THE DOGS OF ENP and we reached our goal to adopt Bai Xue!

Happy Sunday everyone.  I’m out of town at the moment and not able to do much emailing so I decided to do a quick blog post here thanking all of you who responded so quickly to my update about the Bai Xue adoption outreach!! Thanks to all our ‘den’ members we have reached the $500.00 for our adoption of this dear old girl via Pandas International. As soon as I return home in a... [Read more]

BURASARI BOUTIQUE HOTEL AND SPA….Our Phuket home base & Giant Buddha

A SINGLE FLOWER FALLEN ON THE WALKWAY TO MY ROOM This incredible hotel and spa called the BURASARI in Phuket Thailand, is considered a world class boutique hotel and was a hit when Ek brought Liz and I here as well as this recent trip.   The first year we had rooms that walked out into the pool.  This year I got a balcony room that was big enough for a large family and had it all to myself!! ... [Read more]

PHUKET THAILAND…just a few of the many photos to come of PARADISE!

ABOVE: EK AND I SITTING AT SUNSET ON ONE OF HIGHEST PEAKS ON PHUKET….WOW WHAT A VIEW!!! Wow…looking back at these photos is like going on my adventure all over again!!!   I am fast forwarding to the last week in Phuket Thailand just because I happened to be working on these food photos and wanted you all to see what an incredible place Phuket and introduce you to my dear friend Ekarat... [Read more]

CHENGDU PANDA BASE…some amazing photos for my book!!

I’m going to let most of these photos speak for themselves with short captions inbetween.  This was on February 9, 2010 at Chengdu Panda Base.  The day was stunning with more pandas than we had time to see ……but we made the very best of our full day there with Lichunlin and one of nutritionists escorting us around the base . The second half of the day we were on our own and poking... [Read more]

CHIANG MAI THAILAND…Lek sings to her baby elephant- video

IMAGINE MY SURPRISE WHEN I WAS NOTIFIED IN THIS MORNING’S EMAIL THAT THIS IMAGE I TOOK AT ELEPHANT NATURE PARK A FEW WEEKS AGO IS #332 IN FLICKR’S EXPLORE WHICH IS AMONG THE 500 PHOTOS CHOSEN  BY FLICKR STAFF AS THE MOST INTERESTING PHOTOS OUT OF THE GABILLION LOADED BY MEMBERS THAT DAY!!! The photo I call “LEKS SONG” is of Sangduen “Lek” Chailert who is the... [Read more]

CHENGDU CHINA…Sichuan Opera and around town

ABOVE IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE PHOTOS I TOOK AT THE SICHUAN OPERA IN CHENGDU What a treat this was when Mickal took us out on the town  for an evening of tea and local entertainment at the Sichuan Opera!!!  The sights and sounds are dazzling we sat in some of the best seats in the house to watch the drama, music, face changing performers , master puppetry and shadow puppets and comedians…….and... [Read more]

CHENGDU LANTERN FESTIVAL ….videos and images

You all might remember my 2008 photos from the Chengdu lantern festival when Diana and I were in Chengdu, well this year was no less spectacular.  Below is some great info explaining the event and DON’T MISS THE YOUTUBE VIDEO BELOW which  I did this weekend to showcase the gorgeous display of lights and color!!!  Such vibrant colors and light arrangements…..all themed around the Chinese... [Read more]

A FEW PANDA CENTER HIGHLIGHTS…VIDEOS AND PHOTOGRAPHY

ABOVE IS THE IRRESISTABLE BAO SHI AT THE CHENGDU PANDA BASE Hey guys…it doesn’t get any better than this!!!!  I hope it was worth the wait for you to get to see some of the panda center pix.  Below is a video I did this weekend dedicated entirely to my adopted panda Bao Shi at the Chengdu Panda base.  Many more pix to come this week as I get through processing them and picking my... [Read more]

HOME SWEET HOME…and loading photos in my sleep

ABOVE: THE FISH THAT GOT AWAY….I AM STILL THINKING OF HAVING THIS STUNNING TEAK BETTA SHIPPED TO ME!! THIS WAS DONE BY A CARVER IN CHIANG MAI AND WAS ALMOST AS TALL AS ME Hello my friends!!!!  After many many hours of flying and no sleep I am home safely and so excited to look through all of my photos and get them posted for you to see.  Again my sincere apologies for the lack of updates... [Read more]

2/21/10 SOME R&R TIME WITH FRIENDS ….on the island of Phuket

Woo Hooo!!!!  I never thought in a million years I would get back to this  paradise so soon but here we go again!! Thank you so much Ek for arranging to come here during my last few days of the journey for some serious R and R and reflecting time following a whirlwind adventure! ABOVE: LIZ IN THE “HALLWAY” OF THE HOTEL 2008 I promise Liz I will bring you back a piece of Phuket!!!... [Read more]

2/19/10 OUR FINAL DAY IN CHIANG MAI…what to do…the zoo??

