Sunday morning, 6:00 AM, Roch and Brenda decide that today the early bird will catch the worm. We leap from bed, get dressed and head out into the brisk 19 degree morn. After a short soongthaew ride, we arrive at our destination, the Muang Mai market. This is our first trip here at this time of day and we find the landscape to be quite different from our other visits. We first notice that all the vendor's stalls are filled to the brim with produce. Next, although...

The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Hunter-Gatherers says: "Hunting and gathering was humanity's first and most successful adaptation, occupying at least 90 percent of human history. Until 12,000 years ago, all humans lived this way." As have Roch and Brenda for the last 30 days. The markets in Southeast Asia have been our primary and most successful venues for our daily foraging routine. We have scoured Ho Chi Minh City, Mui Ne and Chiang Mai for the freshest, cheap...

We were fortunate enough to be in Chiang Mai during the Yee Peng Festival, also known as the Lantern Festival. It is held annually on the full moon of the 12th month in the Thai lunar calendar, which this year occurred on November 6th. The festival features beautifully illuminated lanterns, which are either carried, displayed in houses and temples, or launched into the night sky. Kathong, an offering traditionally made from bamboo stalk and adorned with candles,...

Saturday we participated in the Relentless Endurance Race http://www.goadventureasia.com/RER/rer.htm , a timed 6, 12 or 24 hour run with the participant covering the most distance in their category being declared the winner. We initially signed up to support the charity after which the race is named and to meet up with some like minded people. I went into this race coming off the PEC marathon that I had to abandon at KM 37 due to injuries. My goal was to at leas...

We arrived at our hotel in Chiang Mai's old city just before midnight last Wednesday and we've been running ever since, both figuratively and literally! Our primary goal once we hit the ground was to scout out the city for the neighborhood where we'd like to spend the next four months, and then find a condo to rent that would suit our needs. We walked mile upon mile, exploring the city in bright sunshine and 32 degree temperatures. We visited several buildings,...