chiang_mai_01.jpg:: something special about this temple... don't remember what chiang_mai_02.jpg:: This is at the bottom of the long staircase to the mountaintop temple in Chiang Mai. I thought the sun coming thru the trees made a cool effect. chiang_mai_03.jpg:: Man, I really need to get a polarizing filter for some of these shots. chiang_mai_04.jpg:: Some flowers growing at the mountaintop temple in Chiang Mai. chiang_mai_05.jpg:: Another flower in Chiang Mai. chiang_mai_06.jpg:: These monks have big gongs... surely John feels inadequate beside one. chiang_mai_07.jpg:: This is the mountaintop temple in Chiang Mai. I believe it was built in the 1600's. Great view of the city from up here. chiang_mai_08.jpg:: The monks put out peace candles that you can light. Or maybe they charged for them. I don't rightly remember. chiang_mai_09.jpg:: The temple was fairly crowded that day. These people are enjoying the view of the town below. chiang_mai_10.jpg:: The main entrance to the temple. Non-Buddhists are not allowed inside. I don't believe women are either. That foiled our plan to dress Brian up like a Buddhist woman and let him show some leg to get us in. chiang_mai_11.jpg:: This is the view of Chiang Mai from the temple. chiang_mai_12.jpg:: A random tree that would've come out better if I had a polarizing filter. chiang_mai_13.jpg:: Another grand entrance to the temple. chiang_mai_14.jpg:: This is the long staircase up to the temple, which is the only way up. John is trying to convince our tour guide to not kick my ass for trying to insult the king. chiang_mai_15.jpg:: These people seem to have some fascination with Buddha... chiang_mai_16.jpg:: More large Buddha statues. chiang_mai_17.jpg:: Brian and I creating some kind of paradox of taking pictures of each other at the same time. phang_nga_bay_01.jpg:: Paddling thru a large hole in a rock. phang_nga_bay_02.jpg:: Large room-sized caves dug out by erosion. phang_nga_bay_03.jpg:: More paddling. Yes, that's my knee in the lower-left... bad photographer! phang_nga_bay_04.jpg:: I almost dropped my camera in the water. phang_nga_bay_05.jpg:: Some rock formations in Phang Nga bay. phang_nga_bay_06.jpg:: Lots of mosquitos about. phang_nga_bay_07.jpg:: Paddling thru inlets. phang_nga_bay_08.jpg:: Water is getting choppy, but fantastic rock formations. phuket_01.jpg:: Brian doing a good job of helping frame up my shot. phuket_02.jpg:: View of the Andaman sea from atop a hill. phuket_03.jpg:: Patong Bay at sunset phuket_04.jpg:: Patong Bay at sunset phuket_05.jpg:: Anonymous footsteps phuket_06.jpg:: Patong Bay at sunset phuket_07.jpg:: Patong Bay at sunset phuket_08.jpg:: Patong Bay at sunset. Our hotel was about twenty yards to the right. phuket_09.jpg:: Patong Bay at sunset phuket_10.jpg:: Patong Bay at sunset phuket_11.jpg:: Patong Bay at sunset phuket_12.jpg:: A forest that Brian and I found while out cruising the island on mopeds. phuket_13.jpg:: A forest that Brian and I found while out cruising the island on mopeds. phuket_14.jpg:: A Buddhist temple that Brian and I found while out cruising the island on mopeds. phuket_15.jpg:: Thai-script for "Tuesday, 7:00pm - Bingo. Wednesday, Starbucks ground-breaking." phuket_16.jpg:: A forest that Brian and I found while out cruising the island on mopeds. phuket_17.jpg:: View of the Andaman sea from atop a hill. phuket_18.jpg:: View of Patong Bay from atop a hill. phuket_19.jpg:: View of Patong Bay from atop a hill. Our hotel was beside the tall white building. phuket_20.jpg:: Patong Bay thru some leaves. phuket_21.jpg:: Patong Bay thru some leaves. phuket_22.jpg:: View of Patong Bay from atop a hill. phuket_23.jpg:: The great thing about Thailand is that everything is dirt cheap. I think these mopeds cost us $3 for 24 hours. The bad part is that they're unreliable, as Brian demonstrates here. phuket_24.jpg:: A frog outside our hotel room. phuket_25.jpg:: Patong Bay at sunset phuket_26.jpg:: Patong Bay at sunset phuket_27.jpg:: Patong Bay at sunset phuket_28.jpg:: Patong Bay at sunset phuket_29.jpg:: Patong Bay at sunset phuket_30.jpg:: Patong Bay at sunset phuket_31.jpg:: Patong Bay at sunset phuket_32.jpg:: A rooster hanging out with the elephants. phuket_33.jpg:: A baby elephant looking for food. He was leg-ironed to a post. Goddamn depressing. But I hear that they are treated much better in this atmosphere than in metropolitan areas. phuket_34.jpg:: Me gearing up for some good ol' fashioned arm-wrasslin' with an elephant. phuket_35.jpg:: Me feeding the elephant over-priced bananas. phuket_36.jpg:: This guy saw a hot female elephant across the street.