Ching Mai - North West Thailand
My visit to Chingmai earlyApril of last year was interesting. We took the midnight train from Bangkok to the North Western part of Thailand close to the Burmese border. The train ride took us to the hills where the scenery reminded me of my childhood growing up in the hills of India. I spent my early childhood in Kalimpong, located in the foothills of the Himalaya mountain . The terrain in Chingmai was very similar .
The pictures of the Wat Phan On Pagoda, constructed around A.D.1501 was one of the many temples I visited in Chingmai.
For those who enjoy local food, there are many restaurants one can go to almost at every corner of the streets. My brother took me to this outdoor restaurant where we had a lovely Thai northern food. It was delightful.
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My Father's family originally came from Nan Jing and migrated to South West China. My Grand Father was born in He Qing and later moved to Lijiang. My Grandma was from Xiao Zhongdian. ( Shangri-La. ) Last April, I went to visit my half brother and his family in Lijiang. My family was so kind to take me to these places during my stay.
He Qing is well known for their Silversmiths. At one time, it was also well known for Salt traders.
Heading back from He Qing, we stopped at this monastery near Lijiang.
Lijiang is surrounded by many mountains. Some of them are snow capped. This is also the birth place of my Father , my uncles and my first family.
Lucie and I rented a scooter in Cozumel and ventured out to explore the island. There was such a freedom riding on the 2 wheel vehicle. We managed to cover a good portion of the island on the Highway. We stopped every so often to visit the local shops and artisans. The prices of the souvenirs we bought a fraction the price of the stores where the tourists hang out. The 4 hour ride on the scooter for $ 40.00 US was well worth it ! The following images were taken with my Canon G11 point and shoot camera mostly on the manual mode with Spot metering.
