This year, the film “Oppenheimer” swept the Academy Awards, as it should have. However, the Manhattan Project was not all about one guy, and the film completely ignores the effects of dropping nuclear weapons on Japan – something I couldn’t do when I visited Hiroshima in 1986.

Nonetheless, Oppenheimer is an important name worthy of study, but what about J. Robert’s little brother, Frank? In the long run, he may be the one more worth considering as the founder of the Exploratorium in San Francisco. In the educational pantheon, he is a mensch among the mightiest.

If you haven’t been to the Exploratorium, you must go. If you have – as I had when it was in its original location at the Palace of Fine Arts – you must go back. You need to have time, and it really helps to bring along some kids, or friends who are deeply in touch with their inner child. Read the story, the history of this magical place.

Frank Oppenheimer was way ahead of his time, a true leader in the field of education, fun, curiosity, & art! In fact, his shining example as a world class science teacher perhaps helps his poor older brother’s self-proclaimed reputation as a “destroyer of worlds.” Are we not all brothers & sisters after all?

So, when I had the chance to go to a UCSC event about AI at the Commonwealth Club in SF, I went early so I could go play a bit at the Exploratorium. Here’s just a snippet of that lil’ escapade…

This batch is an interlude of surroundings there at the Embarcadero: Pier 15 (new site of the Exploratorium, the old clock tower, the city & the bay…

Rather than explaining what each picture depicts scientifically, I’m just going for cool art photography, but you get extra points & love if you can identify the various concepts to be explored…!

As mentioned, later that day I did go to a UCSC event for alumni, parents, and others at the Commonwealth Club, just a walk away from the Pier 15. (The topic, Artificial Intelligence, almost seems antithetical to the purpose, mission, and vision of the Exploratorium?)

Thanks again for coming along…

This post focuses on Mesa Verde (humans) and the Grand Canyon (nature), and more!

As kids, our parents had taken us to both on our many summer vacations around the western United States. However, I’d recommend that all kids – now old folks like me – go back and view both with new/old eyes. It is the rare child who understands the vastness of time and space represented in both these national treasures.

I did not remember that Mesa Verde had so many ancient dwellings. “Cliff Palace” is the poster child, and rightly so, but it is just one of many structures under multiple massive rock overhangs in the huge neighborhood of Mesa Verde. While the interpretive signage is excellent, it takes a leap of the imagination to consider life way back then. Humanity finding its place in the world…

And I did not, as a kid, come close to fathoming the immensity of the Grand Canyon. Its breathtaking enormity and raw beauty also require a leap of the imagination. To see the art of time painstakingly painted with water on the canvas of earth is to grok, incompletely, the millions of years it took to create. It may be the single most spectacular sight in the USA – and there are many…?

So…

After leaving Chaco Canyon in New Mexico, I drove to Cortez Colorado to spend the night. Mesa Verde National Park is almost adjacent, so the next morning I drove in. This first batch include the 360 degree view from Park Point driving in, and my first stop at the Cliff Palace, the largest of the several ancient dwelling sites in Mesa Verde. Unfortunately, the park ranger tours for a more close up experience had not started yet for the season…

This next batch shows some of the other dwelling sites, which would have required a quite skilled climbing culture in the canyons. It also shows some of the pit houses that existed even before the cliff dwellings were built…

More cliff dwellings and pit houses, and views of the Cliff Palace from the opposite side of the canyon…

Next up, here’s the Cliff Palace through the telescope, etc. from the other side of the canyon…

Of course, I also went to the museum and saw some of the artifacts they have on display. Likely, this is just a fraction of what might have been available to view had looters not absconded with many larger and more valuable items. As those who have acquired these treasures die, or they are discovered by new generations, one hopes they may be returned to where they came from.

Additionally, a cool painting, a couple hiking down in the canyon, the museum from the outside, a different but also large dwelling complex, and a random rock in the desert on the way to my next destination…

The Chaco Canyon and Bandelier National Monuments sections of the previous post relate to Mesa Verde. There is much speculation about the migrations of peoples between (from/to) these and other sites, and there have been changing interpretations of these peoples (Pueblo is preferred over Anasazi), and what happened to the various groups – and why.

