Mae Kok & The Golden Triangle

Does this look like a tourist trap or what?

Nope.  No vendors, just Buddha shrines and the local monk.

One of four or five cool shrines in the cave.

Our guide, Mr. Chaiyan, presented a donation to the monk for the group.

Sitting and bowing, hands in prayer to your forehead, you bow.

Below the caves our longboat trip begins on the Mae Kok river.

Yep we are happy, healthy, blessed and having fun.

We finally captured a representative photo of the mountainscape.

Docked and headed for the hill tribe village.

After a donation the woman dressed up in hill tribe attire repeated to the donors wanting a photo "not enough".  It was cute. Her metal headdress probably weighs more than she does.

This family allowed us to tour their farming area.  Kaffir lime leaves, lemon grass, galanga root, and proteins like pigs and chickens.

Thai pork fried rice?  Soup?

Today we saw local people.  Fishing.

Bathing.

This new shrine to Quanyin is interesting, built primarily for the chinese tourist. It is still a work in progress; see the work being done on the serpent steps?  The dot on her forehead is a port hole window.  Her backside has windows, underneath an elevator.  Think Statue of Liberty'esque.

Our favorite photo of the day.

Tour break.  Pool time, according to the sign go right.

30 minute power soak.

Mekong river cruise.

A short hike, albeit steep and beautiful set of stairs up to the viewpoint. We jogged them Rocky style.

Standing in Thailand 🇹🇭, viewing Burma 🇲🇲 to the left and Laos 🇱🇦 to the right.

A.k.a the Golden Triangle.

Wouldn't be a good blog without the obligatory naked statue pic.

Wonders abound.

The local markets are unavoidable and unique.  We see things at shops once and never again.  Unlike other markets where you see the same stuff over and over again.

Wonder if our Health Savings Account (HSA) will cover these massages?

Or these?