Get This !
Banthi..Rainy Season Parade
Another day when culture comes first.
Next week sees the big Buddha Day to celebrate the start of the rainy season. Somboon tells me it stems from the day that Buddha instructed all Buddhist Monks to remain in their Temples for the duration of the rainy season. This was after complaints from the rice farmers that [...]
Places to go
The San Kam Paeng/Mae On Hills- Ally and Me»Wow! What a day! Its days like this that let me know why I have yet to get my life long curse of travellers ‘itchy feet’, here in Northern Thailand. Here for 3 years now and still discovering so much, right here on my doorstep. There is just so much to discover, from the sublime [...]
JA Tour—River Ping, including Wat Pang Yuu»Yes, this time it was just me and Ally, Somboons not so keen on hot day rides, shame ‘cos it was a nice easy ride, no hills and plenty of shade.
Our choice for the day was to take an easy ride up and down the River Ping.
Our start point was Wat Pang Yuu, which you [...]
JAB Road Tour Chiang Mai..Including Khuntan Railway Station»JAB?…John, Ally and Boon:). Yes after a long break from our road tours; mostly because of me being tied up with the sale of The Brick Road Cafe; at long last me and Ally went out for one of our motorbike tours, and this time Boon came to.
As we needed to return to the motorbike [...]
SWIMMING IN THE MOUNTAINS-Mae On way»Continuing on the catching up of recent events, here is another place you might like to try for yourself.[...]I think the scenery there is even more breathtaking than my other favourite swim spot, Huay Tung Tao.[...]On the way look out for signs to Mae On, on the right, maybe an hour on the road. This road will take you into the mountain range where your best bet is to stop at one of the village shops you are bound to pass and ask:
‘ Ta lay saap yuu nai?’ …’where is the lake?’[...]Marc has recently come over from deepest darkest Wales and is hoping to stick around for a while, volunteering at the Home and teaching english nearby. Marc was one of our first customers in our rooms at the Brick Road last year.[...]
Vientianne-Dash For Visa Extension»Firstly my mad dash to Vientiane when I realised that yet again I had mis- read the dates on my passport and had just 5 days in which to get an extension to my non-immigrant b visa[..] In the evening we found a very nice restaurant 5 minutes walk up the road. Well, the restaurant was nice, and the food excellent, shame that the service was very much on the slow side and barely a smile to be seen.
We then did a little bit of shopping at a couple of clothes shops before returning to the hotel to watch movies in our room.
By all accounts there is no Cinema in Vientiane![..] For 150 baht each we had access to the 3 pools available.
For a little extra we could have taken advantage of the multiple water slides.
For the complex owners it was a shame to see such an impressive place so empty. For us, wanting a quiet relaxing dip, it was perfect.
At the entrance to the complex is a cafe/bakery which sells very good coffee, shakes and excellent bakery products. It was our best find in Vientiane.[...]
Northern Farm Project> Wat Pa Dara Phirom> Samoeng Loop»This was a very varied and enjoyable day out.[...]Whilst we were there we observed a craftsman working on a huge elephant carving in teak wood.[..]next destination, Wat Pa dara Phirom. To get there we [...]This Temple wat developed in the 1890s, on land donated by a decendant of the great Lanna Princess, Phra Raja Jaya[...]and ended up on a mud track passing some local women harvesting Jack Fruit, [....]
Wiang Kun Kam>Bo Sang>Doi Saket-Ally and Me on the Road For You.»Here’s yet another great day out for you. Quite a special one with lots of historical and cultural interest. We tend to start these days out at around 11am, due to business commitments, but if you were to set off a little earlier you’d give yourself even more time to take it all in.[...]
People of Chiang Mai
A Day In The Life Of–Mrs Wilaipron-Temple Shopkeeper»
Welcome to the first in what I hope to become another regular feature on this website, where we will take a look into the lives of local Thai people.
Blog Diary
Swimming, Gym, Feeling Fitter Already!»
Happy to report that my fitness campaign goes on.
Having made 3 visits to the gym, in Chiang Mai,last week I also made sure I did some serious swimming whilst at the Lake in the Mae On hills,with the Croston House crew on Sunday.
As usual it was a beautiful place to be.
There towards the end of [...]
School Word Games, More Gym and More Rain»
Its been a great couple of days at school, with the kids behaviour having settled well and the whole experience becoming more fun for both them and us.
Doing my best to find the best angle to get the basics engrained, I have recently taken a whole load more photos of items around the school itself, [...]
Streets of Chiang Mai
Kids and Dogs, At The Care For Dogs Open Day»Another great day with the kids but this time the emphasis was on Dogs, at the Care For Dogs Open Day at their shelter , just off the Samoeng Rd.
For more information on this great organisation, including directions to the shelter please use the link to their own website, here.
This very well organized open day, [...]
This view deserved a special post all to itself……this photo, of The Mae On Valley, was taken during a recent road trip soon to appear in ‘Places to Go’.
Temples
JA Tour—River Ping, including Wat Pang Yuu»
Yes, this time it was just me and Ally, Somboons not so keen on hot day rides, shame ‘cos it was a nice easy ride, no hills and plenty of shade.
Our choice for the day was to take an easy ride up and down the River Ping.
Our start point was Wat Pang Yuu, which you [...]
This impressive Wat can be found behind The Princes Royal College which lies on Kaewnarawat rd, the main road out to Arcade Bus Station, Chiang Mai. Just turn left down the soi immediately before the college(coming from the river), and then right and you will see the entrance.
The compound contains extensive accommodation buildings for [...]
Markets
Second Hand Motorcy Market- Chiang Mai» If you are on the look out for a motorbike or just have an interest in them, why not pop along to the second hand motorbike and car market, held every Sunday, not far off the super highway, Chiang Mai.
Just take the main turn off to Phrao and you will find the market on [...]
John Wayne reborn in Muang Mai Market Chiang Mai»
We’ve had a busy few days here in the Brick Road Cafe, thanks to all who have called in, hope you enjoyed your food and time here.
Here’s hoping we’re at the end of the rains now and heading into a pleasant cool season.
The family visit is going well and we’ll be out and about doing a few homemade tours over the next couple of days so check back in to see how we get on and maybe get some possible inspiration for your own travels if you are heading this way.
If you’re wondering about the heading,(John Wayne), just check the photo out, from yesterdays market run.
Events
Swimming, Gym, Feeling Fitter Already!»
Happy to report that my fitness campaign goes on.
Having made 3 visits to the gym, in Chiang Mai,last week I also made sure I did some serious swimming whilst at the Lake in the Mae On hills,with the Croston House crew on Sunday.
As usual it was a beautiful place to be.
There towards the end of [...]
This weekend Croston House Childrens Home has played host to Steve Graham and his family, who had come to hold ‘English Camp’ for the kids there.
Steve and his family live in Udon Thai, where Steve has spent the last few years doing his best to help to improve the education facilities and opportunities for the [...]
