Thai wrap-up

We've spent 8 nights at the Furama hotel in Chiang Mai in northern Thailand. 

The fifth floor pool

We've eaten every breakfast and most dinners at the hotel because the food and service are outstanding.  Thai people are outgoing and friendly and have treated us like royalty.

Our Maitre d'

The live entertainment

 The meals have been spectacular.  Thai food is creatively presented, flavourful and often, quite spicy. 




Spicy spring rolls-our appetizer




In our bathroom there is a hand-held shower hose beside the toilet. 

At first, we didn't know what it was for.  Then, Al found out.  Yup, it is a private fire hose for those spicy meals.  You've heard the geographical term, "Ring of Fire" which refers to the area in the Pacific where there are a number of active volcanoes.  Well, we have a new location for that term.  Al will think twice before ordering the spicy seafood salad again.  Our waiter did caution that it was spicy. 

No visit to Thailand is complete without having a Thai massage.  There are massage salons everywhere.  Al chose a foot massage.  It was $3 for half an hour.  What a deal. 

We watched a couple of people having the full body massage.  It looked painful.  These little Thai women were bending and cracking the bodies in ways they weren't meant to go.

Kim chose a different adventure-Garra Fish therapy.  Check the video.

The Thai greeting is the wai.  Everybody does the wai-even Ronald McDonald. 

We spent a day touring one of Thailands fourteen National Parks, Doi Inthanon National Park is a true jewel of natural beauty, consisting of rugged mountainous terrain blanketed by lush tropical forests and dotted with mighty rivers and majestic waterfalls. 

The highest peak in Thailand, Doi Inthanon rises to a height of 2565 meters (8, 415 feet) above sea level. This altitude means that temperatures on Doi Inthanon are refreshingly brisk year round and regularly dip below freezing during the cool season (October to February).

 The park's protected status makes it a sanctuary for a wide range of animal species and it is perhaps the best place in Thailand for bird watching. Approximately 362 different species of bird make their home in Doi Inthanon National Park, many of which are not found anywhere else in Thailand. The diversity of Doi Inthanon does not only extend to plant and animal species, however. The park has long been home to settlements of Northern Hilltribes as well.

Vachirathan Waterfall  at the Inthanon National Park



Rice paddies


Doi Inthanon is a popular destination for visitors to the region, not only for its natural beauty, but for its historical significance as well. Chedis (monuments) dedicated to Their Royal Majesties, The King and Queen, can be found atop the peak of the mountain. The gardens and temples were beautiful.

Our flight took off at 9:10 am and we're off to Kuala Lumpur, the capital city Malaysia.  It's nickname is KL but it's known as Asia's shopping destination.