First was the winter palace. It is actually still used by the royal family today. They usually come in February for a few weeks. We visited the grounds which were really amazingly beautiful. There were flowers everywhere. A fern garden, rose gardens, dancing fountains, giant bamboo garden, huge poinsettias, and orchids. We couldn't go in the palace itself, but it seemed like an extra large house. We thought the story of the fountains quite special. They were dedicated to the queen because the water gives life and cools its surrounding. She also gives life to her people and ensures their health and progress.
Next was the Hmong Hill Tribe village which was a bit of a farce. Our guide said that he didn't think there would be hill tribes in another ten years and I tend to agree with them. The site was just another village, but with so many shops that you couldn't see where the village was!There were a few people actually making some clothing or stitch work, but most of the items for sale were the same as you would find in the markets of Chiang Mai or Bangkok. There were a few examples of the tools that they once used. The girls had fun playing on a balance that would fill with water and tip, and as it came back down, it would have pounded grain. The girls decided that they should change the balance and keep the pole from tipping until the bucket end was completely filled with water. Then there were shouts of excitement as they let it go and ran to watch!
The other thing that we enjoyed in the village was getting dressed up in their clothing. For a dollar you could get yourself outfitted with jacket, skirt, belt, necklace and head dress. The girls loved it. Nadim and I got dressed up, but you'll have to pay to see those pictures! Pretty funny.
From the Hill Tribe Village, we went to Doi Suthep where there is a temple that is a Chiang Mai landmark. Apparently, 800 years ago, the king of Chiang Mai wanted to build a temple to house some holy relics. He loaded the relics on a white elephant and let it lead the way to the appointed spot (white elephants are considered to be holy). The elephant climbed this hill and, at the top, it gave 3 loud trumpet sounds and then died of exhaustion. That spot was declared as the temple site. Seems a little strange, but in any case the location is beautiful. It is high in the mountains and the view was quite nice. You could see Chiang Mai city, but it was a little hazy because we were up so high.As for the wat, it was very nice, but we have now seen so many beautiful wats that we are less impressed by them! Seems funny that we can so quickly become immune to such beauty.
We had some lunch and then headed off to Tiger Kingdom. Here we purchased a pass to play with the newborn tigers for 15 minutes. They were just over two months old and were as playful as kittens. They would play quite hard and then fall over and sleep for a bit. Their fur was quite soft and they seemed to enjoy being patted and scratched under the chin.
After our turn with the cubs we watched some others playing with 4 or 5 month old tigers and some people even went in with the adult tigers. It was a bit sad because although the enclosures had some grass, they were quite small. Nadim had read that they are planning to expand and build larger enclosures, so we're hoping that this situation is only temporary.
Last on our list was on orchid farm. Some of the flowers were huge and many of them were bright blue, purple, or pink. It's interesting to see them growing. The roots just hang in the air. We are learning about plants and their importance in our home schooling lessons, so perhaps this could be considered a science field trip.
After touring we went out to Chez Marco for supper. I haven't had mashed potatoes for months, so that's what I ordered with my chicken in mushroom sauce. The food was really, really good, although the service wasn't the best. Everyone else was finished eating by the time mine finally arrived. Rather than stay there for dessert we decided to treat ourselves to Starbucks. I feel a little guilty about that because for the price of two coffees, hot chocolate for the kids and a couple of brownies to split, we could have fed 10 people. I can only justify it because it's our anniversary!
We had some lunch and then headed off to Tiger Kingdom. Here we purchased a pass to play with the newborn tigers for 15 minutes. They were just over two months old and were as playful as kittens. They would play quite hard and then fall over and sleep for a bit. Their fur was quite soft and they seemed to enjoy being patted and scratched under the chin.
After our turn with the cubs we watched some others playing with 4 or 5 month old tigers and some people even went in with the adult tigers. It was a bit sad because although the enclosures had some grass, they were quite small. Nadim had read that they are planning to expand and build larger enclosures, so we're hoping that this situation is only temporary.Last on our list was on orchid farm. Some of the flowers were huge and many of them were bright blue, purple, or pink. It's interesting to see them growing. The roots just hang in the air. We are learning about plants and their importance in our home schooling lessons, so perhaps this could be considered a science field trip.
After touring we went out to Chez Marco for supper. I haven't had mashed potatoes for months, so that's what I ordered with my chicken in mushroom sauce. The food was really, really good, although the service wasn't the best. Everyone else was finished eating by the time mine finally arrived. Rather than stay there for dessert we decided to treat ourselves to Starbucks. I feel a little guilty about that because for the price of two coffees, hot chocolate for the kids and a couple of brownies to split, we could have fed 10 people. I can only justify it because it's our anniversary!CM
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