Romping around in the jungle decked out in camo, surrounded by a natural wall of giant bamboo clusters, as a pleasant breeze dancing with the heat of the day maintains the peace in this small Karen village base camp just across the Burma border, I find myself mingling with a handful of boys and men, guns and dirt. The hours of the day pass as we box, do pullups and pushups, and dismantle and clean deadly weapons used to defend these peaceful, Christian people from the unruly Burmese government. Out here in the jungle, life is simple and beautiful, aside from the ongoing tension and violence imposed by the Burmese as they burn villages and steal innocent lives for no reason other than to claim power. Bird songs intertwine with the sounds of shuffling leaves on giant bamboo stalks as they sway in the wind to make for an exceptionally serene soundtrack. I wake up with the sun as a breakfast of fried eggs, Ma-Ma noodles, fish, and rice awaits me with a thermos of hot water and instant 3-in-1 coffee packets. Lunch and dinner are usually the same, although canned sardines or freshly killed and dried mystery meat that hung from the tree have been known to replace the fresh fish. This may not seem like a 5-star meal to you, but I'll have you know I looked forward to these meals everyday. The random mini bananas, pomelo, and fresh sugar cane personally prepared with a machete also add to the excitement.
One would assume the Karen language is similar to that of the Thais, but this would be a false assumption. Even the lifestyle and culture is very different, often times almost opposite. Unlike the Buddhist Thai people, the Karen religion is generally Christian. Not dissimilar from Thais, however, they are extremely resourceful and ingenuitive when it comes to creating something out of nothing. The technology in the jungle may not be as sophisticated as that of the Western world, but the level of happiness and the number of smiles proves the unnecessity of such technology. This is not to say these villagers aren't intrigued and even fascinated by iPhones and notebook computers, but what they don't know definitely doesn't hurt them in that regard.
We have created a monster in the West, where the days can't provide us with enough hours and because of this we are constantly burdened with the pressures of time constraints and having to always have or want the latest advancements and upgrades in technology.
Our walls become thicker, cities more concrete, and our hearts colder and more difficult to share with others. I think this is one reason, among several, why our relationships seem so disposable. We are beginning to live disposable lives, and it's extremely humbling to witness this first-hand, living in a world that seems so natural and purely human. A couple men here in the camp walk around with one bamboo leg after stepping on landmines near their villages, and some are unschooled refugees who miraculously speak 3 languages, are strong as an ox, and house souls so beautiful you can't help but stare in awe.
I believe in technological advancement and constantly bettering ourselves and our lives; however, when it turns into a completely different world that is foreign to our roots, when we forget the way nature smells, when we contract ailments simply because our immune systems have been babied our entire lives, when we become incapable of communicating with people who are different from us and instead expect them to speak our language without us trying to learn from them, I think we are failing to appreciate life for what it is and how it's been given to us. I loved my time in the jungle with these people. As I make my way back to Bangkok to collect the rest of my belongings and then to venture on down to the islands, I plan to keep these memories in the forefront of my mind and hopefully come back to spend with them some more time.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Monday, January 17, 2011
Chiang Mai, Thailand 1.9.11-1.16.11
This quaint little laid back town reminds me so much of home. These days, the word "home" can mean any of many places, but right now I am referring to St. Augustine/Key West. Chiang Mai is in northern Thailand and is bordered on the north and west by mountains, jungly mountains. Granted, the mountains aren't quite snow-capped and tree-less as one might assume; however, the temperatures dip down low about halfway up the mountain and after sundown. The peak extends nearly 6,000 feet and seems very elevated to this sea level original. Whatever, they're mountains to me. There are many tourists here like where I come from, so that's nothing new to me, and they're mostly from Australia, Asia, and Europe, with hardly any Americans. It's a lovely little mix of culture and backgrounds and I've befriended people from Algeria, Switzerland, Ireland, Australia, France, Norway, Denmark, England, Korea, Thailand, Netherlands, Burma, and Spain, basically all within three days. Renting a motorcycle and heading into the mountains about 20 km, I witnessed bone-chilling waterfalls and deep wandering caves tucked away in the side of majestic rock protrusions, valiant hills of bamboo, a temple or "wat" so spiritual that one would feel ashamed if not slightly moved in its presence, and a stunning bird's-eye view of the city at night from 4,000 feet above, as the light of the day calmly rested its head behind the distant mountain pines. We found a village of Mhong people peacefully residing atop one of these mountains, growing coffee and making textiles and clothing by hand. Their quarters are as simple as their way of living, but the scenery is something from a fairy tail land found above the clouds somewhere in a far away place; jungle foliage surrounds a small valley of grass where vegetables and strawberries grow, a small stream creeping through the middle, and bamboo huts founded on clay dirt are warmed by the sun. A crisp, gentle breeze sweeps its way amongst it all making one yearn to be a part of such a primitive culture.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
True Traveler
I need to start taking notes as I do things so I can remember what to write about when the opportunity comes along. It's been a while since the last post, and the ever-growing sense of pressure to update all that I've encountered since the last post is rather overwhelming. I apologize, but this may be shorter than one would assume, not because I have been sitting in a white room the whole time, but because my memory and my brain don't always get along.
