My path crossed Celeste's twenty-five years ago in Paris, she was visiting a French friend of a friend of mine. Celeste had been in the antique business, traveled the world, made a fortune, put a new twist to "been…

  The second day after we arrived in Chiang Mai, French Husband had a strong allergic reaction. He found that wearing a mask kept the invisible-to-the-eye-particles (dust) from going in and causing havoc. I found that a masked man is…

  We hired "Marty" a chauffeur and drove over five hundred miles through the back roads of northern Thailand to Chiang Rai. We thought about renting a car or motorcycle, but then decided that given that we are here for…

Walking on air, perfume filled air. The Chiang Mai flower market is intoxicating.       Stunning was the volume of flowers brought in during the night. Flowers wrapped in newspaper ready to be shipped near and far. Every imaginable…

"Elephant Nature park is a unique sanctuary for Asian elephants in northern Thailand, founded by conservationist Sangduen 'Lek' Chailert.   Lek began rescuing injured and mistreated elephants in 1992 and in 2003 was able to establish a permanent homeland for…

  The market in Chiang Mai is a shopper's paradise. My friend (Celeste) who has lived here for twenty three years warned us, "Do not bring anything except the clothes on your back. You will find everything you need within…