Mom's WORLD JOURNAL Thailand Finally! I am so excited about Thailand and seeing my Mom who will be joining us for the next 12 days. We picked my Mom up at the airport and I was so glad to see her. It seemed like it had been forever and we had so much catching up to do. It was a great chance for Max and Mom to really get to know each other, it is always difficult for Grandparents when the grandkids live so far away and I knew my Mom was excited about her new roommate. Mom and I shared a bottle of wine in the lobby and chatted the night away. Thailand was one of the most difficult countries to plan since it is such a long and narrow county. Most people head to Chaing Mai in Northern Thailand, which is 12 hours by train from Bangkok, or to the beaches of Southern Thailand, which is also 12 hours by train from Bangkok. We quickly decided that we did not have enough time to do both, unless we wanted to spend lots of money traveling by air. So we chose Northern Thailand and rented a van to drive us for 5-days, then take a 7-hour night train to Chaing Mai and rent another driver to explore the hill tribes and sights along the way to Mae Hong Son. We explored Bangkok for two days. The big city was a welcomed change from Nepal, so was the regular toilet and hot water in the hotel! We walked the city only to find a Starbucks, the first we had seen since home. Yahoo! There was a "Grande Cappuccino" with my name on it! We grabbed a taxi and set out to see the Grande Palace and Wat Pho, but they were not open for tourists until afternoon. We walked around and were approached by a chatty Thai guy who told us about a gem center where you can get awesome deals on jewelry. We decided to go and before we knew it he had whistled for a tuk-tuk, a three-wheel vehicle that is part tricycle and part motorcycle. We hopped in the back and the next thing we knew…tuk-tuk trouble. The driver asked us to get out and sit on the bench while he fixed his tuk-tuk. He took the motor apart and another chatty gentleman approached us with lots of advice about what to do in the city. When we told him we were going to the gem center he looked astounded. He wanted to know how we heard of it and then preceded to show us, on paper, how there is no "middle-man" which allows them to sell for quite a deal. He said he worked for the U.N., but when my Mom inquired as to what he did for them, he said it was a long time ago. The tuk-tuk was fixed miraculously following our explanation and we were on our way. We got to the center where they gave us a drink, parked us in front of a video, marched us past the gem polishers and jewelry designers, and sent us to the showroom with two sale women attached to us like Velcro. The deals were not that great, the designs average and we left without buying. It was later that we realized that the "Chatty Thai Guys" worked for the center and the tuk-tuk was part of the act. Pretty cool lead generation program! After our gem experience and lunch, we returned to the Grande Palace and Wat Pho via a walk in the park. As we approached the park and little Thai boy ran up to my Mom and hugged her legs smiling up at her. They stared at us and smiled so we went over to the family who was enjoying a picnic. The mother handed me her 2-month old baby and was delighted that we came to visit. We continued our walk as the locals stared. The Grande Palace was still closed so we went to Wat Pho, the temple that is also a "world renown" massage school. The architecture is unlike any I have ever seen. Beautiful ornate pointed towers (Chettis) with raised designs of flowers made of tiny tiles rose high in the sky, mirror-studded temples electric in the setting sun, and Buddha collections with shining golden Buddha in lotus position decorated the temples. Wat Pho, which consists of several buildings and temples, also houses the largest reclining Buddha in the world. It was amazing and the golden Buddha filled the large building. Recognizing that we were running out of time, we scurried over to the massage temple to enjoy the cheap $5 per hour massage. Unfortunately the line was long and it was closing time…another day! We had a fabulous Thai dinner, walked the night bazaar filled with vendors selling genuine fake Rolex watches and turned in, ready to explore the next day. The Grande Palace was top on our list and was an amazing site. Golden temples, perfectly pruned grounds, bright flowers and wild statues greeted us as we entered the palace. Max enjoyed the weapons display and posing like the statues. Buddhist monks roamed the palace in their saffron-colored robes. Monks cannot be touched by women and jumped up when Mom got too close for a picture with them. She decided