Doi Inthanon National Park and Doi Ang Khang

After birding Khao Yai in the morning, we hauled buns back to Bangkok for a short flight to Chiang Mai.  Well, as much as you can haul buns anywhere in Bangkok because it's total gridlock all the time.  That's why the locals take these gambling buses which have poker tables and slot machines and cocktails and, based on their size, one can only presumeVegas showgirls as well.

These things are huge

The flight to Chiang Mai in the north of Thailand was short, about an hour, but the drive to our hotel for the night was long and by now there was no denying that Fred had a nasty, snotty head cold and felt like warmed over death.  When we stopped for gas I went into the convenience store to find meds.  I found this instead:

For some reason he did not think it would help

After a quick overnight in Chiang Mai we drove to our hotel near Doi Inthanon National Park.

Inthanon Highland Resort 

Sure, these welcoming bananas look yummy, that's what the rat that showed up at 3:00 a.m. thought too

These damn birds get up way too early

Doi Inthanon National Park

We had two full days of birding here on the highest mountain in Thailand where it was downright chilly in the mornings.  Our Thai guides were decked out in heavy jackets like it was February in Minnesota.  Thais have been known to visit this mountain so they can take photos of frost. 

Laughing Thrush

Green-tailed Sunbird

Here's a birding fact.  If you ask any bunch of random birders about their skill level they will all say they are "above average".  As a birder with exceptional skills myself, I can tell you this is generally crap.  This is why I tend to locate myself at the back of any pack of birders so I can spot the little suckers all by myself and then gloat later about being the only one in the group that saw the one skulking target bird everyone was after.  That's how I roll, I'm rotten that way.  But, there is a down side.

Much like the old school game called "gossip",  the bird spotted at the front of the line may be a sooty-capped bulbul, but by the time it reaches me it's a snotty-headed volleyball.  No worries though, because here's the thing, I don't care.

The other advantage of being separated from the group is that you get to see things like this:

Yep, carved, wooden zebras under a bush.  I asked our Thai guide about this later and got a very convoluted explanation about the stripes in a crosswalk and the stripes on the zebra leading you on a safe path to eternity.  Makes total sense to me, this is a religion I can get behind especially after a couple of beers.

How can you not love a culture that offers up a refreshing Fanta, with a thoughtful straw no less, and some artificial flowers to a painted, plastic, uni-browed, half-naked, old man hiker carrying a man bag.  I love Thailand.

While Fred was busy looking at birds:

White-crested Laughing Thrush

Puff-throated Babbler

I was busy looking at butterflies and beetles:

Till I had to go pee, where I encountered this sign:

Which I interpreted to mean, "mice are known to relax on roadways, be careful".

A word here about bathrooms in Thailand.  As someone familiar with countries that don't have the courtesy to provide triple-ply toilet paper or accommodate those of us who prefer fancy sit-down commodes I have learned to always bring along a wad of toilet paper and in Asia I suggest you also bring along an actual toilet because as a woman of a certain age I can tell you that this my friends is no picnic.

On the way to Doi Ang Khang we stopped in some rice paddies to look for birds but honestly they were so far away I had to entertain myself by pretending these huts were from Monet's haystack paintings and looking at apple snail egg casing.  Such is the life of non-enthusiastic birder.

The best part of the day, for me anyway, was the stop at this temple in a limestone cave devoted to the life of a monk who lived here before achieving enlightenment and shuffling off this mortal coil to a better place.  Possibly Rio.

That's your destination, but to get there you must do as any good buddhist would do and suffer a little.

Only 500 steps to enlightenment or heat exhaustion whichever comes first

Only 309 steps to go but apparently time is running out

I think this means I can't be a Buddhist 

After the climb, you will be rewarded by being in the presence of the cremated remains of this dude who lived his life in this limestone cave with only the bare essentials

His essentials have been enshrined in this case, they include his dentures (top row), some corning ware and pyrex, a thermos and a mag lite flashlight which presumably he did not really need since he was already enlightened

Fred and I working on being good Buddhists in training, at least I am.  He is probably praying for a longer life list

Lifestyles of the rich and famous, the Monk episodes

Going to the pee in this country can be very confusing, for example apparently only fat men can use the urinal

Of course all the "Don't" examples are women

There is always "dress for borrow" if you show up looking slutty

After an afternoon drive up a very steep road we arrived to spend the next couple of nights at the Ang Khang Nature Resort on the border with Myanmar.

View from our patio

That's Burma in the distance, well if you're past a certain age it is, otherwise it's Myanmar

Lots and lots of great birds to see along the border here but my priority right about this time was not birding but shopping.

She was my favorite, she is approximately 4 feet tall

Love his little haircut

Thailand, land of smiles some of them toothless

All the older hill tribe women had stained lips and tongues from chewing betel nut.  I bought lots of "genuine", "antique", "sacred" Buddhist amulets