I decided that attending school would be fun in Thailand because it seems so laid back and relaxed. There's a lot of it, but you're with fun, nice people all day, the food's excellent, and there area enough activities and holidays to shape one's youth into a very productive and positive experience. There are negative aspects of every culture, but if you're unaware, or simply used to, your culture's way of doing things, it's hard to know better and so the "bad" things aren't really bad. Happiness can be found in uniforms, long-hour days, difficult assignments, and lots of work (advanced education). Thais simply care about quality and cleanliness, especially when it comes to decorating and art. They have a good time no matter what they do. I could totally continue teaching, but it's not the right time. I need to be doing other things like exploring and learning the language and really experiencing the culture. That's how to really understand a people. I was able to do that at the Loy Krathong festivities by the lake. Thais get so in to holidays and fireworks! There was basically no supervision and thousands of people (mostly young people) were all setting off explosives and things that would be totally illegal in the States. The area was spacious, but the Asian way (probably because of the absurd amount of people here) is to cram as many people will fit in one space. The maximum occupancy in elevators is never under 15, and they're usually smaller than American lifts (elevators). I know Asians are generally smaller people, but come on! haha Anyway, Loy Krathong was literally like a war zone. One explosive came out of no where and made me feel as if I'd been blown up by a land mine. The light was so bright in my face and I felt the power of the explosion. I had to check to make sure all my limbs were in tact! It was all in fun though and there were smiles all around. It was actually quite a spiritual experience, as are many things in a Buddhist country. Gun, a Thai guy I met, told me (through Phil, my translator) that Buddhism is a lot like Christianity these days. They feel it in their hearts when they pray. They don't ask for money or material things, and they pray to feel it, to be connected, to have their family be protected and together. They're such loving people who want nothing less than happiness and togetherness.
__________________________________________________________________________
Ko Samet - Ao Nuan Beach 12/7/10
Sitting on the beach watching the waves playfully claim the shore, jumping up onto the rocks and rubbing them down again. The sun's not bright, but the air is warm with a relaxing and refreshing breeze. Pure bliss. Oh, here comes the sun, delicately but persistently tossing the clouds aside in order to have a glimpse of Mother Earth and her beautiful morning features. A lonely sandal rests atop a protruding rock, probably left behind by a drunken patron just before he collapsed onto the cushioned floor of his bungalow. A vivacious young couple prances happily from the door of their honeymoon hut and fall desperately into the ever-open arms of the Gulf of Thailand. An anxious motorboat races by, its Thai captain ready for the day of chauffeuring adventure-hungry tourists. One dog, and then another, traipse over my feet and up the rocky cliff, leaving behind little paw prints in the sand for the sea to discreetly wipe away, erasing any evidence of the beach's morning visitors.