These places are not unlike the Mayan ruins I have visited in Mexico and Guatemala in that the native, indigenous peoples had left these sites before European explorers arrived. Sadly, that was not the case for the Aztec and the Inca, and in all cases the full and true stories of these noble people have been erased by religion, looting, and the destruction of cultural artifacts. Happily, our National Park system has done an outstanding job of preserving and explaining what we have and what we know.

The “human” part of this post continues as I then went to the “Four Corners” where Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico meet – a completely arbitrary point in middle of a desert now administered by the Navajo Nation. I enjoyed watching my fellow tourists, from hither and yon, take their pix at this very random place. There were a few more geological photographables along the way to my next destination…

Teec Nos Pos, Arizona. Ron & I passed by this same spot in the summer of 1982, 42 years ago!

Amazingly, I have this photo of my 21 year old self meditating on the side of the road…

Eventually, I arrived at the east end of the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and took my first look at the Desert View, distinguished by the tower built to take in the glorious vista. I went to the next view point to take in the sunset, then motored on to the Village where I visited the store, noted that the campground was full, and snuck into the employee parking lot where I spent a comfortable night…

The next morning, I relocated to the Visitors Center and walked to perhaps the most prominent vista site for some early glimpses of what proved to be a long day experiencing the Grand Canyon…

More GC from various vistas, the Village from a distance, and ending with some museum stuff…

More vistas, Powell memorial, cloud & shadow, signage, and ravens…

It’s a huge place, there needs to be a huge number of pix just to get a small idea of bigness. Yes? This batch also features the Hermit’s Rest at the end of South Rim trail (and the beginning of a crazy-long hike).

Back in the Village, I went to the El Tovar Hotel, the Verkamp’s Visitor Center, and then headed home…

Once back on the road, this horse was headin’ for the barn. I drove non-stop past Barstow, got in a coupla winks at a roadside rest, then motored on home to La Honda – stopping at the Romero Visitors Center at the San Luis Reservoir Dam to take in the excellent videos they have on display. On the 152? Check it out, an underutilized treasure of water system interpretation. Finally made it home and there was our neighbor Steve. I love driving, but I love being home more…

Thanks again for coming along. Time to stay home, do some spring cleaning, and enjoy lil’ ol’ La Honda!

Bye for now…

After experiencing the 2024 solar eclipse (and a burger at Ringo’s), I hightailed it out of Kerrville – and Texas – making it to Carlsburg New Mexico by nightfall (where I slummed it in a neighborhood). Next day I motored on to Roswell, and of course had to visit the International UFO Museum…

From Roswell to Albuquerque, not feelin’ it, so on to Santa Fe. Another Alan, the proprietor at the charming Guadalupe Inn, talked me into two nights there, and I was not disappointed. I crashed a poshy book signing, chatted with a Turkish merchant, strolled the old town, went to a ‘ceramics pub,” browsed a fraction of the huge art scene, and had an upscale chile rellano for dinner…

The next day I biked around town and took in some of the classic sites, including the Spanish churches (one with a mysterious spiral staircase), the extreme antiquities (oldest house in America, etc.), more of the art scene, and not a few of the tourist attractions…

Here’re a couple of video clips – some wind art and a ride down Canyon Road, famous for the many art galleries…

Just a few of the things that caught my eye on Canyon Road…

On a tip, I went to the Capitol building and took in some of the art there. This batch includes more of Santa Fe and ends with the Guadalupe Inn (serendipity strikes again!)…

Based on yet another great recommendation from Alan at the Inn, after leaving Santa Fe I went to Bandelier National Monument, an ancient Native American pueblo site in Frijoles Canyon. It features an array of cliff dwellings, petroglyphs, and some ruins. Once again I was impressed by our National Park System (and bought my lifetime senior park pass there!)…

This batch features some of the petroglyphs and only a sampling of the extensive and relevant interpretive signage (not to mention the creek that runs through it)…

An eclectic, randomized batch: I motored on to Taos, taking “the high road” but avoiding Los Alamos. I stayed at the somewhat famous Hotel La Fonda, right on the zocalo. Interestingly, it featured some paintings somewhat hidden away in a conference room by the author D. H. Lawrence. Like his novels, they were rather lurid (I guess?). There were some other pictures, including a one of a kind photo of Dennis Hopper (Easy Rider had been filmed nearby). Combo plate…!