that a game of "Monk in the middle" could be fun if you had enough women to play. I can just picture it now! What fun! We leisurely explored the city, finalized our plans with the travel agent, ate Chinese food and headed back to the hotel. We left the next morning for Northern Thailand via a rented van and driver. Our fist stop was the famous "Bridge over River Kwai" built by the POWs in World War II. It is an amazing story but the site itself was average and tourist infested. We continued on our drive to Ayutaya, the Siamese Royal capitol, with several red brick historical monuments built hundreds of years ago. The Burmese defaced many of the Buddha statues during attack. It was wicked hot and we were glad to check in to our cool hotel. We decided to have Thai massages, 2-hours for $10 seemed like a reasonable deal, and order room service. Mark, Mom and I waited in the massage room with Zen style décor, all white with three equally spaced mattresses on the floor, waiting the meet our massage therapists. The three giggling therapists soon arrived and immediately went to work stretching our arms, pulling our legs, snapping our toes, leaning and sitting and pounding on us. They laughed the entire time speaking Thai until suddenly they blurted, "how old are you?" to my Mom. They were shocked when she told them, she looks so young! They then proceeded to comment about each body part as they analyzed us…strong legs, big butt, nice skin, and many comments about Mark in Thai of course, giggling the whole time. They had a huge crush on Mark (who could blame them) and would have gladly offered him the "Soup to Nuts Thai Massage", emphasis on the nuts, …but I saved him and now he is forever in my debt! The massage was incredible, best I have ever had! Massage, wine and dinner…a perfect entrée to great nights sleep! Next stop, Pitsanaluk, a small quiet town conveniently located on the way to Sukothai our next destination. We drove for six hours that day and were all a bit zoned. We stayed in a great hotel with another Thai show at night, more karaoke from beautiful girls with absolutely no voice talent! Mom and I shared some wine and watched the tables full of businessmen as they proceeded to fill the restaurant; we were the only women there. Prostitution is a major problem in Thailand, a major tourist attraction and boost to the economy, which prevents the government from doing much about it. Prostitution laced with a publicized AIDS epidemic is affecting tourism and the economy. Instead of reducing the number of prostitutes, they now recruit much younger girls (under 15) touting to the tourists that the girls are less likely to be infected, and it's working! In Bangkok, row after row of strip clubs line the market area downtown. From prom dresses to G-strings…they have it all! The Thai government claims they are cleaning it up, but I find that "difficult to swallow". But, enough about that…back to vacation! We spent the next day visiting the beautiful waterfalls in the national park as the Thais prepared for the Loi Krathong Festival, an annual celebration of the moon that we would celebrate the next evening in Sukothai. On our way we stopped for a cup of famous Rain Forest Coffee and discovered a hidden resort. Wild orchids, birds of paradise and flowers filled the resort, it was an absolute delight. We walked the grounds, enjoyed a the car traveling which left plenty of conversation time with my Mom. It was great having her. Max enjoyed her loving attention. "I want to sit by Grandmary", he exclaimed with a big smile at every meal. Mom and Max shared a room, bedtime stories, lots of inquiries and conversation and…some really stinky socks…did I forget to mention that his cleanliness skills were lacking? Sukhothai was Thailand's first capital and the Sukhothai kingdom is viewed as the golden age of Thai civilization. The kingdom was surrounded by two moats bridged by four gateways, which now house over 21 historical sites. Outside the walls are another 70 sites within 5 km. By the time we arrived in Sukhothai we had visited a billion "wats" and were not so easily impressed, but visiting the kingdom was certainly magical and the ruins well worth the excursion. We arrived at the start of the Loi Krathong festival, one of Thailand's most celebrated. It is celebrated on a chosen full moon night and hundreds of small boats made of banana leaves, candles, incense, and flowers are floated down the river. The center candle is lit and a wish made prior to it being sent down the river. If the candle blows out before the krathong is out-of-site, you will not get your wish, which is why the local boys are often paid to jump in the river and free the krathong