The water inches nearer, testing my reaction time as it quickly creeps in and then pulls out again. I get an alarmed sense of just how much pent up energy resides within each wave. They're like children longing for recess, a playmate, yet the ways they are capable of crashing and wrapping around the rocks and recoil and fold are innumerable, so even without a companion, the ocean is happy and as free as can be doing what it does best.
Yesterday (12/6) was a day full of traveling via 4 modes of transportation: motorcycle, van, bus, boat, and foot. So, I guess that's 5. I went for a walk after reaching the island by ferry,changed into my bathing suit in the woods just off a cliff path, and found myself floating effortlessly in a turquoise pool of salt. A man by the name of Osmo, from Sweden, invited me to join him for a drink and dinner. He also offered his bungalow to crash in for the night (3 meters from the beach). The bungalow consisted of a king size cushion on a raised platform on the floor, and a hammock on the front porch. A separate, beautiful shower in the rocks and a separate hut with a squat toilet was included, as well. This is where I pooed for the first time in a squat toilet, and must say I was relieved when a scoop or 2 of water flushed the evidence.
__________________________________________________________________________
The next 2 days consisted of beach hopping, relaxing, fire twirling entertainment, and fresh, much-needed air on Ko Samet before backtracking back up to the city. After hanging out there for a couple more days and discovering some really cool parks with lots of grass, ponds wandering beneath stone bridges with fountains and paddle boat rentals, outdoor gyms with real equipment under the trees in the breezy but warm open air (they made my day/week), several food stalls, senior centers with elliptical machines, thai chi and yoga classes, playgrounds for kids with sand and simple exercise equipment, and ducks and huge iguanas, my thoughts on Bangkok weren't so bad after all. Bangkok proper is actually a lot cleaner than the surrounding provinces, but no matter where you go, your chances of finding clean air to breathe are slim to none.
I flew to the Philippines where my Uncle's family (all Chinese) resides. The family is well-known in the community, as they own many restaurants, spas, and other businesses. This means they have homes in almost every part of the country. I met 4/5 of my Chinese-American cousins, along with my uncle and his sister and her husband, in Manila and we spent the following 3 weeks together meeting new family members each day (huge family of a couple hundred) and taking advantage of the amenities that come with owning all sorts of businesses. Most of the time was spent eating: Chinese, Philippine, Korean, and Vietnamese, for the most part. I tried the famous balut (a fertilized duck egg with a nearly-developed embryo inside that is boiled and eaten in the shell). Actually, I had it 3 times. Alcohol was involved each time, but had I not been drinking, the consumption still would've taken place.
Manila has some of the worst traffic I've experienced and most of the people are extremely poor. Poorer than in Thailand. Some of the makeshift "structures," for lack of a better term, that these people live in are not even believable to see. I gave a bunch of clothes to several different people laying on the street trying to sleep on dirty cardboard or in some other unsanitary area. I thought the bathroom situation in Thailand was bad with the whole no-toilet-paper thing. At least they have hoses to spray off with. In the Philippines, the bathrooms usually consisted of squat toilet, no toilet paper, no hose, dirty floor (unlike in Thailand where the floors are so frequently mopped and polished that I have a hard time walking without slipping), no bucket to dip a bowl in to scoop water up on yourself, no soap, dirty sinks, and no paper towels or hand dryers. Gross. That's all I have to say. It's rare to even see people washing their hands at all! And after knowing (or not knowing) what just happened behind the stall door, it's rather difficult to not be disgusted. I can only imagine how many germs are spread throughout the country, and I'm not sure if they have a secret technique of remaining clean all the time, or if they're immune to such germs, or if I just wasn't exposed to the insane amount of sickliness, but I am curious to know how it works.
Lots of market shopping was done in cramped quarters indoors, Philippino people EVERYWHERE, no room to walk or breathe, and vendors beckoning you to buy things by saying "Yes, ma'am sir ma'am" (sounds more like mom than ma'am, and in Tagalog there is no difference between how you address a female vs. a male, so they tend to get the 2 confused or just say both...maybe thinking they're being extra polite??). The first few times I was referred to as "sir," I was taken aback and almost offended, since my short-hair days are over. Once I realized they don't all know the difference, it was rather amusing. Bargaining is not my strong point, unfortunately, but things are already very cheap, so I didn't feel as bad giving them a little more than they might get from a Philippino. It's also good that I am not one to buy lots of things; otherwise, I could furnish several houses and dress an entire school or children and feed a small army with my tight budget.
