Jomba, our guide tells us there is an archipelago of more than 50 islands of which one is Prison Island. Local people call Prison Island Changu Island after the fish they fish for. They are white snapper. The island was called Prison more recently after the fact the British built a prison on it.

Baobab tree … they make juice from the seeds from the fruit. Also the Tamarack tree they use to make juice

There are 130 tortoises now on the island from the original 4 ….. a gift from the Seychelles Islands. They are land turtles. It takes only 3 months for the incubation of eggs. The underside is concave for the males with humps on the their backs while the female has a flat belly and rounded shell. Males have longer tails for balance when “making out”. If you massage their necks they will stretch their necks and their legs as they are relishing the treatment.

The prison was built in 1893. It was never used as a prison because of an outbreak of cholera or yellow fever as was being finished. It was then used as a quarantine station where people arriving, had to stay for about a week before being released.

Everybody has to learn Swahili language so that all the different tribes of which there are about 120, can understand each other. And then there’s those that are in the tourism industry that have also learned to speak good English with a bit of an accent.

Before heading back Pam and I were going to go for a swim in the gorgeous turquoise waters. She went but I left my bathing suit etc at the hotel. While we there on the beach there were a group of gals on what seemed to be a girls trip. Oh my they were having too much fun especially a couple of them….flinging themselves into the water.

The trip back to Stone town of only about 1/2 hour was just a wee bit choppy, dousing us all, especially the two in the front.

Later we ventured to the Sunset Bar at the Indian House, to watch the sun go down as we ate dinner

We were off to good start….lol. The first of our flights was about 45 minutes late in leaving Victoria. It was a beautiful and sunny day although the skies were filled with smoke. I had trouble seeing the islands between YYJ and YVR from the air.

To get better, “whole” pictures, click on each to enlarge, please.

We had requested assistance when we checked in. We were all so glad. It was so far from our arrival gate to the departure gate in YVR. We are all a fine bunch. One has sciatic problems, and other asthma and me numerous aches and pains (I always use poles when walking more than 100 feet). Another of the group has major spinal problems (she didn’t ask for assistance) so…..the extra help was greatly appreciated.

Next flight (on Air France)was only about 20 minutes late. Nice BIG plane….probably close to 400 passengers.

We arrived in Paris….now it is the 28th. Getting between terminals at the Paris airport (CDG), and again we are so grateful for assistance. They got us through sneaky passageways, to the head of the line at security and a bus to the other terminal…..amazing! OMG we would never have made it without their assistance.

Next flight to Zanzibar, again on Air France is almost as long as the other to Paris. Marilyn, Linda and I managed to doze off a wee bit but not nearly enough. Again the assistance came at the airport……got us through immigration and security licking split. There was Pam waiting patiently for us, thank you Pam (who had been on tour in South Africa’s Kruger NP), along with a “transfer” to our hotel. That was interesting trying to get to our hotel in Stone Town through the maze of “streets” that are really just crooked alleys. How were are going to find our way around should be interesting!

A change of rooms once we got to our hotel…because one room had some kind of issue, took a little finagling but got it all figured out……Pam, i thank you again. My very huge king sized bed was so high off the ground that i have to use a stool to get in but when I hit the pillow (around 11pm, i think), it was lights out ….till 10 am.

August 29/23 after which included breakfast on the top of 6 floors…with no elevator, we went in search of and found a recommended restaurant called the “Sunset Bar”. What a spectacular view of the beautiful turquoise ocean….wow! From there we wandered along the main road adjacent to the waterfront of this protected town with buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries with Swahili, Indian, Arabic and European (Portuguese) influences.

Some people seem to be having trouble getting connected …..some I am not seeing on my end so I thought I would send out another post before we head out. Also, if I see a name that doesn’t look familiar to me, I might just delete you so please let me know either by text or email or phone if you have an unrecognizable “handle”. I don’t like that someone I don’t know if following me….creepy!

For those of you that have just recently signed up to receive notice of me posting my blog, it is a good idea to click on the link “gailstraveladventures” to see it properly (like have the description of pictures under the picture horizontally. If you find the description is one letter at a time ….vertically …its kind hard to read), press the link.

I usually don’t reply to enquires on the blog esp. if it somewhat personal. If it requires a reply, I will email or text you.

