Chaing Rai and a slow boat

No matter what happens you always have the music. Someone used that expression to me to other day as an inspirational and semi clitque tone but I knew deep down there was nothing clitque or untrue about it. Although I don't play an instrument there is still music everywhere and its effects are like nothing else in the world. But Im getting ahead of myself and getting a little deeper than anyone probably cares about...I'm floating down the MEkong listening to the greatest rock band ever and I feel so small!

It is now Sunday march 6th and I have been in Thailand since feb 18th, 16 days total. I have been asked how long I have been traveling and feeel as though I have been saying 2 or 3 weeks since February so I guess I've compacted alot into ny time. Since I last posted a few interesting things have happened to me. After a great motorbike ride around chaing rai and it's vicinitys with Maude I stayed the night at my couchsurfing friend Catys house. I didnt plan to leave for Laos after the first night but planned on staying 2 nights and leaving extremely early the next morning. That plan started on Thursday march 2nd. The vortex of awesomness that is chaing rai kept me three until sunday morning when I caught the bus (again as you will soon read) to get to chain kong, the Thai departure city to Laos. I by no means regret anything about my stay in chaing rai and I probably would t change much of anythig if icould, although ny nikon point and shoot did have quite q healthy and growing relashonzhip going before it's demise. Anyway...

On Friday I spent most of the day blogging and riding my (catys) bike around the city. A great and productive day that culminated with me buying a usd camera from a very local camera shop. Caty used the guy when Doing all her photography stuff ( she was a photo journalist as her major at art school) althogh a little bit more expensive than i would have liked to spend, the price of convienance, that it was a canon powershof elph (a step above my previous 2 digis), and the fact the guy was a friend of catys made my decision for me and I was happy about it when I walked out with it. That night I went out to dinner with caty and her awesome roomate amber for dinner. Together there were about 6 farang ( foreigners) but it was great conversation because 4 of them were English teachers. Boom! I racked there brains for information and they were super helpful and we stayed together for yet another night at the peace bar. I am never an advocate for going to the same bar so often but this one was different and every night was uniquely special. Also, my tatoo artist friend pinoit lived and worked supremely close so it was easy to hang out with him throughout the night. Although everyone told me there was no way I was going to wake up I the morning to catch the early bus to the border I told them they were wrong and that although I loved it in CR i was off the next morning. In the end we were both right.

The next morning I was out ofthe house by 7am with a ride to the bus staion from amber before she headed off to teach. I fell immediatly asleep but when I awoke about 2.5 hrs later I was surronded by beautiful and lush green fields surronded by mountains. As I grabbed my camera and inserted the memory card a message read "memory card missing" that's strange I thought but maybe my high def cars wasn't compatible. I tried my other card but to no avail. Worrying, I asked some of the ohe passengers around me If I could try there cards. 4 differnt cards later I accepted defeat. The camera was defunct and I now knew the Thai words on the screen yesterday translated into English perofectly once I reset the language. Getting off the bus a little later I plopped down on a set of steps in defeat. I knew what I had to do but that did t make it any easier. I grabbed a piece of chicken to eat and boarded the same bus I had just got off. It was back to chaing rai to try and plead my case to the camera man and try and find a new one. Sleeping the 3 hours back I was rejuinated and recharged when I arrived. I walked about 2 km back to caty and ambers house but took a pedi cab the last km, telling myself I deserved the ride. It was a perfect tension easer and reminded me how excited I am to move back to Boston and ride a bike again.
Sparing some details I was eventually able to get my money back from the camera man after much discussion in Thai and English. While he accused me of breaking it I assured him I had not and that if it had been my mistake I wouldn't have come all the way back losing a travel day, etc. He eventually gave methe money back and, after a tip from a fellow bus passenger was able to get a brand new camera from a Thai shopping mall. ( an experince in itself the malls upstairs were filled with elementary school students using cyber cages, karaoke rooms, video game rental rooms, dance studios, and a breakdancing room....wild place butessentially a big shopping mall)

I ended up with a sony that was a little cheaper and better quality than the canon and I was also able to use my visa, saving in the ATM fees and keeping my refunded cash for future needs.


amber and her bf Nek-

That night was spent relaxing with the girls, a yoga instrutor names siri, (. A yoga guru and maseuse from sweeden:) , and ambers boyfriend named Nek. When the girls went to a more formal dinner nek and I hung out drinking some beers and listening to him at guitar and have complete and total man talk. A great experience to try and understand what he was saying and also to discuss normal things with a person from such a different culture. Really awesome. We contiued the chillout session on the porch when the girls arrived back but when nek, amber, and siri headed to the bar I decidied to stay back, knowing a 5:30 wake up would come soon enough. Caty stayed too and we hung out a bit longer listening to music and watching some stuff on her computer before crashing. A nice relaxing end to a pretty wild day. When I woke up the next morning and walked all the way to the bus I was extremely grateful to amber and caty for all their hospitality and kindness. They are exactly what couch surfing is all about (in the ease of meeting a new friend via the www) and I will never forget how helpful and just plain fantastic they were to me.


-caty on the right amber on the left-

Arriving again In Chaing kong, I felt very well prepared for my foray into Laos. Many people get confused and overpay or do unnecesary things to cross over the border but I felt that ihad done enough research to save myself from getting nickle and dimes... It was a process that could include a bus, a taxi, a ferry, a taxi, a ticket office, and then the boat but could be much simplified with some walking and shortcuts. I knew places I could walk, avoidable fees, cheap places for food, and that I had plenty of time because a 10am departure ran on Thai time. (Very similar to Paul time.)

Going through immigration was a breeze and when I got to Laos I instantly became a millionaire. (well i had to trade $200 for the experience) Yup, you heard me right. 1,200,000 Kip rested securely in my pocket.

