Guest Blogger- Jodi

Hi All!

Sam is enthralled with a Stephen Hawkings documentary!

So you are stuck with a guest blogger with no skill :)

Already I have uploaded photos completely out of order

oops

So here it is - a brief tour of Thailand

In random order

Let's start with loofah - the stuff you might scrub yourself with in the shower.

It grows on trees!

Who knew?

Here is a picture from the 'Long Neck Tribe' of Northern Thailand. Beauty or tragedy? These girls and women are only able to hold their own heads up for a short period of time without the rings.

During the hikes, we came across dozens of spirit trees. They were dressed up and surrounded with offerings. The good news is that these trees would not be cut down.

Here is a picture of a water buffalo - mom with her young one. We saw them most frequently around the rice paddies.

Next is a close-up of an elephant doing something that AMAZED me. She picked up a stick, furled her trunk around it, then proceeded to scratch first her left temple, then her right. Once she was thoroughly scratched, she disposed of the stick. This was my first glimpse of the incredible intelligence of these massive animals.

No travel story is complete without a comment about the loo.

Here is a 'squatter' - common in Thailand.

Feet are placed on top, a balanced squat ensues, and a bucket of water is used to wash the whole thing off.

Enough on that topic!

Back to the elephants :)

The day at the elephant sanctuary was pure magic.

Elephants in Thailand form an important part of Thai history and culture. It is written that the night that Buddha's mom became pregnant with him, she had a vision of an elephant entering through her chest. Despite this, elephants are often mistreated. I can't repeat the stories of the elephants in this picture without crying....so let's just say they were rescued from horrid circumstances. They now live comfortably and have people devoted to their well-being.

The north of Thailand, Chang Rai province, borders Burma and Laos. In the hills live non-Thai people known collectively as 'the Hill Tribes'. Each group is ethnically distinct with their own languages, customs, beliefs, and was of dressing. Here is an example of weaving from the Akha tribe

In Kanchananburi province, the infamous Bridge over the River Kwai is found. A walk down the hillside to a small cave revealed this tribute to the Buddha.

Tributes to the Buddha were common in Thailand, and astonishingly beautiful.