Christmas, New Year and Travel.

After a hectic four days at work celebrating  Christmas with my NETS family, it is now time for holidays and quality time with my family. Retrievals were constant over Christmas, but at least we had time to have our baked dinner and enjoy the festive season with our colleagues in between doing retrievals. Christmas is always busy with babies or children requiring some medical attention. In the evening after working I spent time with my family, enjoying Christmas dinner and some of the festivities. I worked until Saturday after Christmas then on Sunday myself, DH, sons and daughter- inlaw flew to Bangkok then onto Chaing Mai to spend 7 days including New Years Eve. 

We arrived in Bangkok after 9 hrs flying, 3 movies later and a heap of hexagons covered, we had a 3 hour wait to board Thai Smiles and fly to Chaing Mai, this flight was only 1 1/2 hrs, we were picked up by our arranged transport and taken to our Hotel. On Sunday's in Chaing Mai, the famous walking markets are held from 4 pm to MN, our hotel is in one of the streets that these markets are held. We arrived in Chaing Mai at 8.30 pm local time ( Sydney time 1230 am, 4 hrs difference). DH sick with flu, opted for bed, Myself, youngest son and daughter- Inlaw went to brave the crowds in the market. I must say I was impressed with the handicrafts! a lot of appliqué and hand sewn goods. We spent  3 hrs at the markets and as it got later the crowds grew and we were all shuffling, to move through the streets, so at this time, as we were exhausted, it was  03.30 am in Sydney we headed back to the hotel to retire for the night.

The hotel itself is called U hotel, so whatever your heart desires, you can get, very happy with the de'core and our own private swimming pool, just outside our room.

Our private swimming pool !

Note the bedside lights, love this de'core, which appeals to my rustic nature.

Monday saw us exploring the streets of Chaing Mai, we walked for hours down to the local markets and viewed some temples on the way and stopped at the Taipei gates to see where we will celebrate New Years Eve.

One of the many temples in Chaing Mai.

In the local markets, lots of pork crackling being cooked and sold.

Local delicacy, Chiang Mai sausage.

Bamboo worms anyone!

Later in the evening we visited a tailor for suits to be made and the kids enjoyed a ride in the local taxi's.

After the tailor off to the Anusam Markets and a seafood dinner.

Where we will celebrate New Year's Eve at the Taipei gates.

Tuesday New Years Eve, booked in for a Thai cooking class, got picked up at 9 am to go to Siam Rice cooking school where we will be taught to cook 3 meals of our choice and and then eat them. A very enjoyable day with some new talents learnt by all. DH did a great job of his meals and our son who is also a chef, took to the task with great relish and perfected each dish.

Shopping at the local markets for our ingredients.

Nam our cooking instructor was very informative.

All geared up and ready to cook, enjoyed the day with some new made friends, Cara was quite the expert with her choice of Penang curry with eggplant.

After the cooking class we went back to the hotel to off load our shopping and the quest was on, to search for the quilt shop that I had seen on our way from the airport to the hotel on Sunday night, this was to be the only free time that we would have to search for the shop on Moonmang Rd, after a lengthy distance of walking the wrong way, decision made, we caught the local transport to get to the shop which turned out to be a lot further than we thought and finally found it, was it worth the search, no but still good to see what the Thai quilters are up to, mainly into small projects, knitting and cross stitch.

The sign that I spotted on the way to our hotel.

Lots of clover products for sale, although prices are dearer here than in Sydney.

Cute pussy cat model with a ball of yarn out the front.

Let New Years Eve celebrations begin, Alex and Cara releasing their lantern and wish for the New year! the sky looked amazing with all the lanterns that had been released.

Our wish and lantern released, let the festivities begin, very blessed to be together with my family, on this great occasion.

A very happy new year to all, from heathton Creations.