Olongapo was our next destination near Subic Bay, where we hung out quite a bit at the family's coffee shop and spas. The quote "Life is hard" was coined between us cousins because of this rich lifestyle we experienced with 14-bedroom houses, drivers, maids, houseboys, and food prepared for us 24/7 we're not used to. Snorkeling at a private beach was a highlight, as we were able to see lots of marine life including huge sea urchins, blue starfish, swordfish, and many others! A 3-hour drive from Subic Bay took us to a family friend's resort on the China Sea, where we took a boat out to a picture perfect island that can be walked around in 15 minutes. White sand, transparent, emerald water, coconut palms, a couple vacant tiki huts, and a picnic basket full of food and beer greeted us for the day. Some phenomenal marine life and coral reefs sat silent below us as we snorkeled around the island, observing the beauty and vastness of the powerful sea. Tons of whole conchs and other shells adorned the beaches, and crabs scurried from one shell to another in search of a more spacious house to hide their naked bodies. Bright blues and yellows and purples and oranges spotted along the reef, along with sand-camouflaged fish and giant starfish made a barrier around the island and separated the clear waters from the drop off abyss of deep dark and mysterious blue water on the other side. It's crazy how the sight of nothing can be so intimidating and humbling from the perspective of a vulnerable snorkeler bobbing around aimlessly on the surface above.
The next stop was to Baguio, 5 hours north in the mountains where many generations of Igorot hill tribes live and the weather is cool and breezy. It was very nice for a change since the rest of my days on the road have been pretty warm. I woke up to a lovely mountain view as the morning fog set in and cooled things of a bit. Baguio, like most other places in the Philippines, is unfortunately way too overpopulated, but would be a great place to stay a while if that weren't the case.
Once I said my goodbyes to my family, both old and new, I returned to Thailand in order to finish what I started and get to know the rest of the country outside of Bangkok. I made some more friends and decided to travel north with Alek, from NYC. After a long night in Bangkok involving dancing, more friend-making, and no sleep, I met up with Alek at the northernmost BTS (metro) station where we began our planless adventure. We caught a city bus and took it as far noorth as it would go (not very far), walked about 4 miles with our giant packs, caught 3 different hitches farther north, and ended up in Ayuthaya, Thailand's old capitol city. There wasn't much to do there so we bought some cheap train tickets, hung around the town for several hours, met a girl, Baybay who was also traveling, and after 14 hours, found ourselves up north in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Another adventurer from Australia, Geraint, shared my bench and so we shared travel stories and gave each other advice and chatted about life in general. The bus ride was long and trying to sleep upright on benches that face one another (2 and 2) wasn't my favorite part, but I must say I loved the windows down and no air-con and the fact that I could climb down the steps and hang my body out of the train as the wind tussled my hair, the smell of nature filled my nose, and overgrown shrubbery randomly whacked me in the leg and face. I'd definitely recommend trying it, and I will probably take a similar train back down south in a few days. Alek and I rented a motorcycle yesterday and drove farther north to a little town called Chiang Dao. It reminded me of somewhere I've been before, and for that I loved it. We had to stop for a herd of elephants to cross the road at a training camp, which was thrilling and so cute! The mountain drive was cold and a little damp for a bit, the sprinkles of rain piercing my naked arms and chilling me to the bone. What a gorgeous drive that was, for about an hour! I taught Alek how to ride a motorcycle, but turning it around gave him some difficulties, as it happens to do to people, and he ran it into a ditch! haha I'd gotten insurance for it, but forgot that I still had to pay up to 1,500 baht in the case of an accident, so since Alek left to go down south before I returned the bike, I got slapped with a hefty charge. Lucky me! heh I really enjoy the atmosphere of Chiang Mai. It feels like a combination of St. Augustine, FL and Key West, FL, both of which feel like home to me. The weather is cool right now, prolly in the low 60s! I had to bust out the pants tonight and a jacket yesterday on the bike! Yikes! But, it's also been a nice change. After all, it is still winter! There are tons of unique and well-made, handmade gifts and crafts here, unlike the same old crap in most other places to which I've been. Lots of farang (foreigners), but I don't mind it right now after not being able to speak to many people and have normal in-depth conversations for quite some time. More to come later. I need some sleep.
