Happy Loi Krathong

Instead of celebrating Thanksgiving here, they celebrate a festival known as Loi Krathong. All the people fill these giant balloons with a candle and let it float into the night sky. Some do it for fun. Others for good luck but many do it to release their sins for the year into the air.

In our city they also float incense candles weighted with money down the river to pay for their sins. It is a really spectacular sight to see everyone's "sins" rise high into the darkness.

The city streets look a bit like Christmas with lights and paper lanterns strung anywhere there is a free space.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We made out with three Turkey dinners this year. Everyone felt sorry for the poor little couple so far away from home for the first time. It was great. I am so stuffed!

You might be an international traveler...

If you can change a baby’s diaper on your lap while taking off in an airplane- you might be an international traveler.


If you can simultaneously eat French fries while avoiding the phlegm the guy walking in front of you just hacked up and spit out right beside you- you might be an international traveler.

If you can fit everything you need plus two weeks worth of diapers in one carry-on backpack- you might be an international traveler.

If you know how to use a squatty potty and you automatically bring your own toilet paper wherever you go- you might be an international traveler.


If you bring your own sterile needles because you know most places in the world believe in reduce, reuse and recycle- even medical supplies- you might be an international traveler.

If you can say “hello” in at least three languages and “how much?” in five others- you might be an international traveler.

If you can avoid panic when complete strangers remove the cigarette from their mouths and the child from your arms to parade him/her through the entire airport/bus terminal, train station or restaurant- you might be an international traveler.

If you think split pants aren’t such a bad idea- you might be an international traveler


If nothin’ says lovin’ like a bowl from the rice cooker- you might be an international traveler.

Our Trip

Thanks so much for being patient with us as we traveled the last few weeks. I (Heather) started in Pattaya on Oct. 29 doing some work on a big event we host in February. Then I returned to Chiang Mai to wash clothes and repack and we left for China. We visited 5 cities in 11 days. I am so proud of Chloe for being patient the entire time. Below are some pics.





The first city we visited was Chongqing. The pic below is of the historic, tourist district where you can buy all kinds of "tourist" goods.







Then we hopped on board a four-hour train ride headed for Chengdu. Chengdu was definitely a very cosmopolitan city. We were able to stay downtown and we visited many friends while there.

Chengdu is also home to the "Giant Panda Research Center" where zoos around the world get their panda's.

After Chengdu, we took a bus to a smaller city just north of Chengdu and stayed for a couple of days. Then we flew to another even smaller town about 300 miles south of Chengdu. Poor Chloe, no matter where we went she was a star.

Our final stop was Lhasa, Tibet. What a site!! Lhasa is situated at 12,000 feet above sea level which means that if you don't get sick from the altitude, you will be very winded just walking around. And if the altitude doesn't get you the sun will. Chloe and I both had a sunburn on our noses from the intense light.

The giant building in the background is called "The Potala." It is the former residence of the Dalai Lama and former government center for Tibet. It was quite interesting walking around inside it and seeing all the tombs of former DL's which I thought was ironic considering they believe in reincarnation.

We were able to stay in Lhasa a few days and then returned to Chiang Mai with only minor complications. (We almost didn't make our last flight but it all worked out in the end.)



My next post will be a "You might be an international traveler if" list.