We enjoyed many familiar sights around Bangkok, including a boat trip down the huge and busy Chao Phraya River, walking among street markets and many of the wats (temples), revisiting the Grand Palace and visiting, for the first time, Vimanmek Teak Mansion and, in the same complex, the Abhisek Dusit Throne Hall.
We took an overnight sleeper train to Chiang Mai where we spent several nights in a guesthouse on the River Ping before Philip left for the border town of Mai Sai in order to cross into Myanmar and I took a mini-bus to the delightful town of Pai on the River Pai.

We returned to Bangkok in Seprember,2009, again seeing more sights in Chiang Mai, including a cruise on the River Ping. This time Philip accompanied me back to Pai, where we spent two nights and I enjoyed showing him the delights of this small town in a river valley ringed with beautiful mountains.