I decided that attending school would be fun in Thailand because it seems so laid back and relaxed. There's a lot of it, but you're with fun, nice people all day, the food's excellent, and there area enough activities and holidays to shape one's youth into a very productive and positive experience. There are negative aspects of every culture, but if you're unaware, or simply used to, your culture's way of doing things, it's hard to know better and so the "bad" things aren't really bad. Happiness can be found in uniforms, long-hour days, difficult assignments, and lots of work (advanced education). Thais simply care about quality and cleanliness, especially when it comes to decorating and art. They have a good time no matter what they do. I could totally continue teaching, but it's not the right time. I need to be doing other things like exploring and learning the language and really experiencing the culture. That's how to really understand a people. I was able to do that at the Loy Krathong festivities by the lake. Thais get so in to holidays and fireworks! There was basically no supervision and thousands of people (mostly young people) were all setting off explosives and things that would be totally illegal in the States. The area was spacious, but the Asian way (probably because of the absurd amount of people here) is to cram as many people will fit in one space. The maximum occupancy in elevators is never under 15, and they're usually smaller than American lifts (elevators). I know Asians are generally smaller people, but come on! haha Anyway, Loy Krathong was literally like a war zone. One explosive came out of no where and made me feel as if I'd been blown up by a land mine. The light was so bright in my face and I felt the power of the explosion. I had to check to make sure all my limbs were in tact! It was all in fun though and there were smiles all around. It was actually quite a spiritual experience, as are many things in a Buddhist country. Gun, a Thai guy I met, told me (through Phil, my translator) that Buddhism is a lot like Christianity these days. They feel it in their hearts when they pray. They don't ask for money or material things, and they pray to feel it, to be connected, to have their family be protected and together. They're such loving people who want nothing less than happiness and togetherness.
__________________________________________________________________________
Ko Samet - Ao Nuan Beach 12/7/10
Sitting on the beach watching the waves playfully claim the shore, jumping up onto the rocks and rubbing them down again. The sun's not bright, but the air is warm with a relaxing and refreshing breeze. Pure bliss. Oh, here comes the sun, delicately but persistently tossing the clouds aside in order to have a glimpse of Mother Earth and her beautiful morning features. A lonely sandal rests atop a protruding rock, probably left behind by a drunken patron just before he collapsed onto the cushioned floor of his bungalow. A vivacious young couple prances happily from the door of their honeymoon hut and fall desperately into the ever-open arms of the Gulf of Thailand. An anxious motorboat races by, its Thai captain ready for the day of chauffeuring adventure-hungry tourists. One dog, and then another, traipse over my feet and up the rocky cliff, leaving behind little paw prints in the sand for the sea to discreetly wipe away, erasing any evidence of the beach's morning visitors.
The water inches nearer, testing my reaction time as it quickly creeps in and then pulls out again. I get an alarmed sense of just how much pent up energy resides within each wave. They're like children longing for recess, a playmate, yet the ways they are capable of crashing and wrapping around the rocks and recoil and fold are innumerable, so even without a companion, the ocean is happy and as free as can be doing what it does best.