Leaving Taos the next day, I tried to go to the Taos Pueblo, but it was closed. So I went to the Rio Grande Gorge bridge. (It didn’t occur to me to jump until I saw the Crisis Hotline phone.) Then, I drove to Chaco Canyon, one of my bucket list destinations, and one not easy to get to. In addition to the hours on the road, the last stretch is a dirt road way out on the plains. Note the wild horses!

Here’s a clip of the last bit before the National Monument Visitor’s Center (again excellent)…

I’d heard about Chaco Canyon at the time of the Harmonic Convergence, and have always wanted to visit. It was an outstanding experience, and amazing to think of this vast complex being at it’s height a thousand years ago. It predates the amazing Mayan and Incan ruins I’ve visited.

The area is rather vast, and was likely looted of artifacts, but is still one of the amaziing places on earth – and a UNESCO World Heritage Site…!

I like to add some pix of the signage and I trust you’ll take the time…? Perhaps a better way to give meaning to my pix…?

I was even able to take a little bike ride which added more to the experience as I went further than I would have on foot. Finally, I left Chaco, drove back out on the dirt road, and powered up to Colorado for another ancient Native American experience at Mesa Verde. But that’ll be part of my next post, having left New Mexico – and the much older world that was here before…

Wow! You made it…

“Gracias amigos”

I write from Kerrville Texas on the morning of April 8th, three hours+ before the total eclipse that I spent three days driving to experience. Now, I continue writing two days later from Santa Fe New Mexico, finally putting this post together.

Just to assuage curiosity, let me start with one of my only eclipse glimpses when the clouds parted slightly and briefly. (Better images are available elsewhere.)

For some background, here are some links I found useful. One is about the Kerrville Eclipse Festival… https://www.kerrvilletexascvb.com/events/2024/kerrville-eclipse-festival

Even better, here’s an overview of the April 8th 2024 event: https://www.greatamericaneclipse.com

On the morning of April 5th, I left La Honda, with Mary Lynn’s approval, for the three day drive to Texas. Here are some pix from the road…

Finally arriving in Kerrville the night before, I found it to be kind of a charming town next to the Guadalupe River. Here’s their famous Schreiner Mansion…

Near there, I wondered into a public art gallery and a rather dense antique consignment store…

Next, I went to a local art gallery and enjoyed meeting the proprietor, Mike, and an artist named Luis. Interesting assortment…

On the day of the eclipse, I rode my bike down to the Folk Fairgrounds where the Eclipse Festival was taking place. (BTW, speaking of looking at the sun, the Texas wildflowers might have been as spectacular?)

Judging the cloud cover might be less further north, I rode along the Guadalupe River for a while, then jumped to a highway looking for a gap in the clouds. This batch starts with the partial eclipse, before totality, seen through the special eclipse glasses; then some of the struggles with clouds and finally my brief glimpses of the total eclipse…

Next up, here are four of my video clips (all quite short). First, along the road, then using the glasses, then the darkness of totality, and finally the brief glimpse through a break in the clouds…!

Well y’all, I’ll finish this post with a time lapse of my ride along the river path. One of the best parts of lil’ ol’ Kerrville…

Oh, yeah, here are some of those better pictures of the solar eclipse phenomenon…

Here are some last images from Laos and the trip home to California. There are some video clips not previously posted (note: the interiors of sphere in the Buddha Park), and some pix taken by my fellow travelers which came into my Photos through our WhatsApp group. Its quick, click…!

