuala Lampur which we opted to skip since we're not fond of great large metropolises (or is it metropolisii?)

Train from Singapore to Butterworth, Malaysia

2008-11-15T12:23:00.000-08:00

7:00 am at the Singapore train station. Peg is seated in foreground beneath very nice murals. We found a local (read: for locals) coffee shop with assorted "local" goodies to carry on for eating. No real idea what anything was. But we eventually ate everything except one chicken wing. It may have been green because of the spices, but we weren't sure enough. The bag coffee was fun.

Approaching the train for bording. We have done a pretty good job of traveling light, I think. For old folks on a 3 month trip anyway.

But we're sure not getting the photography right yet. Even forgot to take the camera yesterday when we saw most of what we were going to see of Singapore. The Thai Embassy, Orchard Road, some great food court, and some lovely old colonial buildings. The bus system is excellent as is the subway. The city was exceptionally clean as well. Good on 'em for banning chewing gum!

Settling in to our seats. We changed right away as soon as we saw there were few passengers, to forward facing seats with better window views. Keith dislikes looking where he has been. It's like reading right to left instead of left to right. Oh well -- at least we had an option.

Leaving California -- arriving Singapore via Hong Kong in a Hurry Nov. 10, 2008

2008-11-15T12:06:00.000-08:00

First leg was Arcata to San Francisco. If you look REALLY close, you can MAYBE see the Golden Gate Bridge

The requisite photo of the plane prior to departure. That's a LOT of supplies. It was a very full plane. Delayed an hour and 14 hr. flight to Hong Kong where the connection was tight.

The Sigapore airport was all that we had heard. Very modern and glitzy -- if a bit empty in these wee hous.

Empty but far from deserted, very efficient and smooth arrival process.

Background: The concept

2008-11-04T00:15:00.000-08:00

It's winter and Keith wants/needs to be warmer. It's election time in our country and we rather want/need to be elsewhere. We've talked of returning to Thailand ever since our Rotary International teaching tour in 2003. We made some good friends and enjoyed the country, but were keenly aware that there was much more to learn about Thailand. We wish to know what it would be like to be expats there (or thereabouts) -- at least part of the year. Add to these factors sufficient frequent flier miles and insufficient firewood for a Mad River winter, and it all falls into place.

2008-11-04T00:02:00.000-08:00

Getting ready: the Homework phase

2008-11-03T23:37:00.000-08:00

The heretofore empty luggage is filling up with clean underwear and probably too many shirts. Maps and travel books clutter the living room floor. Apples are drying everywhere to take for gifts. We're in countdown; it's one week exactly before we leave for Southeast Asia, and the cats are very nervous. .