Yesterday (12/6) was a day full of traveling via 4 modes of transportation: motorcycle, van, bus, boat, and foot. So, I guess that's 5. I went for a walk after reaching the island by ferry,changed into my bathing suit in the woods just off a cliff path, and found myself floating effortlessly in a turquoise pool of salt. A man by the name of Osmo, from Sweden, invited me to join him for a drink and dinner. He also offered his bungalow to crash in for the night (3 meters from the beach). The bungalow consisted of a king size cushion on a raised platform on the floor, and a hammock on the front porch. A separate, beautiful shower in the rocks and a separate hut with a squat toilet was included, as well. This is where I pooed for the first time in a squat toilet, and must say I was relieved when a scoop or 2 of water flushed the evidence.
__________________________________________________________________________
The next 2 days consisted of beach hopping, relaxing, fire twirling entertainment, and fresh, much-needed air on Ko Samet before backtracking back up to the city. After hanging out there for a couple more days and discovering some really cool parks with lots of grass, ponds wandering beneath stone bridges with fountains and paddle boat rentals, outdoor gyms with real equipment under the trees in the breezy but warm open air (they made my day/week), several food stalls, senior centers with elliptical machines, thai chi and yoga classes, playgrounds for kids with sand and simple exercise equipment, and ducks and huge iguanas, my thoughts on Bangkok weren't so bad after all. Bangkok proper is actually a lot cleaner than the surrounding provinces, but no matter where you go, your chances of finding clean air to breathe are slim to none.
I flew to the Philippines where my Uncle's family (all Chinese) resides. The family is well-known in the community, as they own many restaurants, spas, and other businesses. This means they have homes in almost every part of the country. I met 4/5 of my Chinese-American cousins, along with my uncle and his sister and her husband, in Manila and we spent the following 3 weeks together meeting new family members each day (huge family of a couple hundred) and taking advantage of the amenities that come with owning all sorts of businesses. Most of the time was spent eating: Chinese, Philippine, Korean, and Vietnamese, for the most part. I tried the famous balut (a fertilized duck egg with a nearly-developed embryo inside that is boiled and eaten in the shell). Actually, I had it 3 times. Alcohol was involved each time, but had I not been drinking, the consumption still would've taken place.
Manila has some of the worst traffic I've experienced and most of the people are extremely poor. Poorer than in Thailand. Some of the makeshift "structures," for lack of a better term, that these people live in are not even believable to see. I gave a bunch of clothes to several different people laying on the street trying to sleep on dirty cardboard or in some other unsanitary area. I thought the bathroom situation in Thailand was bad with the whole no-toilet-paper thing. At least they have hoses to spray off with. In the Philippines, the bathrooms usually consisted of squat toilet, no toilet paper, no hose, dirty floor (unlike in Thailand where the floors are so frequently mopped and polished that I have a hard time walking without slipping), no bucket to dip a bowl in to scoop water up on yourself, no soap, dirty sinks, and no paper towels or hand dryers. Gross. That's all I have to say. It's rare to even see people washing their hands at all! And after knowing (or not knowing) what just happened behind the stall door, it's rather difficult to not be disgusted. I can only imagine how many germs are spread throughout the country, and I'm not sure if they have a secret technique of remaining clean all the time, or if they're immune to such germs, or if I just wasn't exposed to the insane amount of sickliness, but I am curious to know how it works.
Lots of market shopping was done in cramped quarters indoors, Philippino people EVERYWHERE, no room to walk or breathe, and vendors beckoning you to buy things by saying "Yes, ma'am sir ma'am" (sounds more like mom than ma'am, and in Tagalog there is no difference between how you address a female vs. a male, so they tend to get the 2 confused or just say both...maybe thinking they're being extra polite??). The first few times I was referred to as "sir," I was taken aback and almost offended, since my short-hair days are over. Once I realized they don't all know the difference, it was rather amusing. Bargaining is not my strong point, unfortunately, but things are already very cheap, so I didn't feel as bad giving them a little more than they might get from a Philippino. It's also good that I am not one to buy lots of things; otherwise, I could furnish several houses and dress an entire school or children and feed a small army with my tight budget.