This batch is all pix taken by others in our tour group. Some are quite good, and its always fun to share photos and information in a group chat…

Here are some from my last day in Vientiane, exploring & shopping. Most are from one interesting art & antique shop, but also the night market where I got some gifties & souvenirs…

This last batch of video clips are all from the plane: leaving Ho Chi Minh City, arriving back in California (our own stretch of Highway 1, etc., and patterns on the edge of the San Francisco Bay as we landed…

From Saigon to SFO, with an emphasis on Bay Area tidal patterns. Note: Palo Alto High, frost, Foster City, and winding water…

Thanks for watching. Time to take a break…

A morning van ride took us from Vang Vieng to Vientiane, the capital city of Laos, and the final destination of this Intrepid tour. But I’ll stay a few extra nights, thus this will be another long post!

In addition to a couple shots from the van, and one of Vientiane’s Arc de Triomphe, this first batch is of Wat Si Saket, particularly old with some interesting features (note the niches). One cannot photograph the interior of the temple, but it’s detailed murals, destroyed by flooding, were restored with support from the German government! Also, the leaning pillars are supposed to indicate something about honesty…?

The little shrines (above and below) around the outside edge of most temple complexes are ornate little tombs or mini-mausoleums, usually with a picture and an epitaph. Sadly, maintenance is spotty (depends on the family) and some fall into disrepair (note the toppled one). Nonetheless, the freshly dead get freshly sculpted (with cement, plaster, & paint) shrines to themselves, as shown here…

Patuxai is the product of the French colonial influence in Laos. A walk to the top provides a history lesson and excellent views of the city (bad air quality notwithstanding). Met some nice Chinese tourists (one thought I looked like Trump so I had to set ’em straight!)…

Next we went to the COPE Visitors Center to learn some sad lessons. (Not unlike the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City!) During the Vietnam War, US taxpayers funded thousands of bombing runs and millions of tons of bombs over Laos and Cambodia, in addition to Vietnam.

Cluster bombs are particularly devasting, but the devastation has continued for decades as the Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) are discovered by the feet of farmers, children, animals, and equipment. Here is one of the videos we watched at COPE. PLEASE EXPERIENCE!

For starters, the facility has a hospital and gymnasium, so I had to check out the hoop tournament. Didn’t see disabled players, but the many prosthetic devices in the museum attest to the sad reality for thousands of Laotians, many children…

That evening we did a little walk around the neighborhood and had our farewell dinner as a tour group (St. Patrick’s Day and Alastair’s 78th birthday party). Note Emmy, our outstanding tour leader!

We said our goodbyes at breakfast the next morning, then I switched hotels for the rest of my extended stay in Vientiane. (Really liked the colorful fish in the decorative aquaculture pots!)

The heat has been particularly oppressive, but I managed a walkabout anyway. Unfortunately, the mighty Mekong is not the feature it should be, apparently diminished by a hydroelectric dam upstream? Consequently, you can hardly see it from the popular part of Vientiane, a huge sandbar and poor infrastructure in between.

But I wandered through a park, took in a monument or two, and went to the Ho Prah Keo Museum. Amazingly, the Emerald Buddha which I had seen in Bangkok had lived here for over two centuries before it was absconded. I found the local art and detailed wood carving more significant than that lil’ statuette…

On my own, I like meandering through the streets, hunting the obscurata. Mazes of phone/power lines, scooter scrabble, and you can’t go wrong in the food markets. Squid-cabobs, shrimp scampering, meat miscellany, baked crocodile, etc. Fun signage! And check out our attractive pool here at the New Champa Boutique Hotel…!

On my first full free day I commissioned Tungchai – a “stories man,” whose ad I saw, to take me to the Buddha Park. He was a bit late and had a Russian tourist with him, but it all worked out swimmingly.

