4-11-11 As you know I was excited in March for summer break and all the adventures I would have. All destinations I went to and have told you about already were fabulous BUT this day and the three weeks that followed it may have been what I was most looking forward to; my parents coming to visit and explore my this year’s homeland. WELCOME MOM AND DAD!!!

After many emails with mom about getting snowed in and trying to contact Dad, who was coming from Europe, to inform him his meet up plan with mom had changed, they finally made it as a snowy pair to boiling hot Thailand to ring in the new year of 2554. We met in Chiang Mai to celebrate Song Kran as the Thai’s call it. Celebrating Song Kran in Chiang Mai for Thai’s is like American’s wanting to go to Time Square to watch the ball drop, it’s the place to be. Unlike our new year that lasts New Years Eve and into a day off from work for January 1^st, Song Kran is 3 days and people begin celebrating even before the official start date.

April 12^th To throw my parents right into Thailand I took them to a Temple (Wat). In order to get to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep we bartered with a Tuk Tuk driver, then had to change to get a sawng thao that took us up the mountain but before entering the Wat we had to climb 306 stairs. Speeding along in our Tuk Tuk we experienced the beginning of Song Kran by getting buckets of water splashed on us as we drove by trucks. Then once on the sawng tao Dad was a true local and hung off the back in order to dry out. Wat Doi Suthep is pretty beautiful. It is on the top of a mountain and looks out over all of Chiang Mai. The views were spectacular and it is a very decorated temple. Due to the holiday, the Wat was very crowded and had many shops.

 In the afternoon we rested and let jetlag finally catch up with mom which allowed dad and I to have some QFDT (quality father daughter time) over an amazing Greek dinner. We ended up taking mom back the next night too it was that good. Chiang Mai allowed us to eat foods from around the world including Thai, American, Greek and Indian food.

April 13^th was the official start date of Song Kran so mom, dad, Michelle and I spent the morning visiting a teak wat as well as Wat Chedi Luang that once held the emrald Buddha, just as we would go to church back home on New Year’s Day. They were both unique wats compared to the ones I had already visited. The rain came sprinkling in for the afternoon but that didn’t stop us from going out to celebrate the new year. We put on quick drying clothes and headed out ready to be soaked. First stop was a booth to buy water guns so that we wouldn’t only be getting blessed but could bless those around us. It wasn’t the most perfect day to celebrate the towns new year, the holiday that I think is really an excuse to have a city wide water fight. People put blocks of ice in 50 gallon buckets and fill it with water so for the rainy afternoon water fight gave us a chill. We still enjoyed soaking and getting soaked by strangers and welcomed water that people would scoop from the mucky moat as it was wormer than the ice water. We also watched a parade and when a Buddha float would go by people would sprinkle it with scented water. America doesn’t know what it’s missing!!!

April 14^th We were off on a little Thailand excursion. Escaping the wet of the city mom, dad, Michelle, Heather and I loaded a van early in the morning. We began the day by taking bamboo rafts down a tiny river. We could sit or stand on the rafts. I think Michelle, Heather and I had the most fun on our raft because we knew Thai and could joke around with our guide. We also opened up a splashing war with one of the other guides. As a result of our fun and joking relationship with our guides we also go to go through the rapids section of the river, which mom and dad had to walk around. It was a perfect way to start off a hot day. Next we were introduced to Elephants and loaded up onto their backs for a tour of the jungle. I got to “drive” our ellie. That’s the closest I will ever get to riding a bucking bronco. It’s quite a bumpy ride and we were on some pretty steep terrain but I enjoyed myself with lots of laughter and somehow managed to stay on. The little baby ellie was the most entertaining though. It liked taking many breaks to scratch its head on a tree or try to eat a vine that was still firmly connected to the ground. At the end of the ride when we were crossing the river the baby even took the time for a little bath and rolled around on its back fully immersed in the water. After our ride we fed them bananas, peel and all. Baby ellie thought dad was a new friend and went after him and gave him a firm flayful nudge with his trunk. Dad, thinking he’s mister tough guy, tried to push back but guess who won? 6 month old baby!!!!  In the afternoon we visited a hill tribe and saw women making scarves and dad played with the village pigs. (Maybe he really is an animal?!) We then “hiked” to a waterfall where we got to take a nice afternoon dunk. The current of the falls was pretty strong so we had to make a train to get close to the falls. Dad turned into a fish for the hour and scared mom and I by trying to swim up under the falls. He’s nuts!!!

April 15^th Today we are off on another adventure. It was an afternoon of zip lining through the jungle. We had the most wonderful group. There was a couple from Germany Volker and Angelee. Angelee the wife is Thai born and speaks 7 languages and is a hoot of a woman!! And the Durr family from England, Lisa, Blaise, Honey and Sapphir.  The parents met in Thailand and gave their girls Thai names and return to Thailand yearly on business. Despite Honey and Sapphire’s young ages they were quite brave at flying mock speed from tree to tree hundreds of feet off the ground. We had the most fun with them and had many laughs! Mom even did the superman zip line which everyone was impressed with. Unfortunately I couldn’t do it because I didn’t have a ring on the back of my chest harness that would allow me to clip into the line from my back. After being monkeys for the afternoon (dad enjoyed being in his native territory) we enjoyed a yummy curry dinner on the river. Once back in the city we took a long evening walk to the flower market that was closing down but still full of many varieties of flowers.

April 16^th We met the Durrs for breakfast at their hotel then enjoyed a lazy day to catch up from all of our adventures. Mom, Dad, and I went to the market. Mom and dad had never been to a Thai market before so this was a perfect place for them to get a taste of where Thai’s do their shopping. The smells were sweet and fresh from the fruit and stinky from the dried fish skins hanging for sale and the raw meat sitting juice on the table. Mom especially loved seeing all the fish and snake things in buckets!!! NOT! After our market visit we enjoyed time by the pool at our guesthouse and a nice afternoon to relax. Oh and we tried the durian fruit we bought at the market, it is supposed to stink but taste amazing. WRONG!!! It tastes like mushy rotten onions and garlic. It made our room stink for the rest of the day too! For dinner we joined the Durrs again at their hotel. First I took a swim with the girls in the pool diving for rings and playing Frisbee. They are a wonderful family and so enjoyable to spend time with. I really hope to keep in touch with them and hopefully visit them someday. Maybe meet up with Lisa if she comes back to Thailand again for business in September.

Heather eating durian

April 17^th good bye Chiang Mai. . . yippee 7 hour bus ride. . .hello Sukhothai  (you know that story already). Week one with mom and dad almost over. L But boy did we pack it in!