Penfold's South East Asian Odyssey

I'm sure many of you have visited the ancient ruins at Ayutthaya and the UNESCO world heritage sites at Sukothai. If you enjoyed the experience then I would like to let you in on a little secret. About 5 kilometres South of Chiang Mai, lies a hidden historical gem called Wiang Kum Kam. Whilst it doesn't rival Sukothai or Ayutthaya in terms of reputation or column inches in tourist guides, it is equally majestic and provides a tantilising glimpse in to Chiang Mai's past. There are over 20 sites, some of which have yet to be fully excavated and restored. Visitors can chose to view a selection of the ancient ruins either by tram or by horse and carriage, which was the option we chose. I felt sorry for the horse because riding in the carriage was my girlfriend and I, her father and 3 of our dogs!!! Wiang Kum Kam was founded in the 13th Century and briefly served as the capital of the Northern Lanna kingdom until severe flooding caused the inhabitants to move to the current site...

We all know that Mother Nature can be a fickle mistress, because a few months ago certain parts of Thailand were experiencing some of the worst droughts in decades. However, fast-forward a few weeks and the Kingdom is currently being deluged by the monsoon rains and swathes of the country from Ayutthaya to Chiang Rai are under metres of water!!! Countless buildings have been damaged, roads washed away and acres of crops destroyed. The weather forecasts will do little to ease the worries of those already mopping up!!! Having recently been in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, I saw first hand some of the problems that have been caused. However, Thai's are resilient folk and I know it will take more than a few drops of rain to dampen the spirits. Fortunately, Casa Penfold is still standing and I won't be forced to live in the street with the Soi dogs just yet!! An in-depth look report of the flooding is available by clicking on the following link..... http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?...