The Golden Triangle

Family, Thailand, ,

Northern Thailand comes to a point between Laos and Myanmar (former Burma). Today’s journey was to touch into each of those countries with a few sites along the way.

Along our way we stopped in a village of Myanmar refuges from the Karen heritage. This former Burmese indigenous people are known for their females carrying on the lifelong commitment to rings on their neck that by dropping their shoulders make the appearance of having very long necks. The lady you see us with has the longest neck in the village.
Karen Long Neck Village
Typical kitchen in the Karen village
Tea Plantation
Monkey Temple
The Golden Triangle. We are standing in Thailand. The land behind us is Myanmar. To the right is Laos.
We took a high speed boat to officially cross the boarders of both Myanmar and Laos.
We are officially in Myanmar at this point, although we could not make landfall.
We did officially step ground on Laos and walked around a bit.
Jonathan is holding up one Of the key ingredients to Laotian Whiskey….Cobra.
We then went back to Chiang Rai and visited a flower festival. It was awesome.

Northern Thailand: Chiang Rai – Temple Day

Christmas, Family, Thailand, Winter, ,

We are now at the furthest destination of our trip; Northern Thailand in the Chiang Rai province. This region is known for its mountains, vast fields of rice and tea, as well as a slower paced culture.

Today was Temple Day. We experienced the modern side of Thai culture, temples, and museums. And YES, we are wearing matching shirts (see the last picture of this post for our shirt design).

Wat Rong Khun: The White Temple
Wat Rong Suea Ten – The Blue Temple
The Black House Museum
Wat Huay Pla Kang – The Goddess of Mercy
Lunch at Lalitte Cafe
A closer look.

Around The Ship

Family, Travel

This one will be a bit long, but mostly all pictures and a few videos. Also, rather than post a bunch of blogs we saved everything until the end.

Thank you for joining us on this holiday journey. Mathieu – Congratulations on your upcoming graduation from UND. While we have begged you to join us on future trips we know you want us to spend less money on you. We will respect your wishes (he actually never said that but this is the cut the apron strings trip – Mathieu will always be our favorite Sherpa)!

Celebrity Solstice

Our Stateroom

Yes. Those are the flowers Jonathan bought in Thailand.

Decorated for Christmas

Glass Blowing

Around the Ship

Re-Decorated for New Years Eve

New Years Eve in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

Park West Art

Helipad Send Off

Just Some of Us

Thank you for joining us!

Ha Long Bay

Family

Ha Long Bay’s breathtaking beauty lies in its enchanting blend of emerald waters, towering limestone karsts, and lush greenery. The ethereal landscape creates a mesmerizing harmony that captivates visitors, offering a unique and serene escape into nature’s grandeur.

The Arrival

Flight Sightseeing Tour

Our only excursion was a sightseeing plane trip around Ha Long Bay. From take off to landing we received a whole new perspective of this natural masterpiece. From the vantage point of the sky, we witnessed the majestic karst formations rising dramatically from the turquoise waters, painting a surreal panorama that words struggle to capture. Every turn revealed a new facet of Ha Long’s unparalleled beauty, leaving us with an indelible imprint of this UNESCO World Heritage site from above.

And yes, we took all of these pictures and videos.

Happy New Year

We are a bit ahead of everyone else this year.

From Jonathan, Mathieu & Scott