Here’s his ad, then the Beerlao plant which he pointed out on the way, and him and her. The Buddha Park was worth the trip, but like other spots, needing more TLC than it’s getting…

A floral interlude. Not only were they around the park, there seemed to be an aspiring botanical garden just adjacent…

Another sort of interlude. I walked all the way to the end which overlooks the Mekong River. There were some good looking farm fields, and across the river, Thailand!

More of the Buddha Park, which started a year before my birth (thus the arthritis?). Delight, as I did, in the statuary…!

Yes, I crawled into the sphere and scrambled up the various steps of this three story structure to the top, where one can get the big picture. Back to Tungchai’s tuktuk and off to the Golden Stupa…

Some kinda government building, the entrance, some paintings within, and at the end of this batch a few pix of the actual Golden Stupa…

In fact, the ancient statuary here, and the rest of the Pha That Luang temple complex are much more compelling. More colorful than average, and there was also a spectacular pavillion with an ornately painted ceiling, among the many sites to see…

I lingered, looked in nooks & crannies, unhurried. Interesting roosters, monk activity (including actual sculpting), and more tombs for the faithful.

Incredibly, I walked all the way back to my hotel! It was not as hot as previously, and the predicted thunder showers didn’t arrive until evening…

As I write this, I’m lingering again, procrastinating writing, and planning a very simple day before my departure tomorrow. This post is already too long, so whatever comes next will come next…

To whomever might have come this far, thank you. Blessings…

After three nights in Luang Prabang, we took a train ride to get to Vang Vieng, which may lack the UNESCO charm of Luang Prabang, but makes up for it with a bunch of exciting adventure sports. Sorry no pic of the train – which was pretty deluxe. Here’s the station, inside, and looking out…

Nice hotel, with a pool, on the river, sunset views over the majestic mountains, and the armada of boats testified to the fun. I signed up for almost everything the next day: caving in tubes, zip lines, kayaking, a visit to “Blue Lagoon” #1, with lunch included (and less than $25!). I could have also done mud buggy driving, motor boating, motorized hang gliders, mountain climbing, or hot air ballooning. Next time…?

A tuktuk took our random little group of tourists to the cave entrance, and an area that had a lot going on (zip lines, kayaking, etc.)..We were given dry bags, life vests, head lamps, and an inner tube. After the initial shock of the somewhat cold water, we pulled ourselves on a fixed rope into the cave floating a few hundred yards into the mountain. After we reemerged, we drove a ways to another cave, “Elephant Cave” (can you find the pic?), which is another spelunkable Buddhist shrine…

Then we drove to another area, that also had a lot going on, for some zip lining. After slogging up a rather steep dirt road, we started the first of over half a dozen zip lines, a couple of rather sketchy cable bridges, and some guaranteed exhilaration…

After zip lining, we had lunch: fried rice, chicken satay with veggies, and bread. Nice chat with an Aussie named Matt (also nice chats in the tuktuk with other fellow travelers). Then, we hopped on tandem kayaks and headed down the river, which in fact included a few rapids. We landed at a beach with lots of kids playing and a guy washing his scooter. Good times…

Back in the tuktuk, we drove to Blue Lagoon #1, an overcrowded swimming hole complete with a high dive, lots of fish, and many eating & drinking opportunities. Ran into part of our tour group, so they watch my stuff while I took a swim and a jump off the high dive. Interested to know what the other Blue Lagoons around Vang Vieng are like…? This batch included a sleeping kid, a giant crab sculpture, a cool tractormobile, and views of the lovely mountains…

Finally, some video clips: two of my fellow zip liners, the drop at the end, kayaking on the river, and the fish at the Blue Lagoon…

Tomorrow we head to our final destination on this Intrepid tour: Vientiene…

After two days on the Mekong River, we arrived in Luang Prabang, the former capital of Laos, and a UNESCO Heritage Site. We took an initial walk around town, visited the night market street, and got a first taste of this cool town. I took a long night walk around the “peninsula” – a strip of land between two rivers and sort of the city center…

(Note the peninsula on the map!)

