Thailand: Around Pai

After catching our breath for a few days at Suansawan, we were ready to head north. Our first stop was Pai, where we were excited to spend time with good friends. Of course, we had to get there first, so we took a taxi to the bus station in Chiang Mai, and from there got on a mini bus for the three hour ride north to the little mountain town of Pai. The road is only 135 kilometers, but there are over 700 curves and hairpin turns along the way! Erik picked up some motion sickness pills at a ubiquitous 7-11 before the journey, and thankfully everyone did fine. (On the ride back the man behind us was throwing up in a plastic bag. I will spare you any more details.) We arrived in Pai and waited for the shuttle that was supposed to come pick us up to take us to the hotel. They knew we had six people plus luggage, so when the motorcycle with sidecar appeared, it didn't occur to me that it was for us! We continued to wait and finally Erik called them again, only to learn we had missed them already! They sent out the driver again, and he ferried us and our bags back to the hotel. Getting there is always an adventure! The kids have deemed this the Best Transportation Ever and have decided that when we get home we should sell the Suburban and buy one of these. That would certainly be an adventure!  

There is a small river that runs through Pai, and a number of pedestrian only bridges made of bamboo. Pearl was a little hesitant at first to step foot on it, but she quickly realized it was sturdy.

These lovely people are the reason we came to Pai. Fifteen years ago, I first traveled to Asia with a group of friends including Rachel and Chinua. We shared life and traveled together for the better part of a year. They married shortly after that trip, and Erik and I were married a few months later. In the following years, we all had lots of children, and have only seen each other every few years. They now live in Pai, and it was so fun to get to visit them. They warmly welcomed us into their home and it was wonderful to share food and memories while our children deepened friendships with one another. 

Dragonfruit! It's pink!

My favorite sign so far. Don't squat on the western toilets! 

Peregrine's passion right now is filmmaking, and he's had big dreams of the movie he would make during our time in Thailand. Chinua graciously brought out his camera and spent hours filming the kids' post-alien war movie! I will be sure to post it when the editing is done.

It makes me so happy to see these two playing together. Rachel happened to be visiting the day I went into labor with Raphi, and she (and Solo, who was in utero) were some of his first visitors!

The kids were fascinated with this huge, woven palm leaf that was on a trash pile outside of a temple we walked by.

The tip-top of the wat.

I'm always intrigued by marketplaces in different countries. Bicycles and cookware all on the same aisle! Yay!

Rachel is an artist and author, expressing beauty with pen, paintbrush, and words. I own a few of her prints already, and was happy to buy a couple more. (No shipping!) You can check out her etsy shop here. She's running a 25% off sale now through the end of the month, making her beautiful artwork a great deal. I love the detail she puts into her paintings. She is also about to publish her second novel, and you can read more about it on her blog, Journey Mama. (I wrote a review of her first novel here.) She's also published compilations of her reflective blog posts. I'm excited to read her new book, a story about a traveler in India.

Street food is another reason I love to travel. It seems that every culture has its smoking grill of interesting meats!
Stay tuned for more Pai pictures, including a day with the elephants! 

Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park, California

     On our way back home from Baja, we spent a couple nights visiting with good friends who'd recently moved from Oregon to California. It was special to get to visit them in their new home, let the kids run wild, cook together, and catch up. Joshua Tree National Park was practically in their back yard, so she suggested we make a day trip of it. Having lived in California's high desert for four years when I was a teenager, I was pretty certain that it would take more than a few Joshua Trees to impress me, but I was happy to go and check it out. I was pleasantly surprised by the beauty of the area, its wild rock formations, the brilliant blue skies, and yes, even the Joshua Trees. (There's a nice, online, kids' storybook about a Joshua Tree here. We read it on our way up to the park and it helped me appreciate what I was seeing.)

    (This post is way out of order chronologically, but I wanted to try to keep things more current while we're in Panama. We are settled into a nice little apartment in a lovely mountain town, which we plan to use as a base for exploring during the rest of our time in the country. One of the kids has had a fever the last few days and another has been throwing up, so we're laying low at the moment. I'm enjoying having a kitchen again, and the kids are having fun exploring the garden and making friends with the resident sloth.) 

Amazing rock formations abound in the park. I know there's a scientific explanation for how they were formed, but even after reading it, I had to marvel that this could happen!

The kids gathered around a park ranger who shared his knowledge of local history as well as the flora and fauna of the area. Here he was showing the kids how rope could be made from plant fibers. We also got to sample the pine nuts that grow on the piñon trees. School in the desert!

