The mark of a successful man is one that has spent an entire day on the bank of a river without feeling guilty about it. - Author Unknown

Mae Ping Long-Tail Boat

One thing we wanted to do before leaving Chiang-Mai was to take a ride in a long-tailed boat on the beautiful Ping River.

The Ping River is 600 kilometers long. It originates from Doi Tuey in Chiang Dao district and many brooks and creeks join the river as it flows down from the mountains and through Chiang-Mai, before it finally merges into the Chao Phraya River at Paak Naam Pho in Nakorn Sawan (literally: Heavenly City.)

Before the construction of the Northern Region railway, transportation and communication between Chiang Mai and Bangkok depended mainly on boats. A river journey down to Bangkok took about six months, and the return trip about seven to eight months.

The Ping River at that time was full of islets. As a result, a voyage on Ping River had to be done in columns, to help prevent raids by bandits, and to help one another in times of trouble.

The goods transported downstream were all natural products from the forests, while the merchandise transported upstream were dried fish, mirrors, salt, candles, textiles, kerosene, matches, etc.

Aquatic transportation decreased after the completion of the railway track to Chiang Mai in 1921, and after construction of the Bhumibol Dam.

Our original plan was to hire a small long-tail boat but, as they had all been dispathed, we were provided with a larger version, more comfortable but less powerful. Thus, our cruise was at a sedate 6 to 8 knots rather than the twenty plus knots that the smaller versions are capable of. We'll do that next time.

The smaller, faster version of the long-tailed boat

Russell, negotiator extraordiaire, barters for the ticket

Lidy settles in for the cruise

Past solitary fishermen

...and pairs of fishermen

Past other boats...

It's near midday and Lidy takes another swig of water to help beat the heat

Past our beloved Le Crystal Restaurant

and children taking a dip in the noon day sun

Finally, we arrive at a farmhouse restaurant

We stop at a farmhouse restaurant and are shown the cultivation of jasmine rice, vegetables and get to see, smell and taste a variety of herbs for use in both medicine and cookery.

After a tour of the grounds and a demonstation of how rices, herbs and vegetables are grown

We enter the restaurant

We enjoy a snack of seasonal fresh fruits and savour the refreshing taste of lemon-grass, ginger, ginseng and other exotic herbal teas and juices.

We are treated to samples of fruits and herbal teas

It's then time to re-board our boat for the return journey

This long-tailed boat also has a conventional rudder

Our captain knows the river so well he can steer with his eyes closed!

Rear Admiral Russell enjoys the cruise back home

The sewing machine joins what the scissors have cut asunder, plus whatever else comes in its path. - Mason Cooley

A Stitch in Time

Yes, I know, but it's a tradition that; when one visits Thailand, one procures the services of a gentleman's tailor; and that's just what I did!

After visiting several tailor shops and being less than impressed by the high pressure, high priced speils, I was eventually advised to visit "Suit Siam".

What a difference! Not only very professional but, very understanding and laid-back. No high-pressure here; I almost had to convince the tailor to make my suit for me. Along with all that, the suits are very competitively priced and extremely well made.

Unfortunately, the genial tailor spoke little English (read NONE!) so I had to arrange to have our ever-ready guide Nonny, on hand to translate.

Suit Siam, Chiang-Mai

Oh, and did I mention that my tailor also tailors shirts?

Uh, Nonny, please tell him the sleeves ARE too long!

Are you sure he understands he needs to shorten the sleeves and NOT the jacket?

And, like magic, the suit re-appears with shortened sleeves only one hour later

Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures. - Henry Ward Beecher

POWER FLOWER

It was lunch break at the Umbrella Factory, and Lidy was ambling through the factory looking at the many unfinished works.

As she was passing one of the artists who's job it is to paint designs on the finished umbrellas, he called her over and offered to paint a design on her pants. At first, she declined, but after some encouragement from Russell, she agreed and the photo's below tell the story. The whole episode took less than ten minutes.

Lidy was so pleased with the result, she asked the artist to sign her pants for her.

How about here under the pocket?

The paint goes on and Lidy is apprehensive

More paint. The paint of no return...

Mmmm, lookin' good!

The finishing touches

Must dry the paint, mind you, it's 32 deg in the shade!

Voila!

Weather is a great metaphor for life. Sometimes it's good, sometimes bad and there's not much you can do but carry an umbrella. - Pepper Giardino

The Brolly Factory

Lidy needed to visit an umbrella making factory. As usual, the 'factory' also turned out to have a large souvenir store attached to it...

Not only did the artisans make umbrellas but, many other products like settees, chairs and tables.

The raw umbrella bits and pieces

Can I get this on the 'plane?

Coffee anyone? Uh, just a sec while I whip up a coffee table

Another artisan was busy working on a cane armchair