When I arrived to the area where the boat would take off I felt overwhelmingly good about myself and my future. Around me sat about 50 or more young travelers awaiting departure, all in search of thir own adventure. From all over the world it was an inspiring sight. The topper was when I was speaking with a few guys from california and thy remarked about how many hoops there was to jump through and how difficult or imossible it must have been for someone to get to where they were solo, wihout a group package I jokingly thanked them for the Accolades and enjoyed my first sanwich in 3 weeks as celebration.

Getting on the boat was a great experience and much more roomy and enjoyable than I thought. 6 hrs the first day, a pit stop for a night, then 7 hrs the second day, before arriving In The city of luang prahbang.




The views from the boat traveling on the Mekong were incredible the entire time. Napping, reading, and listening to the many conversations around me was a great pleasure. When the boat docked in the small village you could immediatly tell tourism was the citys major revnue as the dock was riddled with young boys and pushy men trying their best to get you to stay at there guesthouse. Knowing not to get overwhelmed I walked past them all and walked up the street full of guesthouses and restaurants in laos and English. Remarkably, on the boat I had met a man I had seen the previous days attempt into the country. Arjun, from india, and I decided it would be cheaper to share a room and so we did, finding a place for 20,000 Kip, approximately $2.50 each. We got to know each other over a long walk down the main street ofhe city and a great dinner of buffaloe and rice and vegetables. Arjun was traveling for 65 days and was about 2weeks in. From Calcutta he loved to trek and backpack and our conversation seemed to constantly be about the himilayans and his many adventures. A great connection for future travels for sure!!!

I retired pretty early that night as I was heavilly into angels and demons, by Dan brown. After blowing through the DaVinci Code I had picked up Angels and demons at a used bookshop in CR and jumped headfirst into it as well. I typed up this post on the boat only after reading it in it's entirety in less than 24 hours. Awesome, awesome, awesome read.
The boat is soon to be Arriving in luang prabang and my goal is to find the spicy Laos hostel somehow. A new adventure in another country will begin extremely shortly and I anxiously await the challenge!!


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Woah, he wrote alot of stuff on here....he must have spent forever adding those pictures...

I added 3 massive posts today so there is more than enough reading material for you if you are intrested. I know sometimes it can be intimidating to read so much but this will be the last time i can post things for at least a few days and maybe a week. I am about to take a 2 day boat ride down the Mekong River into Laos where I will spend some time. When you look at the blog posts, keep in mind they are in order by date (duh) so start at the bottom one or use the table of contents-like link on the left side.

rock and roll.

mopeding with maud

Wed, March 3, 2011

Waking up early for breakfast my friend Maud and I waited for our friend Pinoit, the tattoo artist to meet us for breakfast. He was running late so we decided to just walk over to his shop. Of course we missed each other so breakfast happened an hour later than we thought but it was none the less great. We had spent the night with Pinoit and his friend Julian from Montreal the night before and learned a lot about what they were doing in Thailand and about their religious and moral values. We learned about their tattoos and the meanings of them and a lot of the symbolism and ceremony that goes into getting some of them. Some wild stuff involving samurai swords and chanting and being bulletproof and just wild stuff that they truly believe in. Anyway we talked a lot about the benefits of being a vegetarian too and so that next day Maud and I decided to eat entirely vegetarian. Travis would be proud. Basically those two guys believed that vegetable eating was extremely good luck and pleasing to buddah and that is why they did it. They said I didn’t have to give up meat everyday but I should try and give it up on the day of the week was born. (Sunday) intresting thought. Ill let you know how it goes next week.




Anyway for breakfast we had rice and vegetables and tofu. (kind of like every other meal time but regardless) Maud and I decided that we would rent motorbikes that day and go explore as much as we can. She had never ridden one so she was pretty excited but also nervous. That morning I also said goodbye to Lindsey, my bikeing partner and rafting guide. She was running out of baht and wanted to get to laos even though she wasn’t too sure what she would do once she crossed the border. I was extremely extremely tempted to go with her but I again I wasn’t ready o leave the country yet. Little things like having my batteries charged, laundry cleaned and blogs updated trumped the fact that it would have been nice to have a partner on unplanned adventure to a foreign country. When I finally made my decision I thought back to the fact that my friend sent me a message earlier that day asking me where I was and that she was glad I didn’t have a home base because I could end up anywhere in the world the next day. Proof! Anyway, back to the bike adventure.

After some annoying bargaining with my hostel, (if you rent for an entire day, and for the hour why don’t you rent for half a day?!) we were finally off by around 1pm. Late start but we had a good morning otherwise so it was ok. Maud picked up the scooter super quick and was a pro by the end of the day. Our adventure took us out to a waterfall about 25 km away via a map that Pinoit had drew us. He had drawn the same map the day earlier but I couldn’t figure it out but for some reason today it was perfect and the settings we rode through were tremendous. The waterfall was pretty epic and definitely the best one I have seen since I have been traveling. Maud and I took a great self timer shot (2 actually that had my camera on an incredibly secure homemade tripod of bamboo and twine, resting in sand and mud, covered with paper in case of a fall, while it rested on a slippery rock. This thing was a beautiful piece of engineering and some of you know how much I love the self timer shots. The story of them! So much better than a stranger! (which was non existent regardless) I also bought some of my first souvenirs for when I arrive home. One person I know reads this (and always has) has there name checked off, after a older woman was just too persistent and sincere for me not to help her out. I have been holding off getting any kind of trinkets or gifts because I thus have to carry them on my back for the next 4 weeks but im over that because the journey is the destination, even if that journey is in the bottom of my backpack traveling s.e. asia, the gifts get some miles on them.


