Christmas Lunch in Chiang Mai

Bit late, I know. But here is the family enjoying our Christmas lunch. The first time in many years when we had no guests.
We made the mistake of buying a Thai turkey. I can't help but feel it was a 75 year old marathon runner; scrawny, little flesh but a massive pot belly. After I carved away over an inch of fat around the breast/crop area, the flavour was Okay, but there was barely enough to go around.

Darts.

Is this lad the world's smallest darts player?

Bulseye! (he did too!)

Hmong New Year Celebrations

The Hmong are one of Thailands more numerous hill tribes. This year they celebrated their Lunar New Year on Saturday the 15th January.

Yuni and Ryan invited us to join them for the Hmong New Year celebrations up in the mountains in a Hmong hill tribe . About an hours drive from home, up twisty roads and dusty tracks, we were happy the celebration did not take place in the rainy season.
(Yuni was born Hmong, Ryan aspires to be so and was made a semi honourable one by Yuni's mother this year.Next year he gets to wear the hat and jewellery.)
The date of the celebration varies year by year according to the lunar cycle.

Mum Yuni, Dad and Ryan. Mum was entirely responsible for Ryan's costume and even hunted out some for Robin and Tommy, but they refused to wear them! 

Many of the ladies wore these delightful lampshades on their heads. 

This was the convenience set aside for approximately five thousand visitors who came for the celebrations. (Photo taken early in the morning before the queue stretched around the mountain!) 

They risk life and limb on these racing carts. Steep, narrow mountain trail makes racing most interesting. 

Getting ready to tow the racing carts up the mountain. 

Racing down the hill 

The winner! 

This girl was stunningly beautiful, but was too shy to allow her photo to be taken facing the camera. But I could not resist these beautiful solid-silver fish decorating her back. 

This little lad, dressed in all his finery, truly enjoys his ice cream 

Don't think I would particularly enjoy being a goalie here!