Next adventure - Laos

I had such a great weekend with JOM at his university - met his friends, had motorbike tour of beautiful campus, saw the sights, was treated like a queen.  He introduced me to all his friends as his mom and several commented that we don't actually look anything like each other.  Hmm...  but that didn't stop them from showing incredible respect and kindness.

On Saturday JOM played tour guide all day and we visited temples, the Princess's garden and villa, the night market, and a few other stops along the way.  The princess has taken on the task of trying to stop the opium trade in this area, the Golden Triangle, where the borders of Laos, Burma and Thailand meet on the Mekong River.  She's tried to encourage gardening and farming and the hill roads are now strewn with gorgeous nurseries - didn't see any poppy fields!  Her villa complex has a "Hall of Inspiration" which is basically an homage to the royal family, a beautiful teak house and extensive gardens, complete with guards.

So today I managed to make it to Vientiane, Laos.  Took two flights and more buses than I want to count.  You'd think it would be a simple thing to go from one country to another instead of riding a bus to a checkpoint to get your passport to stamped to leave Thailand, then a bus across a bridge where a nice porter walks your bags through visa request, visa acquisition, exit booth, and by the way, since it's Sunday you pay an extra dollar.

Tomorrow I'll do some filming and start exploring Vientiane!

In Chiang Rai

My three hour bus ride was really five and half, but I made it and found JOM!  We had a really lovely afternoon touring the campus and I shot some footage of him in his school uniform.  I feel so welcome, and also a real minority.  Getting lots of looks as I am the only white person here, not to mention oh el dee, as in old.  We have a big day planned tomorrow playing tourist - temples, gardens, golden triangle, the border of Laos, Burma and Thailand, and the black market.

Here are photos of the ellies!

Kissed by an elephant!

After seventeen hours in the air, a couple restless jet-lagged nights and a fifteen hour time change, it was great to return to Ellibum Guest House in Chiang Mai and the Elephant Natue Park. So fun to see Gade, the innkeeper and glad I talked her into taking a day off to come with me to the park. Confession: after I got here Wednesday afternoon my first stop was at a Thai spa for a scrub and massage - fabulous and so reasonable.

The baby elephants I met last year are still so adorable, just bigger and friskier. We got to spend a little more time with them as they are more mature and the moms and aunties a little less protective and willing to share. It's so fun to feed them, wash them, pet them, and this time, as you can see, I got my big sloppy elephant kiss.

Spent a lot of time with Jokia, a grand old lady who was so overworked and abused to the point where her owner literally poked her eyes out and blinded her. Another sweet granny elephant "adopted" her when she arrived at the park and they are still inseparable.

Had a great chat on the bus back from the park to Chiang Mai with a nice young Frenchman who's an urban planner and can't wait for Sarkozy to leave office next year. He had so many questions about life in the U.S.! What are my favorite cities, how long to drive across the country, which is the best route, do cities or states have more governmental control or is it all federal, etc. etc. I really had to think a bit there.

So today I'm off to Chiang Rai in the north, a three-hour bus ride to meet JOM, Sai Hsieng Pha, at his University and meet his friends, tour campus, and see the sights.

Oh, by the way, did I mention that it's warm and sunny? Gade and I sat outside for dinner last night at her favorite such place. Heavenly!

Thanks for reading, more later!