Northern Thailand

From Chaing Mai we rented a jeep and headed for the hills. With our own car, we were able to get to several out-of-the-way national parks and do some amazing hikes. The jungle was hot and steamy and teeming with unbelievably loud insects - everything you'd expect and more. One afternoon we misjudged the length of the hike and ended up racing to get back to the car before dark - when you've seen a bright green tree viper cross your path, the last thing you want is to be stepping blindly down a leaf-covered trail.

We wound our way through some fantastic caves - occasionally we'd find a serene buddha and a holy stalacmite (wrapped in orange monk's clothes) waiting for us at the end. And we visited an elephant conservation center where we fed a 2-month old newborn (can't do that in American zoos).

temple stairs

a golden chedi

temple rising above the jungle

twisted tree trunks

lots of bug repellent was required on this hike

jess hiking up to the mouth of a bat-filled cave

cave buddha

john wipes the guano off his hands

jess feeds mama elephant

baby elephant with mahout

school children on their way home

chedi silhouette