Nancy gets married!

My cousin Nancy and her husband Vinny tied the knot at Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral in downtown Los Angeles. http://www.olacathedral.org/  I have been to this cathedral once before and was in awe of its beauty and vastness. I could not believe that I my cousin was going to have her wedding in this cathedral!

It was a beautiful ceremony. My other cousins, Emma and Leah, are in dark purple dresses to the left.

The cake was really good but the only piece I got was smeared onto my hand by Vinny...just look at his mischievous face!

I am not close to my cousin but everyone asked if we were sisters. Not only do we look alike, have many interests in common, have the same eyeglass precription, but also our personalities are similar. People at the wedding just couldn't get over it. Now that my cousin and I had a chance to reconnect, we are definitley going to stay in contact. My cousin Nancy is GREAT!

Ummmm...Freddy and Vinny felt got along very well too.

Well, we didn't get home to 3a.m. and had way too much to drink but overall had a perfect night.  Congratulations Nancy and Vinny!!

Hike in De Luz

This was the first time I took Fred on a hike in De Luz that I have probably done 100 time growing up. It can only be done in Spring, when there is running water and warmer air temperatures.  It definitely brought back memories; I used the exact same route (the exact same rocks) that I have used so many times before. I am quick, and whenever Fred didn't follow me exactly, or when I accidentally got too far ahead, I had to wait awhile!  

Certain parts of the hike are pretty technical. Can you believe my sisters and friends would do this in elementary school...and no broken bones!?

Hmmm...this wasn't here before! There were actually two cars along the route. All I can do is hope they got washed down in a storm, versus plummeting off the cliff above.

We reached the fun part of the hike! There are a two fairly large pools to go swimming in at the end of the 'trail'. Fred took advantage of the waterfall, even though the water was pretty cold.

Santa Rosa Plateau

Fred and I are definitely taking advantage of living at my dad's. We try to go hiking every weekend. The Santa Rosa Plateau is an ecological preserve about a mile from my house. It protects 8,300 acres and I grew up tromping around this area (it was not protected from me!).

We made a friend.

Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep

Our last day in Chiang Mai was spent at Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep which is located on a hill over looking the city. It has been a place of worship for over 1,200 years.

The wat is an active temple that invites people from all over the world to study Buddhism and mediation, for an unspecified fee. http://www.dhammathai.org/e/meditation/page30.php

The serpent that I am leaning on is the entrance to the wat. It adds a bit of uniqueness to the temple.

 And so concludes our trip to Thailand, but even at the airport we are reminded of cultural differences. The monks have their own comfy, private waiting area within the airport.

Khan Toke dinner

Fred Sr. and Cherry treated us to a Khan Toke dinner (traditional dinner and Thai dance) for our last night in Chiang Mai. The food was served in large platters and shared by the table (they made us a special vegetarian platter).The dancing was traditional northern Thai from local hill tribe dancers, as well as classical dancers.

This was my favorite dance; very reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast (tale as old as time...).

Chiang Dao Cave

Chiang Dao cave is about an hour from Chiang Mai. The cave is located inside the third largest mountain in Thailand, it penetrates 14 km of the mountain although only certain parts are assessable by tourists, especially those without a guide (like us). Inside the cave are beautiful crystal formations, along with ancient statues.

This is the entrance to the cave.  I have never seen such big fish!

Wat Thaton

During our trip to Northern Thailand we stayed in a small village called Thaton. On the hill above the village Wat Thaton can be seen. It's beautiful roof resembles a faberge egg, and amazingly the inside is just as vibrant as the outside.

Long Necked Karen

The Karen is a small tribe in Thailand, that originated from Burma, and are known for their long necks.  Girls begin putting rings on their necks at 5 or 6, and every year after more brass rings are added. The long necks represent beauty and status.

Golden Triangle

I was excited when I found out that we were going to the Golden Triangle (where the borders of Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar meet).  I didn't think we would be going this far North!  The river behind me is the Mekong.  It is the longest river is Southeast Asia, and the 7th longest in the world. The river begins in Tibet from melted glaciers, travels through 5 countries, and then empties into the South China Sea.

From Thailand we took a boat to Myanmar, and then to Laos where we got out and did a little shopping. There is not much to see on the border but shops and kids asking for money, but we were happy to take a ride on the Mekong.

This was one of the items for sale. I bought 5. It is yum-my. Just kidding. Poor snakes!