Exercise

I know alot of runners. They love to go out running because it helps them think, clears their minds, makes their bodies feel great and provides an outlet for stress. I am not runner. I am most definitely a jogger. I go out because I like to eat (I need to write a whole blog about all the wonderful food here) and I don't want to get fat, my dog needs exercise and I want a healthy old age. I don't find it addicting, enjoyable or relaxing in any way, except for the time spent with my husband, who is in equal discomfort. I wish I did enjoy it since it's cheap and convenient and because we do it four mornings a week (in the dark). This time of year the routes we normally go are too dark (no streetlights) so we've started running in circles around a quiet, pretty block behind us that has streetlights. That is not helping my enjoyment any although Lacey loves it because she can be offleash and sniff and race to her heart's content. I suffer through Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday because I can look forward to the weekends.
On Saturdays we generally go bike riding. Bike riding in Chiang Rai is alot of fun. First of all, it's flat. It is located in a huge, flat valley surrounded by mountains on three sides. A block or two off the main road and you're surrounded by farmland; rice fields, cows, chickens, small villages, and always with the backdrop of the mountains, steep, but low and covered in green. Now that the rice fields are greening up again, it's really beautiful. We have one good bike and one bike that is good exercise that the Quesenberrys are kind enough to let us use while they're back in the States. On Saturdays we often ride for an hour or more, just enjoying the scenery, the beautiful weather, and the change from jogging.
Sundays are even better. We go to a 50 meter pool about 15 kilometers north of us. It belongs to a man who built it for his daughters who love to swim. He charges 30 baht (just under a dollar) for people to come use it. It is a beautiful outdoor pool, set in a garden of palm trees. The owner lived in the States and speaks English fluently. His daughter is trying to become fluent enough to get her master's degree in the States, so it's fun to talk with her as well. When I get in the water, I have all those sensations that runners talk about. I feel like I could go forever. I relax, get in a zone, love the sensation of using my muscles, and feel the stress fall away. This time of year the water is chilly, but after a few laps, it feels great, and so do I.
Yesterday we biked with friends up to the pool, swam our laps and biked home (after a stop at the pink windmill coffee shop, which is owned by new Christians and which is absolutely beautiful). We finished by stopping at the outdoor restaurant down the street and picking up deep fried bananas and sweet potatoes, sticky rice and papaya salad for lunch. Yum!! No sore muscles, but I did get sunburnt. Imagine swimming outdoors in February and not freezing!
Things I will miss when we leave Thailand? The great biking and swimming!


This area of Chiang Rai province is famous for its pineapples and they are delicious. Sweet and ripe, they come in all sizes from smaller than an apple to the huge ones we're used to seeing. You can eat a whole pineapple and not get a sore mouth. There are dozens of these little stands lining the roadside in this area.

A typical view in our area. There are two temples in this shot, the red roofed gate in the front leads to one behind the tree and the white tower is another one in the distance. There was one more even further off and further to the right.

Post swim and feeling great in the warm Thai sun!




Butterscotch frappes await! (The pink windmill is off to the right, you can't see it in this shot.)


Sorry about the bad angle, Ruth, but you can see how pretty this shop is.

Working in the rice fields looks painful. Most of the work is still done by hand, I don't know how they can stand up at the end of a day.

A well earned lunch.

Sticky rice is far stickier than any rice I've had before, and the best rice ever. Green papaya salad has a vinegar and coconut sugar dressing, tomatoes, green beans and peanuts. Lindsey and I love it, Dan and Megan don't care for it. Deep fried sweet potatoes are a favorite food for me here, Dan likes the bananas. Off to the left is morning glory. We eat it stir fried for school lunch reguarly, but somehow I just wasn't interested in the raw stuff.