Hi everyone

I sent out a posting yesterday checking to see if I changed it to “Private” as opposed to “Public”, would it make any difference to the receiving recipients and if it did to please let me know. Well guess what……nobody got anything. I guess that won’t work so I am sending this one.

Ever since I saw a picture of this temple, it has been on my bucket list. Enjoy this amazing site!

First stop…the Blue Temple “Wat Rong Seur Ten”- is painted blue cuz the artist got the idea from churches of Europe. Its meaning is to show the “kindness” of God and all things of world. He was student of the artist that did the White Temple. This temple had been abandoned. He only decorated and painted it but he did created the outside structures. The village of Rong Suea Ten meaning “canal tiger jump over” where this temple is located was basically abandon because of exactly that…tigers jumped over the canal.

Japanese rice growing in field… is shorter than Thai rice which grows to a metre and half high. Japanese rice is grown for making sushi.

Next on the agenda is the White Temple (Wat Rong Kuhn)… student of the “Grand Master”… is all white to show the “purity” of BUDDHA. It was started 10-15 ears before COVID. Built by a national Thai artist. ChalermChai. OMG! Brought tears to my eyes. Also went into the gallery to see other works of art by this man. No pictures allowed. Such an amazing artist….some wood carving pictures that looked like paintings. Also he must have been a bit of a satirist cuz some pictures were of Osama holding George W around the waist as the two ride a bomb/rocket. I took away too many pictures of this amazing temple and grounds, than I will send separately.

Sankampaeng Hot Springs…. Beautiful and shaded with steam coming out as well a couple of small geysers. Temperature of the water according to Joe is 90 C (but the sign says 105) so what did I do but stick my fingers in…… very briefly. Yup it was f..n hot!!! And stink…. Pee 😷 from the sulphur!!! A ways away from the source you could soak your feet in it. It was only 40-45C. It only makes sense that the closer you are to the source the higher the temp….45-55. Much closer the signs warn you that the water is “Hot”. No kidding!

On the way to the airport for our flight to Bangkok, we stopped at a silk factory and a silversmith’s shop. Some very nice stuff but I resisted. For one thing I might mention especially to the gals that travelled with me to India a few years back, India’s prices are definitely more reasonable..

Joe delivered us to the airport in plenty of time for the flight to Bangkok. If anyone is planning on travelling to northern Thailand, I would totally recommend “Go with Joe” as a guide whether it’s touring most of the north like we did or day trips out of Chiang Mai and some of the other northern cities, especially if you don’t want to feel like cattle being herded. There was just the two of us and him in a private car. Besides that he also looks after all entrance fees, lunches and very nice hotels that include breakfasts. The only thing you have to pay out of pocket for is whatever you want to drink and dinners.

We arrived back at our lovely hotel “Park Nine” in Bangkok in time to grab something to eat and drink in the air conditioned bar. Again it is crazy hot outside….you just can’t imagine it 😓💦 !!! Off to bed …..no pool tonight.

Hi everyone, I apologize that I was not able to finish the my blogs for Thailand until now that I am home. I had run out of the space that I had paid for. So….here is the rest…..by day.

These are pictures from April 21 that had failed

More to come…..

Population of Chiang Rai is only 120,000…. Quite small.

First we are going to the Baandam Museum (Black House in Thai). The grand master, Thalang Duchanee, taught one of his students that was responsible for building the White Temple (which we will see tomorrow) and that student in turn taught one of his students that designed and built the Blue Temple (also seen tomorrow). He showed in his art the dark side of people, of their spirit. His art (paintings) are really quite “black” or evil looking never mind the use of crocodiles and water buffalo horns in his art. This building was built in his honour with his own money. Its quite a large property with lots of buildings , some in the northernThai style….built on stilts (even the stairs can be lifted up into the buildings) to protect the family from marauding animals and flooding. Last night at the hotel…shortly after coming back from dinner, the skies opened up as it did the day before. This morning on the way to the Black House, we saw political signs along the highway blown to smithereens and here, the amount of storm damage was quite severe….broken trunks and branches and a hole in the roof. They must have had it worse than where we were.

To calculate BE, if it says 2565 BE on the “eastern” calendar to get the date in our calendar you have to minus 543 (would be 2022 AD)

Now to “Golden Triangle” where Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet. It used to be “the” trading centre for opium. Now it’s the casino centre…. Lol! We see the huge Mekong River. Other side is Laos. The land that the huge casino and hotel complexes is leased by Chinese businessmen, led by gangster-tycoon (according to “The Diplomat”) Zhao Wei, is trying to make it the World’s largest casino complex. Apparently, according to that story, he has been involved with human trafficking, wildlife smuggling and drug production. Nice person, huh???

