BOLT – BOLT: Black Old Lesbians Traveling

Earthing Experience with Keidra

November 7, 2018 by BOLT, posted in African American, Chiang Mai, Thailand, Earthing, nature, Thailand, Travel, Women

Keidra King is an amazing woman and a dynamic force behind much that is positive here in Chiang Mai. She is a healer, a teacher and a proponent of many health and wellness practices. One of these is earthing.

Being grounded and making a connection to nature has many benefits! Plus it feels wonderful! Recently Keidra took some of our Chiang Mai family on a fabulous tour of the Erotic Garden and the Queen’s Garden. It was a great day of earthing and friendship!

Some benefits of earthing:

Improves Sleep
Reduces Inflammation
Stress Relief
Relieves Muscle Soreness
Promotes Healing
Provides Antioxidants
Improves Blood Circulation

Earthing is simple and easy to do. Simply stand and walk barefoot on grass, sand or dirt. Take a stroll along a riverbed, at a park or at the sea shore. Enjoy the sunshine and the sights that surround you.

I hope you will get outside and enjoy earthing soon. Please share your experience with us!

Chiang Mai Temple Tour

November 2, 2018November 2, 2018 by BOLT, posted in African American, Black, buddhist, family, Fun, generational, Long term travel, Thailand, Travel, Women

I had lots of fun this week playing tour guide to some visitors to Chiang Mai. They wanted to see some temples and since I love temples I volunteered. We spent the day visiting three of the over 300 temples here in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Wat Doi Suthep is probably the most famous and most visited temple in Chiang Mai. It’s at the top of Doi Suthep (doi means mountain). From it you have beautiful views of Chiang Mai City. It’s beautiful but a little on the touristy side.

So, after the hustle and bustle of Doi Suthep, I wanted to show my guests the more rural and tranquil Wat Umong. I love the grounds here. You can climb to the top of the temple, explore the meditation caves, stroll along a small lake and feed the catfish.

Our last stop was in the centerof old Chiang Mai city. They got to see the moat that encloses the old city and then glorious Wat Chedi Luang. It was a fun last stop because when we came out Sunday Walking Market was in full swing!

We’ve been busy and life is good! I want to be better about blogging every week. I’ve decided shorter but more consistently posted blogs are the way to go. Hope you enjoyed this one. I’d love to hear from you…questions, suggestions for topics or anything about living a life of travel. Thank you dear reader!

BOLT Reviews: San Kamphaeng Hot Springs

September 27, 2018November 7, 2018 by BOLT, posted in African American, Old, queer, retirement, Thai Traditional Herbal Treatments, Thailand, Travel, Women

Just about an hour outside of Chiang Mai, Thailand there is a place of healing and power. I don’t know (or care) about the scientific explanation of hot springs or mineral water soaks, I only know I feel great after I visit such places. San Kamphaeng Hot Springs is no exception. It is a delightful space, actually a large park with lovely grounds for strolling as well as many options for soaking. Both times I have gone with groups and that really adds to the experience. There is a large room with a communal tub. Enjoying that tub with girlfriends was a great experience. There is a really good restaurant as well as many food stall vendors. One thing everyone remembers about the hot springs is that the water is so hot in spots that you can boil eggs in it! There are baskets of eggs available as long with instructions for how long to cook them. I hope you will enjoy these pictures and if you are in Chiang Mai, please consider a visit to the springs!

BOLT Reviews: Royal Park Rajapruek

September 13, 2018September 13, 2018 by BOLT, posted in African American, buddhist, Fun, Thailand, Travel

No matter how long we live in Chiang Mai, I feel I will always find new things to delight me. Our Royal Park Rajapruek experience was more confirmation on that. It is not at the top of any “Chiang Mai Top 10s” nor is it a place many I know have visited yet this lovely park is now a definite BOLT Top 10.

It’s an enormous place, with a shuttle bus to help one get around, and was built in 2006 in honor of the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s 80th birthday and 60 years on the throne. There is a breathtaking pavillion dedicated to the King, surrounded by calming waters and expansive views.

There were amazing flowers and plants everywhere, especially in the orchid section.

Visiting the park with friends made it even more special. There were so many great photo opportunities and walking around the grounds between shuttle rides was very enjoyable.

Kathy and I really enjoyed the international gardens section. It was fascinating to see so many countries represented by gardens!