After the waterfall, which we had to get to via some crazy crazy roads ( I nearly ended up in a 10 meter ditch when I thought offroad for a few minutes would be ok..probably my closest call to danger but don’t worry I learned a lesson) , we stopped for some lunch of papaya salad at a small road side stand. A woman with a child swaddled on her back and 3 kids doing homework on the floor cooked it for us atmosphere of the place was great and we enjoyed our break. Fresh papaya salad and tomatoes served in a heaping portion was a great treat. i also rocked the macro lense when i took a picture nad i think it looks pretty yummy on the screen in front of me.
It was also really great to hang out with Maud. A 32 y/o from Amsterdam she was an avid traveler and had a great personality. She really enjoys edm (electronic dance music) and feels the love for the dubstep, especially considering how big it is where she lives. She is super positive person and has an infectious laugh that just makes you smile whenever you see her or look at her. A beautiful person, yet again part of my life by the narrowest margin, as I saw her with a backpack on the day earlier and had directed her to the Chat House hostel because of how cheap and what a great environment it was. So cool. Someone that I will certainly say goodbye to soon but that I know will be an ally for life and a great person to visit next time I am over in Europe.

Our ride back was supposed to take us to the beautiful White Temple but due to darkness and other unknown reasons the temple was closed that night. Too bad because we really wanted to see it all lit up at night with the reflective and beautiful glass pieces. Maud bought an iced cappuccino from a shop though and I will say that it was one of the best I have ever had and I thoroughly enjoyed the sip she let me share. (although she was probably a little annoyed because it was more of a few gulps than a small sip:/ )


Upon entering the city again we went straight to our favorite hangout at the tattoo shop to hang out with Pinoit and eat our vegetarian dinner he ordered us. Super cool. He loves talking to us and sharing his philosophys and its great.
Such a unique personality Pinoit is not someone I will soon, or ever forever.
After eating dinner I also had a moment of depression as my camera fell off a bicycle seat and onto the cement ground.


^the last picture it ever took. ^
(dont worry though...im getting a new one today...some things just need to be replaced asap, and I found someone who will sell me a used one relatively cheap...another couchsurfing hookup!!)


I saw it happen in slow motion and when I picked it up I could see the lens bent majorly, so that it could not close in on itself. A moment of clarity? Decision making? Regardless, I'll embrace the turn of events. I didn’t want to go on without a camera so I decided that the next day I would do my best to make it right. It would also allow me to do some laundry, catch up on all these blog posts, and spend more time with my friend Caty, who I met on couchsurfing. (from long island, reggae bar meet up) I really wanted to help her paint her new studio/artspace/thing and the moment the camera dropped that was the first thing that came to mind before I started over analyzing the fall of the nearly new Nikon. Cest La Vie. This kind of stuff can only bother you if you let it. Luckily, Im typing this from a beautiful apartment and art space studio about to take a shower, and do laundry before heading out camera hunting and painting. Funny how that works out. She graciously let me stay at her place for the night (and hopefully the next before my early wake up for laos) and we had an awesome night listening to each others ipods and trying to figure out what lil wayne song it is that she liked. She had searched for it for hours the night earlier but can only remember that it has the word world in it and that it has another guest rapper in it. Needle in a hay stack, but a fun project none the less. Unsuccessful obviously but regardless. Before we went to sleep she wooed me with tales of burning man and showed me all her friends pictures and told me all about her experiences after going for the last 5 years (it’s the only reason shes left Thailand in 3 years) I slept on a few comforters and my sleeping bag with a sheet over me and it was one of the more cool and better sleeps I have gotten since I have been traveling. Couch surfing is so rad.

Bob Marley, Pete Tosh,and Mick Jagger. Neo does Buddhism.

Although arriving in chaing rai took a few surprise turns and a little longer than it could or should have,finally getting here was pretty nice. Hugging the Burma border it was beautiful views everywhere I looked and I met lots of interesting people while riding in the back of a truck with lots of locals. On my way I also met a French couple that was biking there way across Thailand. I know some of my friends would be super jealous of that...they were awesome and were doing it on a tandem bike and were eventually going to make it all the way into china. They have done his in France and last year spent minus I. South America riding along...so inspiring that they just went for it and are totally doing it. Not many people can but it's admirable for sure. When I arrived in chaing rai I was able to steal wifi from an apartment above a Internet cafe so I was able to sent caty, a girl I met on couch surfing, a message because we planned on getting together and grabbing a bite to eat or to just meet up. She responded quickly and we made plans for later o. That night to get some drinks at a reggae bar called the peace bar. While I was sitting g outside the www cafe I net another solo traveler names Caroline from France who was on her way to Laos soon. She gave me some good advice on where to stay and we were going to try and meet up that night but regrettably that never happened. We had great conversation for a while and it's amazing how much of an impact she had on my, as well as many others lifes, in such a fleeting moment of stopping and saying hello. I love it.

After walking to the main road with guesthouses (Jet YOd Rd) it seemed like everywhere I looked was either full or too expensive. It was early enough in the day ( 2 or 3) that I was intent on finding a great deal so I trudged along with my backpack and pretended it was t even there. I met a girl and guy named claudio and lindsey. I sat and chatted with them for awhile and when I got ready to keep looking for a hostel lindsay offered to come explore for me. We stopped at lots of places but nothing seemed right until we literally stumbled upon a place called the chat house. Tucked in a corner it had a great atmosphere and was only 80 b a night. Go check out the conversation rate...

It was certainly the jackpot and was well worth my time looking for a place.

I settled in to my new home and we both
Relaxed there for awhile. As we were getting ready to go out again we net a girl named Coleen from california who was also my roomate in the dorm. She was on her way to a wat on a hill so I branched off from Lindsay and planned to meet her near her guesthouse later on ( I basically told everyone I met to meet at the peace bar... Central location and a good meet up spot...)

I hung out with Coleen for the next few hours exploring and eating and marketing and having a great time. We tried some greab food and enjoyed what we thought were fried onions but were in fact fried minnow. Either way they were delicious. While exploring we also saw a big horde of pedi cabbers and I vowed that before I left I was going to take an awesome ride In one and give the guy a supreme tip.


We had a great time together and had alot of similarities and common interests so it was cool to chat with her. A pretty rad california chick.

