Chiang Mai, Thailand

Yesterday (Nov 29) it was raining, not just a short heavy burst, as we have experienced a couple of times since arriving in Thailand, but prolonged heavy rain. Our cottage has windows all across 3 walls and all are usually wide open so the sound of pouring rain filled the room. Olive was able to start writing again after getting her computer back from several days in the shop. The operating system was upgraded and we hope some glitches have been repaired.

While the computer was under repair, we used the time to do some more exploring. We made friends with another Canadian couple from Banff who are in Thailand visiting international workers and spent one day zip lining with them and another day traveling up to the Golden Triangle.

The zip line was a first for both Olive and I. Built high up in a mountainous jungle setting and over fields of rice and sugar cane, the zip line consisted of 35 platforms including 16 zip lines, 4 abseiling (rapid drops of 10, 15, 20 & 40 meters), 2 sky bridges, and 1 each of the following: bamboo bridge, hill tribe ladder, Kung Fu walk, monkey bridge, spiral staircase, zigzag walkway, climbing net, a flying skateboard, monkey ladder, a spider web, timber balancing beams and a zodiac bridge. Wisely, they start you off on a couple of short zip lines to allow you to "get the feel of it" and then they progressively get longer and more exciting.

The trip to the Golden Triangle took a full day and ultimately brings you to a vantage point at a bend in the Mekong River where you can see into Laos and Myanmar while standing in Thailand. 

We took a small riverboat across the Mekong and spent a short time in a Laotian market near the border. We did not cross into Myanmar, as it is a little more complicated getting a visa. 

On the return trip we stopped at another temple, this one called the White Temple (for obvious reasons).

We mentioned previously that one of the highlights of our travels is the people we are meeting and the opportunity to share life stories. We are so amazed and inspired by the stories we are hearing. Here is a brief review of some of the people we have met:

·      A couple from the US who live in Japan (and raised 5 kids there) who work with an agency that promotes parenting programs (similar to Focus on the Family in North America).

·      A New Zealand family of 4 living in an isolated town in Myanmar teaching English to locals.

·      A Swiss family of 5 who are doing consulting work in Pakistan.

·      A family of 4 from Mexico who are running educational programs in northern India.

·      A woman from England who has faced much heartache (loss of her son at age 26, husband who has had several strokes and is now in a care home) here for some personal renewal time.

·      A family of 5 from Singapore who live in Cambodia where he is a physician and councilor for other international workers.

·      A woman from Australia who along with her husband and 3 young children, lives in Bali, Indonesia where they provide surfing lessons to locals, and

·      As we mentioned above a couple from Banff who are on an exploration trip to find further direction in their lives. Those of you from Foothills Alliance may remember Norm and Leona Derkson. Norm was youth pastor at FAC years ago.

Some of these people are very isolated so a week or two at the guesthouse provides much needed rest, focused family time, and an opportunity to visit with other internationals at meal times.

We plan to stay here until Dec. 4 when we leave for Singapore.