GREAT pictures from everyone. I love looking at the pictures. Tigers, temples, food - great sights.

We are now in Bangkok and cannot wait to get to the ship! Had a wonderful time and some great experiences.

Ken is going to post a few shots from the Chiang Mai Hillside Village tribes that we visited with Jim and Pam. We really enjoyed that experience not what we expected. It was really individual families who set up stalls in front of their houses to sell hand made crafts to tourists with a $15 per person entrance fee. Up the hill was their other home on stilts that they move to when the lower area floods. I was surprised to learn it is mostly Chinese tourists who come here not many western tourists. We were there about 11.00 am and only two other tourists were there. As we left a bus full of Chinese arrived.

Several different tribes were represented here, the most interesting were the " Padaung Long Necks" part of the Karen tribes. These are the women with the brass rings around their necks. We were told this was done originally as the women were left home defenseless when the men went hunting and at times the women were attacked by tigers who of course go for the neck. The girls start wearing the rings at age four and they are then added as she ages. Plus one lovely elderly lady with a big smile from the Akha tribe with her black teeth from drinking a tea. The blacker the teeth the more beautiful in the Akha tribe eyes.

I think this would be hit with westerners if they developed this a little more and that would help these people as now they do rely on tourism. They are not Thai but refugees from Myanmar and this is how they now survive. I loved it just as it was, even though my first thought was darn just selling more "stuff". However it was REALLY their home now and the little children were there running around. Many of the women were really beautiful. If the tourists do not come then how would they survive. Then again if the tourists did not come then they may stop the practice of the rings. The rings actually do not elongate the neck the push the shoulders and rib cages down. Logic tells you it must do damage to the body.

Pam and I both bought a few trinkets and the most interesting being the hats they wear. These were definitely hand made you can see all the stitching on the inside. We are both so mad at ourselves for not buying three each with different patterns. They were only about $10 per hat and are really quite stunning. A grouping of three would look great on a wall. I think it was not until we left and really studied the hats that we realized how neat they really were. Just another of those missed opportunities that are hard to recreate! I am sure many of the other items were massed produced but the hats were really neat.

We are both quite excited about seeing everyone this afternoon it has been a long time since Hee Haw the last time we saw many of you. Informal gathering of course before dinner this evening in the observation lounge. Hopefully the bag we shipped will be in our cabin with all the pins and paper work!