Were here in Chiang Mai again ready to fly south to the beach, Krabi tonight. Then we'll be in Railay then Ko Phi Phi, then Phuket, then Bangkok, then home.

While in Chiang Mai we did some adventurous activities. We rented a Honda Shadow motorcycle and too a long day roadtrip to the highest peak in Thailand. The traffic here looks crazy, but everyone is very defensive and reactive, so it seems to work. They say Americans have freedom, but the driving here seems as free as you can get.

The next day we took a rock climbing trip and had a great time doing that. It was realxing day and our first time rock climbing outdoors.

Now we've made it back from our Mountain bike trip. It was a amazing trip, both amazingly hard and beatiful. I've never cycled so far, for so many days, day 1 was 35km, day 2 was 95km, day 3 was 80km and day 4 was 45km. We were lucky to be cycling during the time of rice harvesting here and so have seen the process as we've passed the fields. The workers are very friendly and let us stop and see what they are doing. In the hills, everything is still manually done, the hardest was the beating of the bundles to release the rice husks. Everywhere we go we see families of chickens with chicks running around the roads and dogs, both which end up as family food.

I've had the typical travelers stomache issue, but now am taking the antibiotic I brought and I think I'll be back full swing for the beach very soon. I am so glad to have brought it with me!

Lots of stuff to write about, but at the moment, we're in Chiang Mai. Tonight we took a 3 hour Thai cooking class, it was really nice.
Massages are also so cheap here, 1-2 hour massage for $6 US.

Last night we took a night train here from Ayanthaya, it wasn't as bad as we expected, since we didn't get a sleeper car. I think it's the only train we'll take on the trip. I booked the flights for getting south today.

When we were in Khao Yai National Park we were lucky enough to see a wild elephant in the day time, and came up close to it on our hike before we realized it was there, then we ran up to an observation tower and watched it safely. We also saw many Mackak monkeys on the roadside and in the night another elephant and a couple large porcupines. The highlight was going out to a valley at dusk where we watched millions of fruit bats depart from their cave for the night. The noises were amazing, and the waves action they made as a group streaming out across the sky was unforgettable.

Sunday we're taking a rock climbing course and Monday we go on our 4 day Mt. bike trip into the hills here. It's very lush, lots of palms and jungle plants, but surprisingly not humid. It hasn't rained since we arrived. I am really excited to get out of the city again, the tuk tuk drivers can really make you feel like a tourist- they just want your money and call at you for a ride all the time. Otherwise, it feels very save travelling here, most everyone is just going along like normal, as if we were in any other city.

Honeymoon time!!

I've been wanting to expand the meals I have great dinner recipes for and found a winner tonight! It's from the September 2008 Cooking Light. I look forward to the leftovers already and I just finished eating dinner! The flavor was perfect, tasting fresh and hearty at the same time.

Potato and Lamb Moussaka

The chickens are 11 weeks old now. They are clucking more than peeping now. I raked up some fall leaves and put them on the floor of their coop. They liked them for flipping around in hopes to find some treats under them. They are also prettier than the dirt. We let a few out into the yard for a tiny looksie, but I didn't want to babysit them, so luckily I was able to herd them back in. They seem pretty happy and are staying warm without a heat lamp. they sleep in their doorway still.

I finished this sweater over a year ago and never wore it or blocked it. The problem was that the buttons slipped right out of the holes and it puckered open and the neck felt too high. I was bummed becasue this sweater took a lot of work and the cable was quite difficult. After talking to a knitting friend, I realized sewing the button closed was the best option. Now it looks like a cardigan, but is a pullover. The neck is still to high, but if I keep my arms down, it's fine. It's a relief to finally call this a finished object. When I walked into the room today with it on, Jesper said, "An F.O.?!, Horray, it's beautiful!" Thanks lovey.

I knit these socks for my friend Michelle's 30th Birthday. The yarn is Knit Picks Dye your own. I hope she likes them!