A golden Buddha

I like the Buddha's expression in this statue.  I also like the textures and colours on the pillar and walls.  I think I took this at Wat Lam Chang - but what the wat - I'm not too sure, they do begin to merge into one another after time.

Good view at the Best View

 Curry with a view.  Last night I had dinner up at the "Best View", a restaurant overlooking school, with Bridget and Matt from APIS.
I always order the red curry - its great- and can now do so in Thai.
Great view from the deck overlooking school (the red roofs) and looking out to Doi Pui which I climbed last week with Emily.  The puff of smoke would be from the Doi Pui village.

Chicken? Pork? No thanks

Last week I showed the rotisserie chicken at Doi Pui.  This was on the BBQ grill next to the rotisserie.  I'm not sure what was on the skewers..... the insides of some animal!!!!

Sacred trees on the road to Lampang

The road from Lampang to Chiang Mai (at least for 15 km) is lined with these stately trees, each wrapped with orange fabric, making them sacred and safe from removal.

Apparently some people would like to widen the road, but The King was not happy with the idea, so they are still there.

One story is that the rulers of the region in the late 1800s were inspired by Napoleon, who planted plane trees for shade for his soldiers along the roadsides of France, to plant these trees along the roads leading out from Chiang Mai.

These are Yaaang Naa trees, that produce resin and some produce a poison sap - handy for arrow tips!

A lazy day on the river

Saturday afternoon was spent floating down the Ping River on tubes.  Great fun, a few beers, cool water, warm day, but not blazing hot. 

A great gang of young staff from APIS and yours truly. 

 

Mark, in the middle, is a true gentleman and came to save me when I was washed downstream trying to ford the river. Hilarity for all.

Cycling past the Friday Flowers

Its been too hot for me to be on the bicycle lately, but that hasn't stopped the locals.  I stopped to take this photo of the colourful trees (Flame Trees and Rachupruek Trees) on the road side and a local "bunch" rode by.  Chiang Mai is the cycling capital of Thailand and bunches are common on the hill, especially in the mornings and late afternoon, when it is marginally cooler.
Unfortunately three local cyclists, out on a group ride on  a major road, were killed earlier in the month by a drunk driver.

Authentic Som Tum

This lady has made many more Som Tum salads than me and hers was wonderful. This was at a roadside stall at Doi Inthanon.
You can see her husband, the chicken roaster in the background.
If you want to try some som tum at home here is a recipe from the Hair Bikers

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/recipes/10633141/Hairy-Bikers-Thai-green-papaya-salad-som-tum-recipe.html