The Chiang Mai International School is full of good people who do kind things. We are the lucky recipients of some of those kind things. Last Friday was a half day at the school, and one of the teachers, a Canadian woman named Sandra, married to a Thai man, offered to take us along on her family outing that afternoon. The expedition would begin with lunch at her home, followed by a 1 1/2 hour-long car trip out of the city to Doi Inthanon National Park and a breath-taking waterfall.
We felt very privileged to be invited into the home of a local family, as well as chauffeured to a spot of natural beauty that I'm sure we wouldn't have seen otherwise. Our new friend shared her story of meeting her Thai husband in Canada, where they were both studying to be engineers. That was many years ago. For more than 20 years they have lived in Chiang Mai, where they are raising their 3 sons. Their home is a small compound of lovely Thai architecture that had been in her husband's family.
After lunch, we piled into Sandra's car with her youngest son, a 13 year old, and a driver. Our trip took us southwest of Chiang Mai, through a long area of suburbs and a few small towns, past rice fields, and eventually up into a wooded mountainous region. Our destination was a stream that wended its way from the mountain over smooth rocks. The area reminded us of Rangeley streams. We were not prepared, however, for the majesty of the magnificent waterfall that cascaded down in lacy patterns. We stood looking at it for awhile, clicking lots of photos, and absorbing its grandeur. After awhile, we found a pooled area and waded and soaked our feet. I must admit that I was a little hesitant about this at first, wondering what kind of unusual creatures might be lurking in the water. However, I followed our friend's lead and found the water to be so refreshing and lovely. We were surrounded by leafy trees and a peaceful environment. Sandra and her son followed the stream, while Bruce and I luxuriated in the bubbly quiet.
The second part of our outing involved a rendez-vous with our friend's husband who was at the park for a meeting of officials interested in water power (which was being generated by the waterfall). Before heading back to the city, we were invited to share snacks outside on an orchid-ringed lawn beside the stream. The officials sat at small tables. A small celebration took place. It was a delightful afternoon in Northern Thailand!
We felt very privileged to be invited into the home of a local family, as well as chauffeured to a spot of natural beauty that I'm sure we wouldn't have seen otherwise. Our new friend shared her story of meeting her Thai husband in Canada, where they were both studying to be engineers. That was many years ago. For more than 20 years they have lived in Chiang Mai, where they are raising their 3 sons. Their home is a small compound of lovely Thai architecture that had been in her husband's family.
This is the "guest house" on Sandra's property, built in the old style.
After lunch, we piled into Sandra's car with her youngest son, a 13 year old, and a driver. Our trip took us southwest of Chiang Mai, through a long area of suburbs and a few small towns, past rice fields, and eventually up into a wooded mountainous region. Our destination was a stream that wended its way from the mountain over smooth rocks. The area reminded us of Rangeley streams. We were not prepared, however, for the majesty of the magnificent waterfall that cascaded down in lacy patterns. We stood looking at it for awhile, clicking lots of photos, and absorbing its grandeur. After awhile, we found a pooled area and waded and soaked our feet. I must admit that I was a little hesitant about this at first, wondering what kind of unusual creatures might be lurking in the water. However, I followed our friend's lead and found the water to be so refreshing and lovely. We were surrounded by leafy trees and a peaceful environment. Sandra and her son followed the stream, while Bruce and I luxuriated in the bubbly quiet.
The second part of our outing involved a rendez-vous with our friend's husband who was at the park for a meeting of officials interested in water power (which was being generated by the waterfall). Before heading back to the city, we were invited to share snacks outside on an orchid-ringed lawn beside the stream. The officials sat at small tables. A small celebration took place. It was a delightful afternoon in Northern Thailand!
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