Kenya

The Netherlands

Nepal

India

China

Belgium

Mauritania

Cambodia

Bhutan

Our trip to the Royal Park was well worth the 200 baht (6 dollars) admission price. If you are in the Chiang Mai area I highly reccomend a visit!

A Quick Update from BOLT

August 25, 2018 by BOLT, posted in African American, Black, Fun, Gay, Lanna Traditional Medicine, Lesbian, Long term travel, POC, queer, retirement, Thai Traditional Herbal Treatments, Travel, WOC, Women

One of our faithful followers reminded me that I haven’t posted a blog lately. Kathy and I have been very busy but I wanted to take a few minutes out for a brief update.

One project that is keeping us joyously busy is helping our dear friend, Wanvisa, in the development of her wellness center, Inthakin Green Village. We’ve had lots of fun brainstorming ideas, getting treatments (the best part) and doing some administrative tasks. Kathy has been working hard, designing a website and it should be published soon. We do have a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Inthakin-Green-Village-254781621989943/

The other thing keeping us (me) busy is that I am doing my first community theater gig. It will be a readers theater production of James Baldwin’s “The Amen Corner”. I am working with a fabulous group of people and we are under the direction of the very skilled Stephan Turner, who is the founder of the Gate Theater, here in Chiang Mai. If you are in or near Chiang Mai please come out and support us: https://www.facebook.com/TheGateTheater/photos/a.466250796762976/1791627774225265/?type=3&theater

So that’s us for now, how about you? We love hearing from you: where you are, what you are doing and how can we help? More about our Black Old Lesbian Traveling adventures soon!

Thailand with Pheuxn (Friends)!

July 29, 2018July 29, 2018 by BOLT, posted in African American, buddhist, family, Fun, Gay, Lanna Traditional Medicine, Lesbian, Long term travel, Old, POC, queer, retirement, spiritual, Thai Traditional Herbal Treatments, Thailand, Travel, WOC, Women

It has been a whirlwind month for BOLT. In addition to our wonderful stay at Inthakin Green Village we had a delightful time playing host to our dear friends, Lecia and Sergio.

It was wonderful showing them around, playing tourist and sharing with them the Thailand that we know and love.

Kathy and I are not crazy about Bangkok but it is a must stop for your first visit to Thailand. We were waiting for Sergio and Lecia at the Air BnB we rented and had planned a fun-packed 5 day stay in Bangkok. The first day we spent shopping at the humoungous Platinum Fashion Mall. We had fun, got great bargins and returned home exhausted.

We had a ball the next day, being pure tourists at the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market. We even got to enjoy a boat ride during a monsoon rain!

Of course, no visit to Bangkok is complete without going to the Grand Palace.

Thanks to Lecial and Sergio we finally got to visit Wat Pho.

In contrast to the sacred beauty of Wat Pho we got to experience another type of beauty…the faboulous queens at the Stranger Bar drag show!

One of the most fun things we did in Bangkok was also the cheapest! We took the local (15 Baht) boat and saw the city from a different view point.

We loved showing Lecia and Sergio around our beloved city of Chiang Mai. They got to meet some of our friends, do more shopping and enjoy the local cuisine. Lecia and Sergio also got to spend some time at an elephant camp.

It was crazy fun seeing my bestie enjoy her first tuk-tuk drive!

We ended our friend’s time in Thailand in the best way possible: a healing stay at Inthakin Green Village.

Saying good-bye was bittersweet but I know we will be seeing our friends again soon. Afterall, who can resist Thailand?

If you are planning a visit to Thailand please let us know. We would be honored to show you around Chiang Mai and the surrounding areas.

Wat Pho…Well Worth the Wait!

July 8, 2018July 8, 2018 by BOLT, posted in African American, buddhist, family, Fun, Gay, Long term travel, retirement, Thailand, Travel

Our wait to see Wat Pho had nothing to do with long lines, closures or any of the other reasons one might wait for something. Kathy has wanted to see this amazing statue of the Buddha Nirvana since we first arrived in Thailand (over 2 years ago). Because of a scammer tuk tuk driver we missed the opportunity the last time we visited Bangkok. This time we knew we would be sure to see it. Oh how beautiful and amazing it is!

It is hard to truly show the majestic size. I did my best with my little camera phone. You can get an idea of the size by seeing Kathy’s head near the end.

The statue was built by King Rama I in the 16th century. It is one of the largest Buddha statues in Thailand. It measures 15 m high and 46 m long!