The next day we kind of did the same thing with our Lao guide, Sak. As with the previous night, some of the food items were on the exotic side: insects, reptiles, fish, pink eggs, various animal body parts, exotic fruits, and banana-leaf-wrapped Laotian concoctions. There’s a whole bunch of art and artisan crafts, in addition to some generic tourist souvenirs.

(Note the political coffee shop.)…

A varied batch: more market shots, a visit to a nearby Buddhist temple, our Laotian guide Sak, and our trip to the waterfall with a stop off at a roadside buffalo ice cream shop. It ends with some fried silk worm cocoons and crickets (yum!)…

Here’s Sak again showing us the trails around the Kuang Si waterfalls and swimming pools. There are also some bears there, among the lovely jungles, and a bunch o’ fish…

The lush water park continues with a water wheel, big trees, nice flowers, random people having lunch, Stuart in the water, more bears, etc…

Later that day we went to a silk/cotton, weaving, and textiles artisan crafts place that had a groovy treehouse and a great view on the banks of the Mekong. Ended the day with dinner and eventually a drink at the rooftop bar looking over the night market…

The next morning we were up and off to the Mandalao Elephant Conservation Sanctuary. After a talk about elephant conservation and the state of the species in Laos, we put on special boots, crossed the river by boat, and went to interact with the elephants. We fed them and took a walk with them. It was a great, up-close-and-personal experience…

I’m not sure what was more fun, feeding them crap tons of bananas or walking around together. They were very relaxed and seemingly friendly. Also some shots of tarantula nests and a big bug. We concluded our love fest, took the boat back across the river, and had a nice lunch at Mandalao…

After a nap, I headed out to the Traditional Arts and Ethnology Centre – small, but well appointed…

After that, I tried to go to the National Museum, but it was closed, so I checked out another temple, then took another stroll along the river – better than the first time because it was still daylight. Check out the Obama Coconut Shop (he visited to much aclaim)…

While the views along the river were great, I then hike to the top of Phousi Hill to experience more Buddhist shrines and the crowd of people there to experience the sunset. After a quick dinner, I came back to the hotel for our third and last night in Luang Prabang, and to post this!

Here are some video clips from our time hangin’ out with the elephants…

On our last morning in Luang Prabang, we got up quite early (5:00am) and went to participate in the daily ritual offering alms (a little rice) to monks. After that I finally made it to the National Museum, but they do not allow any photography (not a huge tragedy as it was rather underwhelming). I went for yet another river walk, then took a tuktuk back to the hotel – note the time lapse video clip…

Next, we will take a train to our next destination: Vang Vieng…

Sunday morning, we left Chiang Mai and drove to The White Temple, in the vicinity of Chiang Rai. It is quite spectacular! Unlike other temples that are public, this one is a private art project, but equally reverent in its devout respect for Buddhism and for King Rama IX, AKA Bhumibol Adulyadej. Created by Chalermchai Kositpipat, a professor and prolific artist (the Gaudi of Thailand?), there is also a gallery of his work, and the other buildings in Wat Rong Khun seem like they are prepped to have the same kind of elaborate decorations added to them over time. He is a new addition in my growing list of favorites artists…

In addition to the temple, there were many other buildings and a man-made mountain of waterfalls, plants, and sculptures (including “the Cave of Art”)…

Further, there are a bunch of little face sculptures, other statues, and contemporary paintings. As mentioned, in addition to celebrating Buddhism, the entire facility honors King Rama IX. The lost & found cabinets were interesting. Perhaps the most deluxe bathroom facility is there in gold…

After lunch near the White Temple, we pushed on to Chiang Khong, a rather sleepy border town on the banks of Mekong River (the border between Thailand & Laos). We had a great view of the Mekong from our hotel, and I took a little walk along the bike path next to the river. This batch is all pix from that stroll…

The next morning, we woke to a sunrise over the Mekong, had breakfast, then went to the border and crossed into Laos. A short drive took us to our boat, and we headed down the Mekong for the first of two days on the river…

