Chiang Mai, February 15, 2018 Maybe we saved the best for last. Come to think of it though, it all has been good. But last night . . . what a treat! We put on one of our few outfits of nice clothes and went out for dinner and entertainment. We were blown away! The place is called Khan Toke Dinner - Khan Toke is germane to the people of northern Thailand. The venue is a former social gathering place; it made me think of a large, outdoor, elevated and decor...

Chiang Mai, February 14, 2018 Cooking class last night was a blast! We are learning that there are many, many cooking schools in Chiang Mai but this school was selected for us because it serves vegetables, herbs and mushrooms grown in its own garden. And while they teach large groups of tourists in their well-equipped outdoor kitchen during the daytime, this evening event was just for the two of us. Bay and driver, Ten, drove us a long way through the b...

Chiang Mai, February 13, 2018 Today is my brother's birthday! Happy Birthday, Michael Latting! Bay, our guide, is the first of five or six we have had who actually listens to our needs. Yesterday as he reviewed the plan for today we told him that in our travels we have recently experienced plentiful local markets, temples and the "canned-type" craft factories with a demonstration of a craft but moreover a huge retail outlet targeted to tourists and tour...

Bangkok - Chiang Mai, February 12, 2018 We took an early morning walk for exercise this morning - boy, have I been missing the opportunity to get some air in my lungs. We thought about going to the hotel gym but the morning looked inviting and there is a paved walkway along the river. The walkway connects Phra Sumen Fort, one of only two forts still remaining in Bangkok since 1782, and Santichaiprakarn Park on the east end to Thammasat University on the f...

Bangkok, February 11, 2018 We grabbed a taxi at 7 am this morning and literally zoomed to Chinatown to the Co Van Kessel Bike Tour office. The ride made us feel like VIP's with streets blocked off just for us. For the first time in days and days, there was no traffic. Because it's Sunday, very little was going on yet. We were able to actually see the streets and houses and buildings. It was a beautiful morning. We joined a family of six from Belgium ...