After wandering in the market we made it over to the peace bar to meet up with caty and one of her friends named Roberto who was actually rehabbing a broken leg and staying a the same hostel as I was. Small world. Hanging out at the bar was awesome as everyone was great company. Watching Roberto play pool, buying flowers from the street children, and hanging out with he co rasta bartenders. Caty, whose from long island (last name diguardi ...) came to visit Thailand and fell in love with it and has been here for 2 years. She speaks Thai pretty well and was friends with all the guys behind the bar. She plans on opening an art space/yoga studio/classroom/activity center in chaing rai. Super rad chick, i hope I can get to know her.


We ended up closing the bar and hanging out I the gardens in the back way past closing and had a really really awesome time. I also met a girl whose name I can't recall now but we talked alot about his she has traveled around thailand teaching english and livig with her Thai husband. She was pretty cool and had an interesting backstory. All the rasta guys were awesome and super cool. The dj played some dubstep for me and the bartender and resident drummer was rockin my uncle jimmys favorite lithuania basketball shirt. I took a picture with him but probably should have taken it before I started enjoying the cold beverages but o well.



An awesome afternoon and night in chaing rai meeting lots of really cool and awesome people.

On Tuesday the first of march I woke up and borrowed Roberto's (living in the hostel with a busted leg for 2 months) moped to go and make plans with Lindsay and Claudio. We made rough plans to bike ride to the white temple later on. I returned the moped, and rented a bike and checked out a really awesome bookstore that trades books and maps. A gem of a place t had thousands of titles super cheap and the atmosphere was incredible. They guy used to own a guesthouse but when he retired he loved to read, had a large collection, and loved meeting travelers. Perfect match for him.


well later has happened. Lindsey and I went off for a bike ride and it was a great ride. Although the map from the guy at the tatoo parlors map was awful and unhelpful we made it there via the most direct road. pretty busy but not awful and we rode at a leisurely pace the entire way and had great conversation. Lindsey is a rafting guide in JAckson Wyoming and basically lives a bad ass outdoor chick lifestyle. I think if matty d could marry her tomorrow I am confident he would. Interestingly enough I was thinking about seasonal jobs the other day and was surprised i didnt know anyone who was a rafting guide or a trekking guide outwest. No more than two days later I have a great connection and someone who told me she would always be willing to help me out if i ever wanted some adventure out west. will do lindsey!

When we got to the white temple it was undoubtedly the coolest temple or wat i have seen yet. It has a great backstory and basically this artist decided he wanted to dedicate a buddhist temple to the community and so he used all his own money and is doing whatever he wants with it. check it out. crazy crazy artwork and the most modern temple you can ever imagine. think a buddhist temple with depictions of the America and the west, space invasions, mutants, crazy colors and trippy designs, and the most grotesque and beautiful artwork you could ever imagine. and then keep in mind that it is a buddhist shrine and temple. Wat Rong Khun - Chiang Rai. seriously do yourself a favor and check it out or ask me about it when I get back. Everything is still being built so it was also really cool to see the artists working to build it. a work in progress expected to be done in 10 years or so it is monstrous and magnificent.






We rode home from the temple with more great conversation and left each other at our respective hostels with tentative plans to meet up later on that night. together lindsey and i have been talking alot about laos but cant seem to make up our minds about anything so its kind of humorous to listen to us try and make decisions. hopefully something will get done and we can continue together but odds are if we meet again in laos it will be by chance. she has no plan and i have kind of a plan but they dont go together and trying to join them just leads to infinite possibilities.

When I got back to my hostel that night I met Maud, a girl I had given directions to on the street earlier in the day. she thanked me profusely for helping her find such a great place and later that night we wandered the market and streets and had a great time together looking at all the market stuff and getting to know each other. I love traveler small talk and especially love when it gets past the basics and into meaningful communication. While we were walking we also saw the clocktower, a massive art installation that the same guy who made the white temple had created. at 9p everynight they play music and a cool light show.






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how a small walk around chaing mai turns into another 2 day trek into the jungle...

---
feb 25th ish i believe.


Yet again,just when I thought my head was going to explode with plans and trying to do too much I embraced the fact and have started to make everything better... After getting dropped off in Dow town fang I was given some I correct directions about how to get where I wanted to go. But this is kind of an annoying Story so instead I will just tell you about my latest trek...

After spending the night at mustafas hotel in chaing Mai I spent Friday morning telling you all about my first trek...after leaving the Internet cafe I walked Over to the lonely bird hostel to see what was going on over there and to see if it would be a good place to stay for an extra night...I had heard good things about it and was going to stay there but found other accommodations instead...anyway when I got here the hostel had a tremendous vibe and I could tell it must be a great place...as I was looking around and debating what to do with myself next I noticed a hand made poster looking for additional Trekkers to join someone to a "far less touristy" location...I was intrigued because someone making the effort to make a sign like that must know something and it certainly would have interested me if it had been slightly Lower priced than 1500 Bhat they were asking...as I continued looking around a girl started talking ro me About a trek she had been looking into...the trek she was talking about was of course,the one she had made a sign for ... I started talking to her about it and it seemed like a a really awesome opportunity.requiring a 3hr bus ride to a more northern city,fang. we would stay with a local tribe in a homestay and hike up the 2nd tallest mountain in thailand ...I was extremely Intrigued and when she told me that they were doing a group rate And I could drop the price down to around 900bhat I was sold. I had no plans to go on a trek again but it seemed to good to be true so I decided to roll with it. She wAs meeting 2 guys who were motor Klingon to the city ( where was I 2hrs earlier!) while she was trying to tell me all about it we wet out for a lunch of noodle soup and pad Thai and it was after his conversation with her that I decided I ha nothing to lose and should just take the adventure with her and her other recruits. She was leaving in about an hour but but I wanted to be able to go back and say goodbye to mustafa before leaving so I agreed to meet her at an address in fang at around 9pm.

After heading back to the hotel to pack my bag and get ready to head out I was pretty excited. sitting at the computer it is easy together overwhelmed but the moment I got out and just did something fantastic plans seemed to just come about.

