That's a wrap

Back in Chiang Mai and we are trying keep busy while waiting for my knee to heal so what do we do? We take another road trip via scooter into the mountains, where it is a little cooler, to a little town called Pia. Pia is lost in time, around the 60's to 70's, a little hippy dippy ville in the hills. Lots of dreadlocks, peace signs and tie dyed t-shirts are what you will find here. On the way to Pia, 3 1/2 hours from Chiang Mai on a very twisty road, Ken has the most amazing experiences (apparently it made his whole trip) on the road we came across a Hooded Cobra which measured about 6-7 feet. I am not afraid of snakes but they are not on my top 10 gotta have list but I am off the bike and have my camera out in a niche of time. I got a few photos but nothing unfortunately that shows how the snake flared it's neck/head at us. Pretty impressive! As usual I had to threaten Ken to stay back and not get too close. The guy is crazy! His dream encounter not mine. Now my dream encounter is more like the one we had at dinner that night...we went to a Thai barbecue. A pot is put on your table, over a flame, and in the pot you cook your own choice of meat and vegies in a broth with/without noodles and in the middle of the pot is a grill where you grill your own meat or seafood. Similar to a fondue idea or a raquellete. Pia turned out to be a nice diversion from the city for a day or two.

We returned back Chiang Mai for the Sunday street market, amazing as always, I have no idea where all whose people come from. The nightly special for the market is the $2 half hour foot massage or head, back and shoulder massage. What the heck we sprung for the full $4 hour package and got both done, I love this place! After a few hours wandering the streets in the market we started to make our way home, and what do we run into around a corner not far from our hotel? Just an elephant, Ken is in his glory again. Ken buys a couple to bananas and we feed them to the elephant, it's trunk in your hand as it picks up the banana feels very cool but at the same time kind of yukky. I don't know...so all is not lost... I didn't get to ride an elephant but at least I got to feed one.

The hooded cobra trys to get off the road with out being seen. We talked to someone else that day that had seen one as well that day, only a few hours later. Maybe it is mating season and they are on the move, they are not usually seen.
Ken kicks back at our guesthouse in Pia. Ours is one of the rooms in the back. They looked very cutsy but ended up being very noisy. Our room was on stilts and the room staff sat under our room talking and doing their business early in the morning, it sounded like they were in the room with us.

This time Ken can cook! Soup around the edge and grilling pork, water buffalo and chicken on the top.

Rice fields along the road to Pia.

Beautiful views for the jungle on the road to Pia.

Oh, what a life! Rest and Relaxation!

Ken feeds a new found friend!

O.K. here we are today, waiting for a connecting flight at the Taipei airport (in the VIP lounge). My knee is not healing as it should, Ken and I were a little nervous so made the decision to end our trip early and return home for therapy that we can understand, in English. Yes it's a drag but on the bright side our health insurance has payed for us to fly back business class so we are trying to make the best of it.

Let the Easter bunny know that we will be home in time of Easter!