One of Chiang Mais greatest treasures is the new panda cub called Lin Ping at the Chiang Mai Zoo.  Thailand has falled SO in love with this little baby bundle of joy they dedicated an entire PANDA TV CHANNEL to her life…24 hours/7 days a week no less! Note the difference in zoo entry fees for Thai and Foreigners.  This is a very common practice in Thailand BELOW IS A CUTE VIDEO TAKEN AROUND... [Read more]

2/17/10 HEADING FOR THE HILLS TODAY AND TOMORROW!!!

ABOVE: SERGEANT KAI “MAKING MERIT” ACCORDING TO BUDDHIST TRADITION AND RELEASING LIFE BACK INTO THE WILD. Today we head for the hills with our private guide Sergeant Kai to visit the Karen Hilltribes as well as the Hmong Tribes for some incredible photo opportunities. On our last trip Kai understood how important it was for us to stay off the beaten touris path and he did NOT disappoint!!! CLICK... [Read more]

2/16/10 HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMY!!!

Hello my friends and Happy Birthday to my mom from Chiang Mai…we are celebrating a bit early because of the time difference!! Mom I hope you have the best day ever an I think of you ever day..I love you so much!!! MAKING FLOWER GARLANDS FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS AND BUDDHIST OFFERINGS IN 08 Mom keep an eye out  for some presents in my next post because Gayle and I are going birthday shopping... [Read more]

2/15/10 A TRUNKFULL OF LUVIN!! Elephant Nature Park day

CLICKING ANY UNDERLINED TEXT WILL BRING YOU TO MUCH MORE INFO Enough R and R…..we are up and running with the herd today at ELEPHANT NATURE PARK!!!  For those of you who remember as well as newcomers to the blog….. on my last visit in 2008, my best buddy Diana and I spent a full day volunteering at the park and working with blind elephant Jokie and her best friends Mae Perm and Jodi,a... [Read more]

2/14/10 HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR & VALENTINES DAY from Chiang Mai Thailand!!

CLICKING ON ANY UNDERLINED TEXT WILL BRING YOU TO MUCH MORE INFO AND FACTOIDS! Sawadee from CHIANG MAI THAILAND!!!!  This is the first day of the Lunar New Year as well as Valentines Day!!!  Talk about auspicious!!!  Even though we are in Thailand, Chinese New Year is still celebrated with great enthusiasm here. Red is the color of the day and lots of drums and cymbals are the sounds. Firecrackers... [Read more]

Finally. Newiphone videos uploaded

See the bottom of this post today for a number of YouTube videos I just uploaded from the airport. Heading out to Bangkok then chiang Mai. Woo hoo RANDOM PIX BELOW TOO Share on Facebook Read More →

2/12/10 Shopping the Jinli District of Chengdu

Above is an example of  the famous Shu Embroidery of Sichuan Province.  This intricate embroidery was hand done with split silk threads and hanging in a frame.  It measured about 4 feet wide!!! I had my eyes on this one when shopping on Jinli steet in 2008 to purchase but then when I found out the price was in the 1000’s of USD   I had to pass .  I did purchase smaller ones but this... [Read more]

AAF Moonbear visit yesterday

My dear friends and new visitors to the blog……please listen to my long ipadio phone cast below to hear all about our visit with Jill Robinson at AAF Chengdu.  I took 1327 photos yesterday  in greeat anticipation of starting to write my book.  Jill is a saint in every sense of the word.   The bears a sheer delight to get to know personally and by name.   If the phone cast doesn’t... [Read more]

2/10/10 HEADING OUT EARLY …the moonbears await

ABOVE IS FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR OF AAF, JILL ROBINSON (AAF PHOTO) These next two days are dedicated to the moonbears and the heros who work tirelessly on their behalf to save these beautiful animals from the torture of bile farming. Jill Robinson, the founder and director of AAF graciously agreed to set aside 2 days out of her insanely busy schedule to show us around and even let us sit in on any... [Read more]

News from the panda centers

Listen to the ipadio phone update for the panda news. Still wifi problems so pix will come later Tai and lani are doing well today. Lani proving. Talked to her nutritionist Share on Facebook Read More →

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