While at the confluence of the Mekong and Ruak Rivers we also stopped in on the Opium Museum.

First stop is Pai Canyon. More steps up, up,up. …. My first sweat of the day getting up to the canyon. Absolutely spectacular. No one besides me walked across a narrow strip. Joe said to me be careful, no one can help you.

Next stop, WW2 memorial bridge. Built in 1912 but partially moved in ‘67 from Chiang Mai when they were building a new cement bridge there. Originally there was one built here by forced labour of the Thai people by the Japanese and then burnt down as they were retreating. Part of the span from Chiang Mai was a replacement for the one that the Japanese burnt down. The story on this and the connection to Japanese is a different slant on their friendship.

Unbelievable road, twisting and turning, switch-backs like crazy. I don’t get motion sick but this was having a bit of an effect… a little nausea with headache. Being a passenger in the backseat is not the same as being the driver.

Lunch at Fang. This “city” used to benefit from petroleum but that all dried up. Now it’s mandarin oranges and vegetables. It’s not a place that tourists stop but we had Joe to order for us.

Next is Wat Thaton. We didn’t go in this temple but to look at the outside off it, the view… to the military base in Myanmar and the twin city of Thaton… in Myanmar. A few years ago this Thaton was a very “dangerous” place to be before Thailand built a military base here too. Just after leaving Joe pointed out the 1000 acres mandarin orange groves & 10,000 acres of dragon fruit trees.

It’s cooler today…. Only 35 but feels like 36 cuz it rained last night for about 1 hour. I think all of Thailand is looking forward to rainy season. That’s when for next 2 months it rains but only at night. Monsoons come in August/September when it rains constantly. We also passed by what used to be rice paddies. It will once again, once the rains come. On the hillside there lots of lychee trees. The fruit hanging down reminds me of cherries hanging. They will be ready about July. I also noticed some plants with bags hanging off…. apparently they are guava.

It was a very, very long day for us but also for Joe. He drove probably 6 hours plus our stops. We got to stay in a 4 star hotel called Laluna. Its too expensive for Joe to stay too. It might be a very nice place but there is no dining room/bar, not many customers….none at the pool and their wifi sucks (I realize now that it wasn’t their wifi) so I cannot add pictures until I get where they a larger bandwidth???

The weather app said that by noon it will be 37 but will feel like 41. That is a bit cooler than yesterday…. phew!

20 years ago there were no traffic lights, now 4, nice town large govt buildings and a airport.

The city is called smog capital. Winter smog is caused by fog, rainy season is smog, hot season is from fires. Small airport… 2 flights a week but many times cancelled because of smog.

Chedi are the small structures around edge of temple. Pagoda style… rings on main indicate it is Burmese style, no ring lines are Thai.

I forgot to mention yesterday that the Hmong hill tribe don’t want to keep the tradition of the rings to make necks long because they don’t want the younger generations to be ostracized.

Fish Cave (Tham Pla) the water is said to be holy. The water was used in the coronation of the king (in 2019). The fish are Mahseer, a type of barb or carp. The Thai people have different names that translates to “crazy fish” cuz it causes you to be sick and/or crazy. They are poisonous. The largest ever caught was 1.5 metres long. They are said to be green/brown and black but to us they looked blue…. Depends on surrounding environment apparently. In the rainy season the Pai River becomes very muddy and water from the Fish cave is clear so have a distinct separation of colour.

Tham Lod Cave was spectacular with huge rooms of limestone stalagmites and stalagmites. Went for a ride through part of the cave on bamboo rafts. You sit on a stool that is no more than 4 inches of the deck…. and then had to turn around when we changed direction. I would say most difficult. While in there we could see thousands of bats. One pooped Helen which she didn’t exactly appreciate.

Walked up 304 step up and 304 steps down to see the sunset from Wat Phrat Mae Yen Buddha temple in Pai.

We are in a most gorgeous hotel in Chiang Rai right now called Laguna. I am trying to catch up with my blog from yesterday and today but unfortunately this place only allows one device on wifi at a time. That is difficult to coordinate pictures snd my notes that are on two different devices. So, I will send the pictures from my other device 🤬