i think it is about day 11 of our trip?? Leah and I are never sure what day it is, we are pretty sure that today is Thursday at least. Gotta love it! We just do what we want, always... its completely ridiculous and the the best feeling ever!
The rest of last week in Chiang Mai was great, filled with a Thai cooking class, Elephant conservation camp, Tiger kingdom, an afternoon by a pool, some more crazy water fights, temple visit, and a lot of relaxing and sleeping at the wrong times!!! We missed out on mountain biking because of some last minute decisions, but we are planning to get it in somewhere before heading south. The people that we meet everywhere that we go are amazing. The other day I had a wonderful chat with a holistic health doctor from Canada. She was here for "research" for a month or 2... that means 2 months of massages everyday and working on spiritual enlightenment! Every person that we meet is equally interesting and different in their own way, and for this part of our trip, I am so happy to meet them and exchange stories, or even just understand the other person because they are doing the same thing that you are so you can feel connected easily. The elephant park was a highlight for me, just playing with the elephants and walking around amongst them was cool. The US would never let people just casually hang with elephants!!! We watched them paint, play soccer, and play in the water together. crazy cute! Then we made some organic paper out of elephant dung and had a good time with the staff at the park. It is believed that Buddha was an elephant in one of his 18 lives, so we read all these tales about what he did as the elephant Buddha to teach lessons. For example, a beetle once found shelter in his dung, and when the beetle challenged the elephant Buddha, the Buddha peed on him to kill him. Lets just say i didn't challenge any of the elephants cause seriously, that waterfall of pee could kill! (Now you know, in case you should ever challenge a Buddha elephant... more lessons to come!)
We finished up our week in Chiang Mai on Tuesday and are now further to the northwest in a mountain town called Pai. It is AMAZING here, the scenery is gorgeous and the vibe is very very laid back. The mountains have chilled me out and made my heart smile. They are beautiful, and I almost can not believe where I am right now, it is too perfect. We are staying in a little elevated bamboo hut on the side of a river, hammock on the front porch and all! The town is full of foreigners from all over the world converging in this one place for a good cheap time with some like minded people... crazy and baffling concept, but awesome too. We are entirely too clean and put together though, so in order to fit in we are intending to grunge up... i think ill stay away from things like shaving, shampoo, and tight clothing for the week... "hippie" myself up a little!!!
Remember the previews for Eat Pray Love, when Julie Roberts is riding a cute little bike in Asia, I had that moment in Chiang Mai, as I took to the streets on my one speed bike with a basket on the front. I was trying to get used to driving on the left, before taking to something more powerful! Well, yesterday I have successfully navigated the country from the left side of the road. I was singing Beyonce ("everything you own in a box to the left") the whole time though, as to not let is escape my mind for a split second. I think i only messed up once, but it was when we were driving up a mountain to waterfall, and the local woman were on the side of the road gesturing for us to stop and buy drugs from them, that is of course why all westerners go to this particular waterfall right!? ;) My train of thought was gone and I was all the sudden driving on the right!!! Right turns are the most difficult, but today I have mastered them on the way to another waterfall! Yep, another waterfall, on my motorbike, in sunny hot Thailand, with friends, in the mountains! :)
Today Leah said something hilarious as we passed a napping dog. She was like, "this is the first time in a long time that I have not been jealous of a dogs life, I'm so happy with my own". Its random, but come on, everyone has at one time looked at our pampered dogs and cats on our way out the door to work, and wished to just have that simple, easy, fun life...
I wish everyone I knew could be here experiencing this with me. Miss you and love you!
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