 |
| A class on a field trip. I guess they don't have the same safety regulations as North America. |
 |
| During our stay in Mae Hong Son we spent a morning in a Long Neck Village. Because of conflict in Burma, many tribes fled to the Thai border approximately 25 years ago. They set up refugee camps which became tourist sites, which in turn helped them to become self-sufficient instead of depending on the Thai government to help them out financially. The brass coils are worn to represent their cultural identity, which usually has to do with beauty. |
 |
| What a white bum! |
 |
| The place we stayed at in Mae Hong Son was so beautiful and unique. |
 |
| The lobby/lounge area. This is where Paul and I hung out in the evenings. So gezellig! |
 |
| Hang'n out with one of five dogs that lived there. And yes, that is a gun...a rubber band gun. |
 |
| Watching the sunset from a hill in Mae Hong Son. |
 |
| Walking on a boardwalk through the rice fields. |
 |
| We stopped off at Fish Cave where millions of carp live. The kids enjoyed feeding them. |
 |
| When we probably should have kept driving on to our next destination we decided to stop and take a tour of these amazing caves. Our guide led us deep into the caves and showed us some outstanding rock formations. We loved this little side trip. |
 |
| We had to ride this bamboo raft into the dark caves with this guy literally pulling us through the water and strong currents. It was not an easy job. |
 |
| Our Guide |
 |
| We climbed a lot of ladders with the aid of one small lantern in pitch darkness. |
 |
| Check this truck out! We of course had to meet the owners and find out their story. We met a couple who have been travelling for three years. They started in their home county, Austria, and have been staying a few months in each country they drive through. They are equipped with everything they need to live and never stay in a hotel. We were so impressed with their adventurous life. |
 |
| It really is hard to go to Thailand and not have an experience with elephants. During our stay in Pai, we took part of our day to go on an elephant ride. We were told they would take us to the river, but were not quite sure what we should expect. This is a memory from our trip the kids won't soon forget. Jolene is still saying thank you to God in her prayers for the elephant ride. It really was quite something to be riding such a massive animal. |
 |
| After seeing the guys riding the elephant like a bull, us girls opted out of the river portion of the trip. It was fun to watch them trying to hold on as the elephant laid on its side and tossed and turned trying to get them off. Eventually they just let go just because it was just too hard to hold on any more. |
 |
| After the elephant ride we went to a nearby hot spring. Even though we were hot already, we were happy we could sit in this hot spring and enjoy the relaxing atmosphere. |
 |
| One last waterfall before heading back to Chiang Mai. |
 |
| 7 Eleven was our go to place in Malaysia and Thailand for snacks, drinks, bread and jam, ice cream, noodles, and, of course, slurpees. |
 |
| Back in Chiang Mai again and it just so happens we got to visit the Sunday Night Market for a second time. It was so fun to check out all the vendors. I want to go back just for the market! |
 |
| After walking around the market, why not get a foot massage on one of the many side streets? We decided it would be best to get the kids home to bed. |
 |
| From Chiang Mai we took an overnight train to Bangkok. This was a highlight for the kids. They didn't settle down until they were finally sleeping. |
 |
| The Biermans holding up the line at the airport. |
 |
| Back to Jakarta |
