A Week of Beauty

The beauty of intricate details. 
We saw thousands of flowers at a giant flower exposition.  The orchid section was my favorite, so many colors and designs.  It reminded me of Disneyland for adults. 

 The beauty of human creations.

The beauty of relationships

...with like hearted Thais and Americans.

The beauty of expectation.

We tried to watch the sun rise at  Huai Nam Dang, a national park in the northern province of Mae Hong Son.  But we had to settle for the novelty of shivering in the cold and taking pictures instead (still fun!)

The beauty of ingenuity.

Almost anything can be used go get around and make a living. This style taxi (three wheeled bike) is still used many places.  It's great, as long as you don't have much luggage.  

 The beauty of time past. 

This bridge was used during World War 2.

The beauty of teamwork.

This sign was on the bridge.  Do you think they imported the steel?  I wouldn't want to be the one paying the shipping fees for that!

The beauty of exploration.

I had no idea Thailand had canyons like this to explore.  It reminded me of some great family vacations. 

 The beauty of fresh fruit.  

Strawberry farm!  No picking today, just eating.  :)

And this is what we didn't eat...grilled toads.  

The beauty of options.

Not everyone has that choice.

The beauty of simplicity. 

Camping Thai style = simple. 

With one pot, we cooked packages of Top Ramen style noodles one at a time, piling the noodles on a sheet of foil once cooked.  Then we boiled vegetables to add to the noodles, sprinkled on some seasoning and squeezed some lime juice on top.  Tossed it together and then everyone grabbed a fork to eat.  Delicious!

 

The beauty of creativity.  

Foil works for a plate just fine, and we can share the plate.  Be creative with what you have.  

The beauty of generosity.  

We chose a pumpkin at the market, but when the lady cut it in half to sell us a chunk, it wasn't good inside.  She cut the bad part out and gave us the good part for free, cut into pieces just as we needed them.  At the campsite, we wrapped the pumpkin in foil and set it in the coals to roast as a treat after dinner. (Lisa really did like the pumpkin, even though the color was scary.)

The beauty of basic.

Aka, our tent site.  Basically, you just put up your tent where ever looks good to you and in the evening the guy who owns the land comes around and collects 60 Baht ($2) from each person for the night's rent.  No check-in/check-out times, no reservations. There was lukewarm water, however, which was a step up from our camping last year, a wonderful surprise.

The beauty of creation.

Wachirathan waterfall was one of the most beautiful I've ever seen.  

The beauty of new friends.

We took plenty of pictures...over 700 by the end of the week.  This one is with a new friend, Chaow (right), who we met along the way.

The beauty of tradition.  

Although a lot has changed, the Karen Hill Tribe Village we visited still kept many traditions.  Making silk scarves, shirts, and dresses is a way of life.

The beauty of hand-made. 

Their method of sewing is incredible. 

The beauty of culture.

At 8,000 feet, Doi Inthanon is Thailand's tallest mountain, so this trip we visited "The Highest Spot in Thailand."  The interesting part was that behind this sign, some stairs led us to a Buddhist statue and shrine on the actual tallest point.  It was good reminder to pray that the God who created this land would be known throughout and worshiped alone on the mountaintops.

The beauty of perspective.

It got down to 44 degrees (7 C*) at night on the top of the mountain, but when we were there mid-day it was about 60 degrees (15 C*).  It really did feel cold, even though I realize for most, this time of year, that would feel warm. 

Praise God for his creation of this beautiful land!

"Shower, O heavens from above, and let the clouds rain down righteousness; let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness may bear fruit; let the earth cause them both to sprout; I the lord have created it." Isaiah 45:8

 

The beauty of hospitality.

Lampang is the province where NamFon's aunt, uncle, and cousins live.  They were incredibly hospitable and made us feel right at home.

The beauty of community. 

The family took us hiking like last year. We also got a tour of the community school, the rice and bean fields, the guava orchard, and the pig stalls, each place meeting more people who were treated as family and happy to meet us.

The beauty of a year's work.

It was encouraging to be able to understand the jabberings of the 8 year old niece this time around and to see the progress the 12 year old had made in learning English.