Winter in Thailand

It is Getting Cold Around Here...

Sit and watch the sunset from this convenient bench.

Winter in Thailand means that it stops raining, and drops into the 60's at night (sometimes). 

This isn't ideal if you're hoping for a white Christmas, but for most other activities, especially outdoor related, this is ideal.

I've been taking a lot of drives around the countryside on my moped, as the weather is perfect and all you need is a light jacket for morning or evening rides. This has afforded me a number of great photo opportunities of the less touristy variety.

I recently drove up a long windy road that twisted through a little village, and led to an amazing mountaintop view of the sunset. And while I enjoyed the view and sunset, it was the rural village and people who grabbed my attention.

Some of the nicer houses at the top of the mountain

They live in very simple accommodations, with many of the houses made of corrugated metal or plastic pieces, and other miscellaneous materials. The roads were a mix of cement and red clay, with most walls having a reddish color from the dirt. Bits of building material, old vehicles, and other items were scattered around. Chickens were everywhere, as were kids and mothers.

I didn't stop to take any pictures, because I didn't want to disturb or make a scene. But it gave me the chance to reflect on the many things I take for granted, and to be thankful for them. especially in this holiday season.

It is so easy, even living in Thailand where poverty levels you rarely see in America, are literally around the corner form your house, to get busy, get caught up, and forget about thankfulness, and about the people around you.

I'll be trying to slow down a little over the holidays, between trips into the mountains, to be thankful for what God's given me, and look out for people around me. And I hope to encourage you to try something similar.

Vietnam for a Day (or a few)

Near Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

I had the chance to visit Vietnam for a few days in November, and it was a great experience. The trip went so fast, it almost felt like only a day.

I always find it exciting and interesting to see a new culture, and the Vietnamese culture is very different from most cultures I've seen before. They have a fairly strong french influence that was evident in everything from the food, to architecture, both of which I am a fan of.

Many of the buildings in Vietnam were taller, thinner and more elaborately decorated than buildings in Thailand. It wasn't uncommon to see a 4-5 story house that was 10 feet wide (at most) and 30-40 feet long. I have no idea why they make buildings so tall and thin, because in most situations space didn't seem to be a problem.

Rice Fields and Mountains - Thailand
has plenty of them to explore.

The food was a nice experience, as bread and coffee were plentiful, along with a number of more Asian oriented dishes.

Overall, the parts of Vietnam I visited were a lot of fun, but not necessarily somewhere I would go back to. There are lots of new places to explore.

Thanks for stopping in and reading. If you have any thoughts or questions, leave them below int he comments. The pictures are a variety from around Chiang Mai, and Vietnam.

Merry Christmas!