Doi Inthanon and Making Food
I have been spending time with C. and K. and have not had much energy to write. Here are a few photos from the past few days with descriptions for you to see what we’ve been up to.
Photos (some taken by K.):
After the scare from the crash, we decided to rent a car and literally take our life into our own hands. Technically my hands, since I was the driver. Our first destination was Doi Inthanon National Park, a large national park about 2 hours southwest of town. The park is full of waterfalls and wildlife and mountains, included the tallest peak in Thailand.
Rice fields on the way to the summit.
The second tower of two bizarre chedis close to the mountain top. This one was painted in purple and gold, and with the flowers grass and sky colors felt like a set piece for the Wizard of Oz.
View of the valley below the two towers. Fog was rolling in.
K. standing in the clouds.
One of the larger falls in the park. This photo doesn’t provide much scale, but the scene was massive and roaring.
A stream running through a manicured garden at the base to viewing another waterfall.
Scale is lost on this fall too.
Wooden walkways that lead to a shrine in the woods.
A shrine at the highest point in Thailand.
The next day, we drove through beautiful fields to get to some hot springs in the mountains.
Me wearing a leafpiece.
The underwhelming hotsprings. The water was hot and sulfuruous though, and downstream many people were enjoying bathing in it.
The night we returned we went to a large outdoor food festival complete with a Thai version of Axel Rose, complete with big white sneakers, tightass jeans, and a bandana. Both he and his back-up dancers seemed unenthusiastic about the whole performance. And it was a long one. It was especially disurbing to see the girls strutting and convulsing around while aslo being sublety embarrassed by it.
The expansive outdoor eating area of the festival.
Splayed and roasted dog.
The following night K. and C. with help from S. made a pseudo Mexican dinner for some friends. This is hard to do without black beans or sour cream.
Yesterday, C., S. and I took and all day Thai cooking class. Very fun and surprisingly easy. I feel capable of doing this when I get back home, assuming I can find the noodles.
The fruits of my labor, minus two dishes that that I had eaten earlier that day and desert that was forthcoming.
More later.