Wishing Everyone a Merry Christmas

It seems like ages since I've blogged, however, I couldn't let Christmas go by without sending good wishes to everyone.  

Our life has been taken up entirely with our travelling and, oh boy, what an amazing time it has been so far. We've been in Northern Thailand for 5 weeks, and are now in Vietnam making our way up North and will return to Australia in early February.

The camera has been given a good working out, I shall include a few photos in this post... I became a bit overwhelmed as to which ones to choose, so they're a random lot.

Gosh, we've had adventures galore, seen weird and wonderful sights, eaten delightful food (and some not so delightful too!! but we try everything).

We get around by planes, buses, ferries, taxis, trains and even on the back of scooters - wow, who'd have thought... me on the back of a scooter taxi on the roads packed with traffic who follow the rule that if you flash your lights and honk your horn you've got right of way.  A mad dash around Bangkok on a Tuk Tuk in the evening (exhilarating) and a leisurely ride on a Cyclo straight through the craziness of Ho Chi Minh City's bumper to scooter traffic (scary and terrifying fun ... if that makes sense??).

We've been on the receiving end of some incredible acts of kindness and such generous hospitality by people, it's reduced us to tears.  Seeing the living conditions and the results of basic lack of health care that we take for granted in Australia is such an eye opener too.

That's it for now, it's a bit of a one-sided post as I won't have time to be popping over to visit any of you kind blogfriends, each day is full to the brim while we're "on the road" and then we flop exhausted, but happily, into bed... see you all when we're back in Australia.  Until then, enjoy the pics and have the happiest of Christmases, keep safe and eat lots!!  Kindest regards, Susan and MD xx

Stunning White Temple near Chiang Mai... complete
with white fish (Koi)

Loy Krathong celebration of the full moon
We were in a crush of people, all orderly though
not scary at all.

Purchases from the early morning market.
The little banana leaf packages contained a sweet
sticky coconut rice mixture - very addictive!

A Temple by a Lake
A blissful spot

At the handmade Umbrella Factory at Chiang Mai
This lady was cutting spokes

MD thought I'd love this umbrella to take back home...
he was right, I did !
Just hope Customs let me keep it - fingers crossed.

Another of the beautiful National Parks in Thailand
(Phu Sang)

I'll never take rice for granted again after seeing the
hard physical labour that goes into harvesting it.
The itching and rashes the harvesters suffer are terrible, plus
the strain on their wrists and arms. MD bought some support
bandages for one lady's wrists and the relief was
immediate, the joy she showed was such a pleasure
to see. We're going to follow up with more for others.

Um... we got lost!

Some of the funny things we saw in the markets

This lovely hilltribe lady in Mae Salong (a tea growing area)
kindly obliged me with her photo. 

Hmmmm.... feeling hungry?

At My Tho, Vietnam, on the banks of the Mekong River
Christmas is celebrated widely in Vietnam, so

MERRY CHRISTMAS