should it get stuck. We picked out our favorite krathong, made our wish, lit the candle and watched as it slowly floated in the pond. My candle burned out immediately…so much for world peace! The festival was exciting! Loads of locals headed to the historical park with tons of generations packed in the back of their trucks. Max was yelling an exaggerated "HELLO" out the window and everyone would laugh! The traffic was thick and slow so we passed the same car several times. Each time they would crack up and giggle at Max, who loved it. Until we got to the festival that is! The Thai girls do everything possible to lighten their skin; even normal products like Oil of Olay contain "skin whitening agents". The girls loved Max's light skin and blonde hair. We were stopped by a group of teen-age girls that asked if they could take a picture with Max and as the picture was snapped, the girl kissed him on the cheek. He just died and we captured his first kiss on film, he was disgusted! Often as they passed him they would rub his arms and then rub their face to lighten their skin. The Thai people have a great warmth and sense of humor. The festival was crowded and packed with energy as the local vendors hawked everything from giant fried cockroaches to elegant gold. Half the fun was sampling the local food like sticky rice cooked and served in bamboo! Excellent! We spent most of the night at the festival enjoying the sites and fighting the crowd that got thicker as the night passed. We stretched our time since we were taking the 7-hour train to Chiang Mai, boarding at 1:30 a.m.! The train was decent, but the seats were quite uncomfortable and we all got little sleep, except for Mark who napped the entire trip. We tried to get a flight but they were all sold out due to "sunflower season" in the mountains. It appears that the locals drop everything and run for a blooming sunflower, so we were out of luck. We arrived with a travel hangover due to little rest but decided to explore the town after a good breakfast...and several cups of java! It was extremely hot and sticky and we all silently prayed for a cool breeze with no luck. We walked around Chiang Mai slipping into the various hip shops of silver and clothing, walked over the river and around the town until evening. Mark found a fabulous restaurant, Riverside Bar and Grill (we visited more then once!), with tables overlooking the water and fabulous Thai food. Curried Lobster, Pad Thai Noodles and Thai white wine made up for the long forgotten train ride north. We thought about a longboat ride down the river but after seeing the brown dirty water and makeshift bamboo boats, we decided to skip it. Chiang Mai, population under 200,000, is a modern cosmopolitan city ranked the ninth most livable Asian city and has over 300 temples. We certainly enjoyed the street names like "Hang Dong Street" which gave us a good laugh! The Night Market is incredible and a "must see" if you are in the neighborhood! Clothing, food, knick-knacks, hill tribe jewelry and the sorts. Grandmary found all sorts of goodies to take back to her friends and the grandkids! When she offered to buy something for Max he said "Are you sure you should buy it for me because you have spent a whole lot of money tonight?" More proof that he is Mark's child…sometimes I wonder who the mother is! The next evening, Mark and Max decided to walk the city, as Chang Mai was celebrating Loy Krathong that night, Mark and Max witnessed a fancy parade and a classic night full of fireworks while Mom and I had a fabulous 2-hour massage. I have NEVER had a massage so wonderful in all of my life and it was only $10! We stayed in Chiang Mai two days and decided to rent a car and driver to explore further north to Mae Hong Son, a 5-hour drive. We had a wonderful driver, named Tom, who drove the wicked winding road stopping at all the highlights and tourist attractions along the way. Our first stop was the Elephant Training Center, where we watched an amusing wonderful show! The elephants danced, played harmonicas with their trunks, played soccer, walked on two legs, performed a strip tease with their trunks and painted. The elephant babies were also involved and were so adorable! At the end, they walked over for treats…entire bunches of bananas and bamboo filled with treats. If you handed them some money to tip the trainer, they vacuum sucked it in their trunk and passed it back to the trainer. What fun! Next we visited the Butterfly Garden bright with colorful orchids but no butterflies, cocoon season! The Snake and Reptile Farm were next (YIKES!) and we watched the trainers tease the cobras and assorted scary snakes to make them fight. At one point