December 12th - Thailand’s Highest Mountain

I’m going to start the blog today with photos that some of the others and the guides took yesterday (in no particular order). If you looked at yesterday’s blog, they are self explanatory. 

And now for today - A couple of pictures of the hotel property. 

Breakfast

Our bags are loaded onto the tailgate of our Tuk Tuk and wrapped to keep dry 

Ready to go 

This is the coffee lady at the end of the drive. She is always singing and happy. 

We get cushions today for the long ride up the mountain to our next lodging (about 4 hours) 

After an early breakfast we’re back in the Tuk Tuk convoy and heading along some of the most spectacular roads towards Thailand’s highest mountain, Doi Inthanon 

The mountains in the background are where we’re headed. 

 

This is Thailand in a photo: bamboo, tropical foliage, rice fields and mountains. 

Juniper’s Thai Time coffee mug we made before we left home. The coffee lady above has been filling it up for her. 

We stopped after 2 hours for a toilet break and to sample some of the great coffee that grows in this area.  

They had a big pot of rice porridge (chicken and rice soup) in a pot. There was a family there from Bangkok eating. They put a boiled egg in the bowl and then filled it with the soup. 

We kicked back and enjoyed the view. 

Orchid

Entering Doi Inthanon National Park

Doi Inthanon is one of the most popular national parks in Thailand. It is famous for its waterfalls, few trails, remote villages, viewpoints, sunrise/sunset watching, birdwatching and the all year round cold weather on higher elevations. The main park entrance is about 70 km southwest from Chiang Mai city center.

Also known as "The Roof of Thailand", Doi Inthanon National Park covers an area of 482 km² in Chiang Mai province north of Thailand. The park is part of the Himalayan mountain range with elevations ranging between 800 and 2,565 meters asl. The highest peak in the park is Doi Inthanon Mountain which is the highest mountain in Thailand. The park has high humidity and cold weather all year round.

After another hour and a half driving in the light rain, we arrive at our accommodation in the village of Mae Khlang Luang. 

Complete with mosquito netting over the beds. OA told us it’s too cold for mosquitoes here. Hmmm, we’ll see. I’ve managed to hike in Scotland numerous times and never been bothered by midges, but yesterday at the elephant farm I had the pleasure of a hundred midge bites all over my legs. Juniper got about three and another lady in the group had about half as many as me. 

The bucket of water and scoop are the Thai bidet and the shower is on the wall there. At least we have a flushing toilet and running water. And the view from our porch is stunning!

Thai chilis being dried

Khao Soi, Thai Curry Noodle Soup

Khao means rice and soi means to julienne. It's an interesting name because there is no rice involved in the process. Some say this is because the dish used to use rice noodles made by julienning sheets of dough.

We ate lunch in the outdoor pavilion at our lodging. 

After lunch, we walked over to the sturgeon hatchery 

Ban Mae Klang Luang Doi Inthanon Fisheries Research Unit

Scientific name: Acipenser baerii Brandt, 1869. On December 15, 2005, the Fisheries Department brought eyed stage fish eggs to hatch in Thailand for the first time from Germany. Later, in 2007, Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, was given 200,000 baht to purchase fish eggs from Russia to hatch at the research unit. 

 Siberian sturgeon fish is processed into various products, including smoked sturgeon. Fresh sturgeon caviar is distributed through various Royal Project stores. Caviar is seasoned fish roe made from sturgeon eggs. The black caviar can be ordered for $6,000 Thai baht, 100 grams. Rich in protein, vitamins A, C, D and E, as well as micronutrients including iodine, zinc, potassium, sodium and magnesia.

Baby sturgeon

The glare was so bad that it’s difficult to see the big sturgeon 

After the hatchery we walked to the village and stopped here for coffee, the freshest coffee around, at a local old-style mountain coffee shop – one of the favorite coffee shops anywhere in Northern Thailand. The water is boiled over the fire and the beans are ground by hand. They used a French press and poured the coffee into these tiny cups. 

A very long Bamboo picnic table. 

The toilet is this way 

These are all card fodder 

 

We met the lady who was weaving all the scarves sold in the village. Such beautiful intricate work. Her nephew married an American girl and has a beautiful daughter. As soon as she heard we were from America, she grabbed her photo album to show us his photo. 

The plan for this afternoon was to head up to Doi Inthanon, the tallest mountain in Thailand. However, the rain and clouds have covered the mountain so it would be pointless to go up. We are going to hope for a clear day tomorrow, but will go up regardless and do a short hike as well. 

Tree marigold 

Our Tuk Tuk is all tucked in for a couple of days. We won’t use it again until day after tomorrow. 

This little guy just wanted to get to his daddy who was working the rice fields. He’s so cute!

And daddy finally got to him.  

They just finished harvesting the rice, so now they cut the stalks and spread them over the rows to keep the weeds out for next planting. We were talking to OA about the crops and he was telling us there are three growing seasons, and some grow rice all three. Others grow rice, onions and corn or sometimes kale. Here is the conversation about kale. 

Him: Chinese kare

Us: Huh?

Him: Kare

Us: ???

Him: Kare 

Us: Oh kale

Kulah! Him trying to say the L in kale. We all had a good laugh.

This evening it’s time for a traditional Thai barbecue. 

We had to cook our own dinner. I wasn’t really a fan. 

They cook better 😁

The glow over the mountains is due to chrysanthemum growing lights. 

Another great end to a superb day!

Born Thy people to deliver

Jesus the Messiah was born. He became a human. He was incarnate for the purpose of our redemption. That was the purpose of his being born into this world.

It's astonishing how, in the wake of miraculous deliverance (Exodus 7, Ex. 13), Israel believed they could build for themselves a better hope than the Promised Land. Had they not been given an abundance of evidence to believe that God could and would fight for them? Lacking the power to save themselves from Egypt, yet presuming they had the power to sustain themselves after Egypt, Israel struggled in the same way believers do today.

The wilderness years exist as part of the unfolding thread of God’s promise to dwell with His people. Israel waited for the promised land. We wait for the return of Christ. Both in waiting. Both depend upon the Lord. Throughout all time, this has remained true,

In ultimate fulfillment of God’s promise, “the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14). Where we, like Israel, are unable to overcome, God remains faithful and provided a way to make His presence here with us and to deliver us.