As soon as I was done packing my bag I walked Dow. To the lobby to wait for mustafa and there he was sitting on his iPhone using some wifi.we had a quick conversation and he again told me to come to turkey to visit him an she what a beautiful place it is and can be. While I don't know if those Plans are in my future it is nice to know that they could be and I would have a blast if I did. All throughout our trek he was a great salesman about turkey!!
Asi was leaving the hostel I saw one of the other trekking guides that we net at the elephant center,Tom,a super tattooed,super laid back guy who we heard awesome stories about and whose birthday it aS the night we were with him. I was really glad I to to see him again which was really cool.
Although I was cutting it close with time to get to the bus station I decided to walk anywAy. 50b in my pocket is better than a tuk tuk or a taxi drivers anyday! As I walked Dow. The street I also saw o e of the two British guys we net I. The trek walking back to the hotel! Same one! It's a small world and was really cool to see him. We exchanged last names and there's a good chance we will meet up with each other again seeing how we are on a similar plan and might be together in laos. who knows, thats the way things seem to work here.

Combining a mix of power walking and light jogging win y backpack on I luckily made my bus by about 2 seconds.literally. I jumped into to back door to catch it. I almost learned the extremely hard way that my watch time was 6 minutes slow. Ekk!


(slight pause in between writing these two...this next half was written on my tuck taxi hopping transportation from Than Ton all the way to Chaing Rai)


In agreeing to go on the trek with my newly met friend Charlie, I agreed to take a 3 hr bus ride to meet up with her...upon arriving into city at around 8:30p
it was by no means a happening or a busy city.. A small town with only a few street vendors my roughly sketched map that used a bank and a 7/11 a landmarks weren't much solace.I started to walk but when I came across a few people I tried to ask them where the phu manes hotel might be. From the use of hand signals we and they used they didn't know much more but agreed that I was walking in the -ish right direction. thanking them i carried on my way. About ten minutes late as I was walking down the street a truck passed by me beeping it's horn. Urging Ne to get on it was the people who I had asked directions from. I hopped into the bed And off we went. About ten minutes latr and 3 different turns I was staring at the entrance to the hotel and I could see a group of people starring at me from a table. Some luck on my part, I walked into the place at 9:05, right on time. the people i had asked directions from had googled the address and came to pick me up and drop me off there. arent people just awesome?

Over a few drinks we were introduced to the tour guide named dome and were told all about the trip, everything we would be doing and what it would be like. After learning about it and meeting the other people in our group, Phil and Matt, who had biked to the hotel, charlie (Charlotte), and Steven. All were traveling from the uk and all but Phil had been at it for at least 3 months. I don't know how people do it but it's amazing. Over the course of dinner the only upsetting thing was that we came to find out that the price was much greater than we had expected. While I was told it could be as little as 900b the guide, who also happened to be the hotel manager,informed us that it would actually be 2000b. While I was extremely extremely disheartened by this, no one else in the group thought it was a big deal even when I compared it to the last trek I did. I seriously considered jumping ship but I would have had nowhere to stay and it would have been kind of a lame excuse. I went with it anyway, already being the 5th wheel and not wanting to outlast myself over something relatively petty. I'll chalk this one up to the next time I go and spend 20 bucks on something pointless. For the 2nd time and again the night before a trek i decided that a liquid dinner would be a great idea. We had fun and it was a nice surprise to find out I could stay in the hotel mangers room an not have to pay any extra for accommodations since it was already more than I thought.




^market^


The next morning we were up by 8 and eventually were all ready to leave by around 10. We stopped at a temple on the way in that was dedicated to one the most regarded Buddhist monks whose picture we had seen all over the place. Apparently he was the guy who had built the road all the way at the top of the hill. Chang Mai, DUI suthep,the one I went to on my first day with shavanee and the 2 canadians on gap year. We also stopped at a market where we picked up some water and snacks. Finally after getting gas we were off for he one hour drive it would take to get to the waterfall next to the village. riding in the back of a pick up bed for that long takes a to o. Your rear but when we finally got to the falls they were totally worth it and had a really unique drop to then. Hitting a rock and spraying g upwards it formed a water bubble you could stand undress and it was pretty cool. We got some great pictures and it was a pretty cool spot. While we were there our guides porters ( who spoke no English but wanted to come along to see what it was all like and eventually learn) made us cups made out of bamboo by which we drank some magic water sake out of. Pretty cool drinking out of a cup that was a tree five minutes earlier and hadnt existed 5 weeks earlier!






We had another almost hour drive to the lAhu village but the back roads we were now on were just that. Unpaved hilly ,not wide and quite treacherous. A great adventure standing In the back of a pick up truck holding on for dear life driving over 2ft potholes and sliding by inches between the oncoming trucks. When we got to the village it was a pretty cool place. The villages main source of income is coffee and tea so that is what they grow the most if although they have everything on their land. We had lunch at the highest hut o. The mountain and it was a beautiful spread cooked in bamboo over an open fire. Potentially one of the best meals I have had so far for sure but thats a common trend after I eat. After lunch we were taught how to play a Thai card game that is the equivalent to Blackjack. The goal is to get to nine. face cards are worth zero and you only use the number in the ones place ( i.e. an 8 and a 7 is 5 points, as well as an 3 and and a 2) you get 3 cards and there are a bunch of other rules about doubling up and betting your money. we played for awhile and it was pretty fun but I wasnt going to lose any actual money to a bunch of thai villagers in there own game. sorry guys. While some of the people in our group enjoyed a massage after cards I decided that I was going to find a perfect spot for my hammock. After a few failures i was successful and it felt great. I think I only took one picture but it was pretty much the perfect spot to relax. it was a great place to unwind and do some journaling as well.




