Happy Birthday, Grandma!
What a busy two weeks we have had!! Breen traveled all the way from Stratford to come and visit us in Chiang Rai, so we did a great deal of exploring while he was here. We were thrilled to have him here and despite his inevitable jet-lag, I think he really enjoyed his Thailand experiences!!

The first weekend he was here, we went to a Monkey Cave, located about an hour’s drive north of Chiang Rai, on the road to Myanmar. The cave is located way up into the hills and is literally home to hundreds of wild monkeys. We purchased bananas and peanuts from vendors just before the cave entrance and were actually challenged by a number of monkeys who tried to steal the treats.

After the Monkey Cave, we made a brief stop at the Golden Triangle and then made a long drive east, up into the hills, to PuuChiFa Mountain. This is a well-known mountain which sits on the border of Thailand and Laos and is approximately 5500ft above sea level. People come from all over to see the sun rise or set, from the top of the mountain. In order to see the much anticipated sun rise, we stayed the night in a local guesthouse and got up at 5:00am to make a 1km climb up the mountain to the peak of PuuChiFa. Oh my, what an experience! An unbelievable view – it is honestly hard to describe with words alone. We were up so high; we were above the clouds and felt as though we were literally flying. This is an experience Emily and I will remember as the best part of our Thailand adventure!!

After a long drive home and a day’s rest, we enjoyed the Flower Festival Parade. This is an annual event which kicks off the four day celebration. The locals create these gorgeous floats consisting of various kinds of flowers in honour of the summer coming and the beautiful flowers that bloom this time of year. The parade was quite long and we enjoyed a variety of colourful creations, all equally stunning.

After the parade, we drove out to the Huay Mae Sai village and attended the Hilltribe Friendship Festival. This is another annual event, where the heads of all the various hill tribes in the area put on a huge gathering for everyone. It includes dinner and entertainment and celebrates the close friendships the several hill tribes have. Although they have different cultures and languages, the hill tribe people are very much alike and have great respect for each other. The setting of the party was, believe it or not, in the forest. The locals had literally carved into the hills, staggered platforms for tables and steps up to each level. It was just like a huge, outdoor amphitheatre. Emily and I were able to enjoy an assortment of food, dancing and singing from each selective hill tribe. Yet another experience which is difficult to describe with words alone.

For the last few days of Breen's visit, we stayed in a local resort and enjoyed the swimming pool, the spa, and three days of rest.

The last couple of weeks have been incredible and a great way to begin the closing of our adventures. Emily and I have only two and a half weeks left here in Thailand and have already started thinking about packing to come home to Canada…………………….