A couple clips: first drive in Laos, and first stretch of the river…

Various shots along the Mekong River, and our stop for the night at Pak Beng, including a couple more clips: nice fellow boaters, battling water buffalo…

In Pak Beng, we took a walk through town to the market place. These shots include ant eggs, live frogs, dried rats, water buffalo parts, and various veggies, etc. Kids, a local temple, and various views of the river. The green building features American bombs from the Vietnam War used as building materials! And this batch ends with our group and some other fellow travelers reveling at the “Happy Bar” in Pak Beng…

Here are some shots of our second day on the river, starting in Pak Beng and ending in Luang Prabang.

Our one stop was at the Pak Ou Caves near where the Ou River merges with the Mekong. They are Buddhist shrines with a great view of the river…

Riding on the river, and a few last shots before we arrived in Luang Prabang…

I know, another long post, but I’m gonna add some other pix from my fellow travelers that they’ve added on our Whats App group. Cheers…

We woke on the train to a hazy sunrise through a dry jungle (proof). We were shuttled to our hotel for a freshening up before our next excursion, but I did a quick looksee down at the river first (and saw a guy getting a traffic ticket)…

Mid morning, we again hopped in the vans and drove out of town and up the mountains to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, perhaps one of the more fun Buddhist temples. Fun, because there were several activities predictive of our lives and stimulating our luck. Like others, there were many great works of art…

In addition to the art, there was a little more nature since we were up on the mountain. Unfortunately, the smog prevented much of view. But, exiting through the gift shop, as we are want to do, I again enjoyed the vast collections of Buddhists trinkets and amulets…

We got back to the hotel, then I did another little tuktuk ride and walk around with Kundry & Alastair in the old city. This batch ends with two pix of our group: the gals & the guys…

The next day was a full free day to choose our own activities, so of course I got a slow start. Eventually however, I made it out of the hotel, took a tuktuk back to the old city and visited four different museums. The first was the Chiang Mai City Arts and Cultural Center. Interestingly, there was a group of local kids on a field trip so we had a couple fun interactions and it was great to see Thai students learning about their country…

Right across the street was the Lanna Folklife Museum. Similarly great presentation, but a separate ticket. The same group of students followed me across the street and I had a nice chat with the kid in the hat. Lots about artisan crafts, but I wondered about that rather sexy statue…

If you didn’t already know, there are a great many Buddhist temples or “Wats” and especially in the old city. I hung out at this one talking to I guy from Phuket, and taking another batch of pix…

The next museum I went to was about the Treasury – money – and while no one else was there, it was quite good. I thought this would be particularly relevant to the student group…

After some refreshment, I went to the largest and oldest temples in the center of the old city of Chiang Mai, Wat Chedi Luang. The stupa was particularly huge, like an ancient pyramid. Along with other common features of Buddhist temple complexes, this one had several lifelike wax figures of local enlightened monks ensconced in glass cases…

In addition, the Wat Cheti Luang complex has a museum of Buddhist manuscripts. I went to the top of the building in the first pic, and it has several cabinets filled with books and documents. “Monk Chats” is another interesting feature. I had a brief conversation with one young monk. He seemed bright and educated, but young and inexperienced, obviously putting way too much faith in Buddhism to answer all his questions. While I have more reverence for Buddhism than other faith traditions, like all religions, it stuck deeply in doctrine and dogma. Having now wandered through quite a number of temples, shrines, and now museums, I find them stultified by the narrative. Nonetheless, the art is very cool…

After freshening up in the hotel, the group met in the lobby to go to the Saturday night market. We walked the length, and you can get a taste of it in the time lapse. The best part was the school girl busker whose sweet voice was a profound counterpoint to the hustle and bustle all around her…

Later that evening, the group met again to go to the Chiang Mai Caberet, a fun, high energy drag show featuring some ladyboys, etc. While definitely lurid and lascivious, it was very entertaining, often funny, and more than worth the price of admission…

That was it for Chiang Mai. We were up and away early the next morning…