^view from ze hammock^


After a relaxing break we went into the village to harvest some tea. In the village we were in although narcotics had been there money maker for the last forever number of years in the last 20 years there had been a major push for sustainable and healthy trade. (as is the case of most mountain villages...this place did a great job of never mentioning it or keeping it out of sight if it was the case. Zero mention or signs of it, as opposed to the last place where it was subtly present)

Starting with picking the leaves from the small trees, we then had to dry them out over an open fire pot. We then had to roll them out and get hte last of the moisture out on a bamboo mat. Lastly they had to dry and the stems picked out.

It was a relatively simple but arduous process but seeing how they make hundreds of kilos of the tea a day, and sell it for a tremendous price to bangkok and other foreign markets, its well worth their time. I include a few pictures of the process below. you should be able to figure out what I am doing based on the brief description i have above.









After the tea process we also got to check out a parrot and some really wild turtles with long tails and non retractable heads. Alex would have been interested in this for sure. pretty cool little creatures.





For dinner that night as we were walking over to our homestay we saw a massive gathering of men and women all preparing a ton of food. When we asked what they were doing we were shocked and excited to learn that there had been a wedding earlier that day and they were preparing the nightly feast. the entire village would come to the father of the grooms house and he had bought food for the entire village, to which everyone helped prepare the meal. legit the entire village. This was ultra intriging so when we had to leave to have our dinner somewhere else we were pretty bummed. i thought we were part of the village for the day!

After we had our dinner a few young thai-Lahu girls came over to our house and asked us where we were. apparently we had been invited and everyone was wondering where the farangs (gringos, foreigners) were for the great meal. We excitedly walked over and and it was just as awesome as you could imagine. an amazing spread with the entire village at hands, all enjoying themselves and sharing these crazy concoctions. Everyone using there hands to eat off of the bamboo leaves as plates they were quick to offer up the serving dishes to us and the serving spoons to use, as clearly we didnt know how to eat rice meat soup and salad with only our hands. we did our best to learn though ill tell you that. we enjoyed lots of food and some crazy fanta i have never had before but was delicious. i dare say i am enjoying my few treats of soda more than any alcohol. after dinner we met the bride and groom (who were even helping clean up) and got a great picture with them. Pretty casual attire for the newlyweds huh. jay and alex...niles and maggie...not quite similar wedding situations!







That night after dinner, we were also able to partake in a Lahu village dance. Although reserved for special holidays or occasions, apparently our arrival was special and w were treated to a performance and allowed (encouraged) to participate. Wait till you see some of the moves i learned when i burn up the dance floor in beantown when i get back. im sick wit it. we got a great picture with all the dancers and ourselves and fittingly my camera was the only one with battery and space left after a day of more pictures than i ever thought possible.




awesome.


that night after the dancing Steve, Charlie, Phil and I spent a few hours under the beautiful start and fire and told each other some awesome travel stories. Charlie trumped all of us with her tales of S. America rioting in La Paz Bolivia that I cant even recount on here because someday I want to travel south America with my friend who used to live there and speaks rough spanish, and i dont want people to worry. ask me in person sometime though because without hyping it up to much its one of the most ridiculous situations i have ever heard.


the next morning we started our trek up the mountain. It was a long and tough hike but we rocked it pretty well. It was about 12 kilometers the entire way so not extreme but still, it was uphill the entire way so it kept rewarding us with awesome views. I havent mentioned this yet but one of the guys on the trek with us, Matt, took more pictures than i ever though possible. I mean i dont think this guy took a pee without evidencing the toilet or the sink he washed his hands on. Everything. literally 2 minutes didnt go by without his camera. He was a great dude dont get me wrong but he brought his camera with him everywhere and was obsessed with his electronics. my bag had some clothes and a toothbrush. his had his macbook pro, his iphone, his camera and all his chargers. he probably drained the village huts battery (all solar powered) at night charging them all, and insisted on facebook chatting throughout the days and updating his facebook while climbing the mountain, and watching a movie while the rest of us were looking at the stars. Like I said, hes a good dude and i enjoyed hanging out with him but he needs a little priority check. (in my opinion)




When we got near the top of the mountain we stopped for lunch that a few of the villagers had been carrying (a few men had traveled with us...the reason is unknown but maybe they enjoyed the hike....in their flip flops, smoking cigarettes, and eating random leaves) It was a great temperature on top of the mountain and while we were stopped we ended up seated next to a flying squirrel type thing. i think they said it was called a sugar glider. pretty cool little creature.



Looking out over burma was pretty cool and the view from the top was as expected. we were at the highest point around and could see countless other mountains and villages. it was awesome.


After trekking down to the car we dropped off the village locals, Charlie, Steve, and the dogs that had followed us all the way up the hill, and matt, phil and i made our way to the city to catch our bus and head off to our next locations.

Riding in the back of the truck down the mountain and then on the highway Phil and I stood right behind the window in the bed of the truck and had one helluva ride back. certainly not safe but one of the best roller coasters Ive ever experienced. (its ok mom it was kind of safe)

Getting back to the hotel i realized I had missed the last bus to Chaing Rai but was told by Dome that I could take a bus somewhere else and make a good connection the next day. Although that later turned out to be completely false information it led me on my next adventure so such is life. Not sure if ill get to that story but ask me sometime.











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The most random thing to date...

For safety sake I will let you know that this Actrnoon I took a bus from chaing mai to fang In Northern Thailand.after meeting A new friend at a hostel I was told I could do another trek fir a cheap price and to a much much more remote location n...as of Friday the 25th I will be heading out witm them to some luhau villages and climbing the 2nd tAllest mtn in Thvailand. When I comze back I will most likely head to Laos but an updat should come first. I type this update from a nice hotel thAt the new tour guide recome ded calledthe phu mated hotel in fang. I got here via a very cheap bus from chaibg Mai that I just barely made. Talk tou you soon. If your read this

shoot me some commets!!!
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a (canadIan)Iranian, a Turk, an American and some Dutch meet in the back of a pickup truck...

this post is from when I started a trek from Chaing Mai. There are a few more cool things to write about from the days earlier that i have handwritten but its difficult to force myself to sit at a computer and get it all down. i will eventually try but for now this is a pretty massive post.





