Haloranch

We came across this unusual water fountain in the Rose Garden, a memorial garden to the Princess Mother. A dustbin

The snake is a powerful good luck symbol in Thailand and frequently decorates stairs in temples. It's found everywhere, but this was the oddest one we saw:

Big sign at the front door of our hotel showing the photo of a durian fruit surrounded by the universal red circle with an X through it. Apparently, this tasty fruit is okay when you open it and for about 1 hour afterwards. Then the smell becomes putrid. You might think that by eating it all right away you could avoid the odour, but you'd be wrong. The durian gives you gas and evidently, the gas you emit will also be putrid. It's a popular Thai substitute for the North American headache, "Not tonight dear, I have a headache," which will send the husband scurrying far away.

I'm plagiarizing most of this because it's better than what I wrote. But for more pictures, go to: http://www.thaiwaysmagazine.com/chiang_mai_ad/simon_chiang_mai/simon_chiang_mai.html Photo of enhanced ladyboys. Let me take you by the hand to Amazing Thailand! This is the blast-off tune at Simon's Cabaret Chiangmai and, before touchdown 90 minutes later; you will have been thrilled and enraptured by the spectacular journey of Simon's Dream. Upon entering the theatre, I was surprised by the size. It is huge (seating for 800 patrons) and gives the feeling of being inside a mysterious grotto or jungle clearing. Palms, ferns and greenery surround the amphitheater, mist drifts and water cascades from a rocky mountaintop. A moat fronts the wide, triple-stage performance area and seating is comfortably cushioned terrace style with plenty of legroom. Show time the lights dim and the audience is launched into Simon's Dream and a performance of illusion. You might think you ...

My fantasy of Thailand was that I would step off the plane and into the pages of the Arabian Nights. I grew up on stories about Siam. My Mom told me of dancers there who could arc their hands backwards in graceful curves enhanced by impossibly long golden fingernails. The stories were wonderously strange and beautiful but as unreal to me as a magic carpet. Just the word Siam evoked pictures of colourful dancers, palms turned up and fingers curving down. I couldn't wait to see it. I'm so lucky to have seen my childhood fantasies made real. Along the way I also saw other strange and wonderful things: a floating market where locals sell their handicrafts and foods from boats Incredible teak carvings. Some take up to a year to complete and are carved only on commission. I can't imagine what they cost, since you're paying for a year of the craftsman's time. It takes a teak tree up to 150 years to mature for harvest . vast salt flats, where lagoons of sea water are evapor...

"Tastes like a $60 bottle of wine," I said, sipping the glass of Hardy's Riesling-Gewurtztraminer blend that we buy locally for under $10. But here in the restaurant, it cost $60. We ended our fabulous Thai trip on a high note. Sami and Bob, a Rotarian from the Bangkok area, suggested dinner at the Riverside Terrace located in the Marriott Hotel. From our seat on the terrace we coud see, between the 10' tall torches, the twinkling lights of river boats as they plied the waters. The huge torches surrounded a stage on 3 sides making a dramatic visual backdrop to the show. A variety of exquisitely costumed dances were performed before our eyes, including the lovely fingernail dance. Dinner was the most sumptuous and elegant buffet we've every seen. At one section the chef was grilling lobster tails, huge prawns and bacon wrapped aspargus as well as any other cut of meat you desired. Elsewhere was a Mongolian Grill section. A Japanese tempura area. A pasta bar - yo...

On our way to the airport to return to Bangkok from Chiangmai, Tina took us to an orphanage. She volunteers her spare time teaching the older chidren basic English, and classical Thai dance to the girls. It was nap time so the toddlers were all asleep on their mats but we were allowed to peek through the windows. They looked so sweet. Most are tusnami orphans and they appear to be well looked after. In Thailand, wealthy Thais are generous with their donations. This orphanage is in a very large private house donated by the owners, and is kept very clean by the staff. It operates strictly on donations. $100 US will support one child for one year. Some orphans are adopted overseas but the Thais don't actively solicit adoptions from out of country residents. They really prefer to look after their own and if this orphanage is typical, they're doing a very good job of it.