Top of the World

We took the bus up to Chiang Mai for the long weekend (the King's birthday/Father's Day) because my cousin invited us on this trip long before the flooding began.  She arranges an annual trip with her friends, so we are always happy to sit back and relax a little Thai style!  We don't see family too often since everyone is always working, and we're usually homebodies anyway.

My cousin and her boyfriend just bought a house earlier this year after many years and had plans to get married.  They have the horrible misfortune of being in the brunt of the flood zone when it reached Bangkok since their home is in the northern outskirts of Rangsit near my dad's family farm.  It's really heart breaking since Jan and Jung are some of the nicest people you will ever meet, but they've managed to continue smiling while they live temporarily in their friend's condo with extended family.

Northern Thailand is beginning to grow on us more.  The air is much cleaner (ok, the air is probably cleaner anywhere than in Bangkok!) and, for the first time in years, we felt cold!  [It's a weird feeling to be surprised by the feeling of coldness, since we both grew up in places that have winter.] 

We just feel very fortunate that after many weeks of stressing out about food and water that was the most of our problems.  While many people are returning to the routine of work and daily life, a lot of the country is still faced with the aftermath of the toxic, stagnant water that is not expected to fully recede until the end of the month.