3 day trek. Where in the world to start. After deciding to sign up for a 2 night 3 day trek into the jungle with a homestay in a hilltop village, a visit to an elephant training center and a white water rafting trip I was none the less excited as could be to start my trip. Seeing as how the people you are with help dictate the type of trip that you are going to have I got a great feeling when I left my hostel that the two people sitting in the back of the pick up truck would be great partners for the next few days. Leaving the hostel for 3 days I was able to leave my bag in a corner of the room and keep my fingers crossed that nothing would happen to it and it would still be sitting there when I got back. I said goodbye to Meow, ___, and her boyfriend Andrew and left the hostel feeling a little bit rusty after my first night drinking in a few weeks but rejuvenated with a ham and cheese toastie before hopping in the back fo the truck. Now I have some hindsight so its not that fair but from the get go I had a good feeling about the people sitting in the back of the truck with me. Mustafa was from Turkey and had been traveling around the world for the last month and a half. Elisa had fairly recently started her travels but had grand aspirations and was planning on doing a medical school internship at a hospital working as a surgeons assistant. Not bad for not even taking a med class yet. I am sure my step brother would be jealous of her (and surely attracted to her) had he been sitting next to me. Anyway, After picking me up from the hostel we rode slightly out of town to pick up the rest of the crew members. Having a hunch that we might be picking up some retired ex pats I was excited to have some peppered travelers along for the ride with us and to hear some of their stories and see what they had to offer and bring to the table. Sure enough after getting slightly lost picking them up (a little nerve racking before heading into the jungle) it was 2 retired Dutch people who had moved to Chiang Mai for their retirement and had two friends visiting them. Jaap and Mika, and Ellen and Albert would turn out to be great company and a great addition to our family for the weekend. We were led by Dui, a small thai man full of positive energy who learned his English working in a hostel and used the words words “uh-huh” and “no problem” as often as one could possibly fit into conversation.

Our first stop we went to was a orchid farm and a butterfly exhibit. The orchids on display and growing were incredible. Hanging from a tree and requiring no soil but excessive water the colors were beautiful and it was a neat place to visit. The butterfly farm was less than stellar but after seeing the butterfly's in Callaway it is hard to compare. After wandering around the area for a bit it became relevant that this was a massive tourist spot. Hundreds of seats around tables and a large buffet in back made it seem like this place could get crowded in an instant. With that being said as we began walking out, no lie about 200 people from multiple vans, trucks, and buses hailed upon the entrance. We had gotten their just in time but hadnt quite left soon enough.





Our stop for lunch was at the beginning of the hike that would take us about 3 hours to later complete. Right from the get go it was superb. We were in the middle of no where, surrounded by green and large plants I had never seen. Our guide quickly began spewing out facts and I don't think that a half mile went by for the rest of our time that he wasnt sharing something neat or interesting with us. Making walking sticks and shade hats with his machete he did a pretty good job or wowing us right from the start.

We had lunch at a small hut by a creek where an older man kept everything tidy for hikers and trekkers coming through and the area had a truly rustic and independent vibe to it that made it a great place to start. Fried rice in bamboo sheets and fresh cocnut for desert started us off right for the day.





After departing our hike took us though fields and fields of rice patties where we learned how they all grew and what it took to harvest them etc etc. The first half of our hike was awe inspiring and seemed to realistic and amazing to actually be true but hence we were in the jungle and it was pretty darn awesome. Hot buggy and moist.

The hiking on the first day was somewhat difficult as it was mainly uphill but wasn't awful by any means. As much as I want to say that it was the most challenging this I have ever done and tested my fortitude and blah blah the fact of the matter is that the 4 dutch people hiked up it with us and they were about 65 years old. Extremely active, but none the less not your typical trekkers. When we finally arrived to where we needed to be it was nearly perfect. no. perfect. Slowly walking into our campsite for the night we were greeted by elephants grazing all around us, a large homemade swimming pool, impromptu cooler bar, endless fields, and a hillside view that words cant do justice. That would be our home for the night and we made no haste in jumping right on the elephants and going for a ride. While getting ready to ride the elephants we met two British guys who would be staying at the elephant camp with us that night too. From london they had great stories and more to share. Sitting on a seat on their back with a “mahout” balancing on their forehead we traversed a major uphill and went all around the facilities with the massive creatures leading the way. Elephants are awesome. I mean sitting on top of one you feel so small its unreal. Their gritty, rough, and tough skin makes leather look like silk and its just a beautiful thing to watch and feel move. After riding the elephants Mustafa and I were anxious to jump into the mane made lake. When I say man made I literally mean a 30 meter by 15 meter hole filled up with river water and slowly circulated by a single small pipe at one end. Hardly the archetype for cleanliness but nonetheless an awesome place to dive into and cool off before taking a cold shower and cleaning up for dinner. Dinner that night was served by our guide dui and a few of the elephant trainers. They cooked a massive amount of green curry, rice, and mixed vegetables.



^thats the view right at dusk from the top of our hut that night.

After dinner we were able to all go and sit and relax by the firepit. Is there anything more universally awesome than a firpit? Really. Great. That night we all hung out and had a great time with each other , especially listening to our guide Dui tell us some awful cheesy jokes in broken english after a few beers. See it even sounds funny to read on screen. The British guys were great and generous company and between the two of them, mustafa, Elisa, myself, and dui we had a great time. Our rest that night was atop a massive hill with one of the most epic views you can imagine when waking up in the morning. Simply stunning. It got a little bit cold but wasnt too bad.

The next morning we had a few hours to kill as the 3 of the 4 dutch people on our trek decided that the hike would be too difficult for them and that they would meet us at the hilltop camp by dinnertime. That gave us extra time to play with the elephants, give them a bath, and ride them bare back. Riding an elephant with nothing on him except a bell and no guide is a pretty intimidating thing. If you havent seen one in person keep in mind the massiveness of it. I could kick and elephant as hard as I possibly can ( just an example...i didnt do that) and he might still barely register that I want him to do something. Sitting on top of one of those while he huffs and nays and sprays dirt everywhere takes awesome to a whole other level.

