Chiang Mai, Thailand

Shrieks of "tuk-tuk" and big smiles greet our current mode of transport as we explore northern Thailand with two 2-yr. olds. The boys have learned to sit calmly and observe their passing environment as we travel from our apartment that is located a short distance outside the old city. Nap time at mid-day means that there are two adventures each day intended to exhaust their high energy levels and to give our downstairs neighbors a break. Our new "home" is a one-bedroom apartment on the 4th floor and the 6 of us have settled in quite well to the small space. Living on a boat prepares you for cramped quarters. The newer apartments come with 2 bathrooms, usually, and a small kitchen area with a 2-burner hotplate and sometimes a microwave--no oven. In our apt. we have 3 plates, 3 bowls, and assorted spoons and forks. Fortunately Tesco, a discount store similar to Walmart, is located within walking distance. Apartment buildings also have a small "cafe" area--ours serves Fried Rice with egg and vegs. delivered to your apt. for $1 and it makes a nice meal. Down at the end of the lane is a fellow that fries chicken pieces in a huge oil-filled wok on the street which we sometimes pick up for the boy's dinner and on the walk back home live two Thai women that always come running out with balls of sticky rice for them to nibble on. The twins seem to attract attention like strong magnets. Someone is always picking them up, kissing them, and they seem to tolerate the attention before wandering off. This is the smoky season in Chiang Mai and dust and dirt seem to settle everywhere. Our feet are always black which maybe is why the showers come with a faucet that seems to be made for washing feet. The twins used to be clean but now they spend their days absolutely filthy, t-shirts covered with grime and food, hands black from picking up rocks, and knees bruised from climbing up and down stairs and in and out of buses and tuk-tuks. Today is Saturday here which means Saturday Market at 4pm for good shopping for tourist crafts and food. They actually have people standing on line for the fried grasshoppers and grubs!

Elephants are a big tourist attraction here and since we don't support the training methods necessary for them to paint pictures and transport tourists we had to travel a little further to the Elephant Nature Park which is a sanctuary for abused elephants. The boys loved feeding the huge beasts until one mistook Max's arm for a banana but they still continued to play with them in the river and watch them as they rolled in the mud.