they talked about the amazing flying snake and then tossed a rope in the audience, Max flew! One Japanese guy got so upset they actually apologized over the microphone, which made his embarrassment much worse! Poor dude…I cracked up! Did I forget to mention that the road to Mae Hong Son had over 1800 curves…BARF! Mom and I nearly lost it dozens of times, but they say we look good in green. It wound around and around and around again! I was so glad when we stopped! We had arranged to stay at The Fern Resort which was a little out of town. It was exceptionally green with small streams running throughout the property and bamboo pipes that made the most meditating Zen-like sound as the water transferred from one to another. We awoke to a beautiful day and a packed itinerary. In Mae Hong Son we visited the temple high on a hill overlooking the entire city. I spoke with a bald Buddhist monk wrapped in saffron-colored robes who stopped me to find out if we had a president yet! First stop outside Mae Hong Son, the Karin Refugee Camp, also known as the Longneck Tribe and the Big Ear Tribe. We followed a dusty dirt road through a river and arrived at their door. They are called the Longneck Tribe because the women wear heavy brass rinks around their necks. Only girls born on a full moon, thought to be a bad sign, wear the rings to fight the evil spirits. A ring is added each time a relative dies whether it be a brother or a second cousin and they cannot be removed until the girl is married. I watched as one girl bathed in the stream scrubbing the brass and wondered how you deal with a neck rash. The young girls wore six or seven rings and bright colorful clothing. The rings are extremely heavy and actually compress the rib cage to give the appearance of a longer neck. How can they have girls younger than Max do permanent harm to their bodies? Certainly they must realize that the original purpose for the rings was a myth. We visited the primary school, several rooms with tin walls in lean-to style, a chalkboard, and shabby desks and chairs. They were learning English, so Mark taught them the Gator theme song complete with the munching Gator hand movements. The kids loved it! The Big Ear Tribe was also a trip! You can put three fingers through their pierced ears…OUCH! From now on, I will only wear posts! On down the rough winding road, which I affectionately named "Barf Boulevard", we arrived at the Fish Cave, a well-managed clean park with wooden trails and alas…a fish cave. A tiny cave with giant Carp fish awaited us and Max enjoyed feeding the fish while we enjoyed the typos on the sign highlighting the "Crap" fish cave. Down a bit further was the Bat Caves, huge caves with squeaking bats hanging from the ceilings as the lamp-lit guide slowly pointed out the various stalagmites and stalactites inside the cave..."this looks like a snowman", "look a woman's breast"! The signs inside the cave were covered in smelly bat shit! I couldn't believe that my Mom remained calm, I just wanted out! We climbed up the steep stairs closer and closer to the bats, that's when I stepped in a puddle of something wearing my sandals…Nasty! Max and Mark loved it and raved about the awesome cave. Luckily for me, traveler's diarrhea kicked in and I was released early from bat class! Several hundred more curves and we were back in Chiang Mai eating at our favorite restaurant along the river. The next day was a short one. Mom and I gathered last minute gifts and we left for Bangkok, this time via airplane. We stayed by the airport since Mom was leaving at 6:00 a.m. for the long flight back to Colorado Springs. It was so wonderful having her with us and I did not want it to end, neither did Max. She was so patient with him getting ready in the morning. One morning she told him to brush his teeth and get ready, he went to the bathroom, closed the door and stayed for about 20-minutes. He then opened and said, "What was I supposed to do?" She just laughed. She brought him books and read with him each night, told him he was wonderful, and made him feel special. It is a wonderful feeling to watch your parents with your own children. I got so much joy from being with my Mom and watching the two of them together. A really special time that I will not forget! We had planned ton stay in Thailand for a month. We originally thought that we would go to northern Thailand with my Mom, take her back to Bangkok, and hit southern Thailand and do the beach thing. We had spent so much time in the sun, it was hot and we decided that we should do either Bali or Southern Thailand but not both. We chose Bali...and good thing we did since southern Thailand was hit with major flooding the next week.