DESTINATION REPORTS
THAILAND Thailand is exotic, beautiful and full of brilliant colors, I learned on a recent visit there. They have the most gorgeous flowers I've ever seen. There is so much to see and do there that we didn't even get to Thailand's famous beaches. We roamed through lots of temples and shrines and saw many Buddha statues; quite a few gold ones and and even the Emerald Buddha at Bangkok's Royal Palace. The temples, shrines and wall murals are a striking sight at the Royal Palace. The colored mirrors on the buildings reflect the sunlight, creating a sparkling, shimmering effect that dazzles the eye. Also, delicate painted and ceramic tiles cover the walls. The Bang Pa-In Palace (Summer Palace) at Bang Pa-In is a contrast in architectural styles - it includes Italian, Victorian, Chinese, Thai and Greek-influenced buildings and pavilions.
There are lots of other fun things to do besides touring buildings. We took a Thai cooking class at the Landmark Hotel in Bangkok, learning how to create exotic dishes like Toong Ngern Yuang (deep-fried minced pork and prawns wrapped in bean curd pastry). We zipped down the Chao Phraya River outside of Bangkok in long needle-shaped boats, past primitive houses on stilts, children playing, and people doing their laundry in the river. We toured a rice mill and an orchid farm, and saw how the craftspeople make lacquer ware, jewelry, silk and other items. We visited the Mae Sa elephant camp in Chiang Dao, learning how the elephants work hauling, stacking and lifting logs, and rode elephants down the river and into the jungle.
We went to a hill tribe dinner show with exotic dancing. We also hiked into the jungle to visit the "long-neck" tribe, whose female members wear one long piece of brass tubing wound tightly around their necks to stretch them. This is considered beautiful. And the shopping! The night market in Chiang Mai was an experience not to be missed. What bargains! For sale were clothing, jewelry, leather goods, handicrafts and more. Expect to bargain with the merchants. Our accommodations were fantastic. The Royal Orchid Sheraton in Bangkok was fabulous; so was the Westin in Chiang Mai.
Thailand is a beautiful and friendly country. I would recommend it to anyone who's interested in a different culture, fascinating places, colors and people. It's definitely worth the cost of the trip.
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