//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js // <![CDATA[ (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); // ]]> My foot taps to the beat of the band as I wait in the tiny outdoor area behind Interbar in Chiang Mai. It seems like I’ve been standing in front of this dingy little mirror and dirty sink for more than five minutes. I’m notContinue reading “Sexpats, expats and bathroom blowjobs”
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Escape of the Week: Chiang Mai’s Wat Doi Suthep
It’s hard to look up at the slick stairs of Wat Doi Suthep, it’s raining so hard. I blink back the water and squint my eyes up, up, up, trying not to get distracted by the gorgeously tiled dragon at the base of the stairs. It’s a long way to the top. “Ready?” I ask,Continue reading “Escape of the Week: Chiang Mai’s Wat Doi Suthep”
The Rachamankha Hotel: an experience in quiet Thai luxury
Upon arrival to the Rachamankha Hotel in the old city of Chiang Mai, Thailand, it is easy to tell what the experience has in store. Set off of the street in a quiet enclave, the only Relais and Chateaux property in northern Thailand is an oasis from the hustle and bustle of tuk tuks and marketsContinue reading “The Rachamankha Hotel: an experience in quiet Thai luxury”
From hut to haute: checking in to the Rachamankha Hotel
The dirt embedded under my nails is thick. Despite having been “clean.” I guess, after a week at Elephant Nature Park as a volunteer with elephants, “clean” is relative. When the Elephant Nature Park van arrives to the Rachamankha Hotel, an elegant boutique hotel inside the old city of Chiang Mai, and I catch aContinue reading “From hut to haute: checking in to the Rachamankha Hotel”
Que Sera Sera
“Que sera sera, whatever will be, will be. The future is ours, you’ll see, que sera sera,” Lek sings softly to the baby elephant, Faa Mai, as she sits on the dirt between the animal’s front legs. I watch, silently, in awe. Lek singing to her is a beautiful moment between friends. To me, someoneContinue reading “Que Sera Sera”
The A-Z of D Travels ‘Round
Happy 2012! Well, Happy 2012 a few days early. While everyone is either dragging themselves into work for the short week, or spending time on a lil’ holiday, I figured now is the time for some fun travel stories. I’m not doing a “Best of” this year, but when the opportunity to participate in theContinue reading “The A-Z of D Travels ‘Round”
A trip to a Thai elementary school: a photo essay
Most of the time at Elephant Nature Park is spent at the park, caring for elephants and helping maintain the facilities. However, our calendar of volunteer activities clearly shows that on Thursday, we are heading out of the park to do some volunteer work at the village elementary school with the kids. I love myContinue reading “A trip to a Thai elementary school: a photo essay”
They gave me a machete: a true story of corn-cutting
Our group of 10 piles into the back of a pickup truck at 8 a.m. We’re covered head-to-toe, largely to avoid ants crawling down our clothing and nipping us. I’ve got on a hat with fabric flaps, a long-sleeved shirt, a T-shirt, leggings, gum boots, and a pair of gloves. And, I’m not as coveredContinue reading “They gave me a machete: a true story of corn-cutting”
I’m not full of it, I’m shoveling it
I wake up early on my first day — as soon as the light begins to sneak through the tiny cracks in the wood, and the more than 100 dogs begin to bark their “hellos” to their cat neighbors and the elephants start making their noises out my window. I’m too excited to sleep anyContinue reading “I’m not full of it, I’m shoveling it”
Blessings from a shaman
It starts as a drizzle after dinner … a soft pitter patter on the roof of the main area at the Park. It’s dark, so we can’t really see the full effect. But, we can hear it. Within minutes, that light little drizzle gives way to sheets of rain, dumping from the sky. As weContinue reading “Blessings from a shaman”
D Travels 'Round 