This area was called The Hidden Valley, and was once used by cattle rustlers. It has it's own micro-climate and holds far more moisture than surrounding areas. As such, more vegetation grows here.
The day felt extremely cold to us, even though it was above freezing. We'd just spent six weeks in the warmth of the Mexican sun and needless to say, it was cold outside! It was also really windy, so felt even more so.

More rocks, piles and piles of them. I guess this is why it's famous for climbing!

The clouds cast shadows, making the landscape look even more dramatic. 
Here's an interesting little tidbit from Wikipedia:
"The name Joshua tree was given by a group of Mormon settlers who crossed the Mojave Desert in the mid-19th century. The tree's unique shape reminded them of a Biblical story in which Joshua reaches his hands up to the sky in prayer."

It was a wonderful day, not only because of the amazing scenery, but because we shared it with friends. You know who you are. Thanks again for having us. (See you in Yellowstone!) We love you! 

Book Review: The Eve Tree

  The Eve Tree, by Rachel Devenish Ford, is a book I’ve been waiting a long time to read. I’ve been privileged to know Rae for many years, from our first meeting in San Francisco, to the months spent together in Thailand, India, and Nepal in 2000. I’ve enjoyed her blog, journeymama.com, since she started it.  She writes candidly about living a semi-nomadic life with her Superstar Husband and four children. Rachel is an artist at heart, and pours herself into creating, whether that is her family, their community, a painting, her blog or a book.  

    The Eve Tree is a novel that is more than the sum of its words, a story finely crafted and lovingly shaped by its author. On the surface, it’s a simple plot about a family, the land that is their heritage, and how they come together to prepare for a forest fire that is encroaching upon the ranch. At its center are Jack and Molly Boscelli, parents of three grown children and caretakers of their Northern California ranch home. As the threat of fire grows they’re joined by Catherine, Molly’s mother and previous owner of the ranch, as well as their children. While the family gathers to defend their land, they also share concerns over Molly, who had suffered a mental breakdown many years before.

    What struck me most about The Eve Tree was how real the characters seem, and the way Rachel Devenish Ford has carefully crafted their relationships with one another. We see Molly as both a mother and a daughter, a wife, a friend; she is both fragile and strong. Jack is a faithful and loving husband, fighting as hard to protect his wife as to defend their ranch. Through vignettes into the history of the characters, the reader begins to understand how each has been shaped by their collective experiences. 

  While this is a fictional story, its players are completely believable.They are people who are broken, but not beyond healing. They have faith, but it is interwoven with doubt. While they have been shaped by their past, they can choose to move forward. They live with regret and shame and hurt, but they also hold onto hope and forgiveness. They are complicated, just like me and you, and yet simple in their basic desire for love and understanding and wholeness. 

    The Eve Tree is about more than just a forest fire and land and trees and a house; it’s about the things in our own lives that threaten to ravage and destroy. It’s about hope and healing and beauty rising from ashes. Rachel Devenish Ford shows a deep and hopeful understanding of humanity and a sensitivity to what she calls “the dark slippery places of the mind”. Days after finishing it, I find myself thinking about Jack and Molly and their family. The Eve Tree is an excellent first novel, and I look forward to reading more from this author. 

    The Kindle Edition of The Eve Tree is available for only $2.99 for a limited time only. It's also available in hard copy. 

From her Amazon author page:

"Rachel Devenish Ford was born in Ontario, Canada, and grew up reading like a fiend in various small towns of British Columbia, Canada. In high school she realized she loved to write. Shortly after, she discovered that she loved to travel, and ever since, she's been writing and traveling the world.

Rachel spent six years working with homeless youth in San Francisco and Arcata, before embarking on the journey of her life with her husband and four children. She is still traveling now. You may bump into her in India, Nepal, or Thailand. Next, she'd like to try Venezuala.
She is hard at work on her second novel."

Time for Tea

On Tuesday we had a Tea Party with Alethea, Peregrine, and their friends Ashley and Hannah. A lovely time was had by all, and we hope to do it again in the future.

Peregrine and Ashley.
Erik and I met John and Charisse, Ashely and Hannah's parents, in a birthing class when we were expecting our first babies. Peregrine and Ashley were born just a few days apart, and we've all been friends since!

Alethea and Hannah, the "little ladies".

Peregrine was practicing being a gentleman and helped to serve.

Three young ladies in training!

Peregrine escorting Ashley and Hannah to their car.