Olongapo was our next destination near Subic Bay, where we hung out quite a bit at the family's coffee shop and spas. The quote "Life is hard" was coined between us cousins because of this rich lifestyle we experienced with 14-bedroom houses, drivers, maids, houseboys, and food prepared for us 24/7 we're not used to. Snorkeling at a private beach was a highlight, as we were able to see lots of marine life including huge sea urchins, blue starfish, swordfish, and many others! A 3-hour drive from Subic Bay took us to a family friend's resort on the China Sea, where we took a boat out to a picture perfect island that can be walked around in 15 minutes. White sand, transparent, emerald water, coconut palms, a couple vacant tiki huts, and a picnic basket full of food and beer greeted us for the day. Some phenomenal marine life and coral reefs sat silent below us as we snorkeled around the island, observing the beauty and vastness of the powerful sea. Tons of whole conchs and other shells adorned the beaches, and crabs scurried from one shell to another in search of a more spacious house to hide their naked bodies. Bright blues and yellows and purples and oranges spotted along the reef, along with sand-camouflaged fish and giant starfish made a barrier around the island and separated the clear waters from the drop off abyss of deep dark and mysterious blue water on the other side. It's crazy how the sight of nothing can be so intimidating and humbling from the perspective of a vulnerable snorkeler bobbing around aimlessly on the surface above.
The next stop was to Baguio, 5 hours north in the mountains where many generations of Igorot hill tribes live and the weather is cool and breezy. It was very nice for a change since the rest of my days on the road have been pretty warm. I woke up to a lovely mountain view as the morning fog set in and cooled things of a bit. Baguio, like most other places in the Philippines, is unfortunately way too overpopulated, but would be a great place to stay a while if that weren't the case.
Once I said my goodbyes to my family, both old and new, I returned to Thailand in order to finish what I started and get to know the rest of the country outside of Bangkok. I made some more friends and decided to travel north with Alek, from NYC. After a long night in Bangkok involving dancing, more friend-making, and no sleep, I met up with Alek at the northernmost BTS (metro) station where we began our planless adventure. We caught a city bus and took it as far noorth as it would go (not very far), walked about 4 miles with our giant packs, caught 3 different hitches farther north, and ended up in Ayuthaya, Thailand's old capitol city. There wasn't much to do there so we bought some cheap train tickets, hung around the town for several hours, met a girl, Baybay who was also traveling, and after 14 hours, found ourselves up north in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Another adventurer from Australia, Geraint, shared my bench and so we shared travel stories and gave each other advice and chatted about life in general. The bus ride was long and trying to sleep upright on benches that face one another (2 and 2) wasn't my favorite part, but I must say I loved the windows down and no air-con and the fact that I could climb down the steps and hang my body out of the train as the wind tussled my hair, the smell of nature filled my nose, and overgrown shrubbery randomly whacked me in the leg and face. I'd definitely recommend trying it, and I will probably take a similar train back down south in a few days. Alek and I rented a motorcycle yesterday and drove farther north to a little town called Chiang Dao. It reminded me of somewhere I've been before, and for that I loved it. We had to stop for a herd of elephants to cross the road at a training camp, which was thrilling and so cute! The mountain drive was cold and a little damp for a bit, the sprinkles of rain piercing my naked arms and chilling me to the bone. What a gorgeous drive that was, for about an hour! I taught Alek how to ride a motorcycle, but turning it around gave him some difficulties, as it happens to do to people, and he ran it into a ditch! haha I'd gotten insurance for it, but forgot that I still had to pay up to 1,500 baht in the case of an accident, so since Alek left to go down south before I returned the bike, I got slapped with a hefty charge. Lucky me! heh I really enjoy the atmosphere of Chiang Mai. It feels like a combination of St. Augustine, FL and Key West, FL, both of which feel like home to me. The weather is cool right now, prolly in the low 60s! I had to bust out the pants tonight and a jacket yesterday on the bike! Yikes! But, it's also been a nice change. After all, it is still winter! There are tons of unique and well-made, handmade gifts and crafts here, unlike the same old crap in most other places to which I've been. Lots of farang (foreigners), but I don't mind it right now after not being able to speak to many people and have normal in-depth conversations for quite some time. More to come later. I need some sleep.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)