The hike for the day wasn't the most awful thing by any means and I think the first or the third day might even have been a little bit more difficult. We stopped for lunch at an awesome waterfall that although didn't look like we should be able to jump into was in fact more than deep enough to jump into (or if your are mustafa dive into) and even more fun, slide down and into.
Everybody in the group did it and it was great fun. The hiking was pretty challenging if for nothing else but that the weather seemed to be much hotter. Our camp for the night was a hilltop village with about 25 homes and about 200 people. Our hut was at the top of the hill and provided us with the most optimal opputunity to watch the sun rise. The sunset was best viewed behind our house where we all sat on a hill and watched it go down as one big group. the group picture i have here is a result of a homemade tripod with hay, 3 pieces of bamboo and a used juice box.


We had also picked up two koreans that joined us midway thoggh the day and they were great additions to our little mini family. For dinner Dui and his friend ___ numnok?___ made some potato and leech, some rice, and some mixed vegetables. The night was spent with people getting thai massages all around our awesome abode on top of the hill and getting a really nice experience hanging out with some locals all around the area. I really go to hang out with Elisa and Dui most of the night and we had a great time. Seeing how there was a small fire pit on our bamboo porch we made right in front of it our place to hang out for most of the night after hanging out with the locals. Minutes seemed to melt into hours and before we knew it it was the middle of the night. Mustafa had came and left but Elisa and I made it the entire night. The stars were unreal. Some of the brightest and most visible that I have ever seen by far and they seemed to move all over the night sky. Amidst stray dogs barking, roosters clucking, crickets chirping, pigs grunting, insects flying, water pipes chugging along, people snoring,and elderly gentlemen waking up to use the restroom every few hours the night was full of distractions and additions and will undoubtedly be one that I dont soon forget. Sitting outside with a friend I have just met I couldnt help but smile the entire time. IT was just one of the moments you dont even really think is real because it is just so overwhelmingly perfect in every way that its easier to just smile and think how lucky you are than to fathom every awesome detail going on around you. Staying awake for the sunrise that rose right over our porch, Elisa and I felt the pain of zero sleep almost immediately once the sun peaked. while some people had joined us around before the sun rose and a few people hung out with us we were the only nes to have stayed awake the entire time. We dove back into our hut for a quick extra two hours which were probably the best two hours of sleep I have gotten in the last two weeks. I only remember waking up to Dui's breakfast and plans for the day. Sadly or luckilly my camera wouldn't take pictures of the stars and it died after one picture of the sunrise. Although I am sure my imagination is and will be a much better memory.





When we left the camp that morning we left as one large group. Our day consisted of hiking to another, much larger waterfall and climbing down the massive hill that we had slept on top the night before. The hiking was slow going but was completed none the less and enjoyed by everyone. When we got to the end we were able to whitewater raft down the mai tang river. The river wasnt too high due to it in the dry season but was fun and relatively fast none the less. TI was crazy to think about and bear witness to what it must be like during the rainy season from I think September to december? Maybe that's wrong. Anyway our boat with the two koreans, mustafa and elisa and I was definitely the best guide and we had a pretty good time. We got to relax on a bamboo raft afterwords which was pretty fantastic because its essentially a bunch of bamboo tied together with some tire tubes and you just float really slowly down the slow parts of the river. Very huck finn-esque.

I kind of went through the last day fast but when we dropped everyone off back into the city at the end of the day there was a certain sadness amongst everyone. The koreans were heading to bangkok and the dutch were going home. The two people I was closest with though, mustafa, and elisa had other plans. While mustafa had 2 more days in Chaing Mai, Elisa was pretty certain she was going to be getting on a bus that night to go to Laos with one of her girlfriends. She and I had gotten pretty close in our three days and when we talked about our travels we had a lot of similarities and things in common that we wanted to do but she was just leaving a little bit too soon for me to tag along with. I was not and am not ready to leave thailand yet and as difficult as it was for me to watch a great partner bid goodbye for a a undetermined, potentially ever amount of time, was pretty tough. I usually don't have that hard of a time saying goodbyes because deep down I believe that I will see that person again and it is always more of a see you later. But for some reason this one was more difficult than most and I wonder if we will meet up in our travels in the future. She was a pretty awesome person and I hope she reappears in my story someday.



While I said goodbye to Elisa, I was welcomed into Mustafas hotel, where he had an extra bed I could crash on. Saving on a hostel is always awesome and continuing with a new friend was a great way to end the trek. the entire trek Mustafa was always a breath of fresh air doing wacky things and being the designated "snack man" always buying treats at the market and busting them out halfway up a mountain or as dinners desert. Mustafa is a great person and I look forward to spending a relatively laid back day in Chaing Mai with him tomorrow. For dinner he took me to a Thai-cook-it-yourself-buffet when we got back to the city. Yup. Everything's raw, they give you a big fryer and charcoal pit at your table. sou you cook your food and eat to much because is a buffet. My aunt Reen would love it. (not) We had a massive meal and ate far to much before our tour guide Dui met us outside the buffet place. He and Mustafa were going to get some kind of massage (mustafa is actually a certified masseuse in Turkey, where he works in a spa) so he was interested in getting some kind of one that I wasnt interested in. Instead the idea of hanging out in a internet cafe and trying to get down as many stories as I can was a better option. I am loving listening to music on 22tracks.ne and the new dada life february mix. Interestingly enough the song that I am feeling most is by a group called TAI and is called big bass drum.

Anyway although I typed this up at night I am going to try and jazz it up with some pictures tomorrow. Im meeting up with Dui and Mustafa for drinks in about a half hour. Tonight I stay in the Plaza inn and hotel in chaing mai. No sort of backpacker atmosphere but a cool place none the less. I am sure I will have a funny story about this unique hole in the wall place by tomorrow.

Until then.