Bangkok!

The tuk tuk rides are a metaphor for my experiences here in Bangkok.  If you don’t negotiate you will get ripped off, sometimes you go really fast (fastest tuk tuk so far) and usually straight through the middle of traffic, even if you do negotiate you will probably get ripped off in one way or another.

Our first negotiation was when we got off the bus at the station.  Starting price for a ride to Kho San Road was 400 bat…final agreed price was 160 bat (and I still think we over-paid).  Dude took off like a bat out of hell and was weaving through traffic (in our direction and on-coming!).  We decided to look for accommodation near, but not on, Kho San.  I checked about 10 spots and found the best deal to be 200 bat per night for fan and shared bathroom..not bad.  We dropped our bags and headed out to catch a few sights. 

On the way to the reclining Buddha we stopped at a map to check our route and started talking to a local.  He said that the following day was a huge religious holiday and would be better to check the Buddha then along with the Palace.  He suggested we grab a tuk tuk and check out a few surrounding wats, etc…at that moment a tuk tuk pulls up (coincidence, I think not) and offers us a ride to 4 sights for 40 bat.  We jumped in and tuk tuk off!  First stop was a standing Buddha which was huge and covered in gold.  Then we cruised to a smaller reclining Buddha and while there started talking to another local who said that there was a super promotion going on at this tourism spot and something about free travel (his English was ok but not great)….with optimism in our hearts we directed our tuk tuk driver to that spot on the way to the third sight.  He pulls up to a gem dealer….oh now I get it!  We respectfully decline but then he presses us by saying they give him free gas if we go in for 10 minutes.    The promotion they are running is no tax…whoopdee frickin doo.  It was fun to look at 5,000$ pieces of jewelry though and pretend like we were interested.  On to our third sight then the driver asked again if he could take us to a different jewelry spot for more free gas….fuck, ok.  This spot was massive and had guards out front with automatic weapons.  It was nice to have a little AC and some free soda while we perused the largest jewelry selection I have ever seen.  After that the driver started towards our 4^th and final destination then pulled over and pleaded with us to go to a suit store because they give him the hugest gas incentive and it would really help him…we weren’t interested but conceded finally.  The suit spot was high pressure sales for whatever you want made.  The cool part about this spot was that they gave us free beer so that was worth it.  I asked my assigned salesman if he had seen Dumb and Dumber then told him that I wanted a suit like Jim Carrey wore to the ball.  We started looking at all kinds of cool fabrics…pink paisley, yellow/red flower paisley, etc…They wanted 300 for a 3-piece and I just couldn’t go for it so we bounced.  We made the driver promise that if we did this suit thing he would take us to a 5^th sight and he agreed.  The 4^th sight was a wat on a mountain that was supposed to give a great view of the town.  He pulled up to a gate and told us to walk in.  Only once we were inside did we realize that this wasn’t the right wat and we were in fact around the corner from Kho San.  Our driver ditched us…we didn’t have to pay anything but we did have to spend time in 3 different high pressure shops…lesson learned.

We spent the evening walking Kho San and checking trinkets.  Everything is over-priced and about as ‘touristy’ as it gets.  We chilled at a rooftop bar smoking sheesha and drinking towers of beer (3 liters in a tower).  Cool people, cool music and a chill atmosphere.

Yesterday we got up and started with breakfast at a spot that had been recommended for quality food.  Ethos café was amazing.  They make their own muesli mix and that was DELISH.  A bowl of that with coconut milk and a glass of fruit/vegetable juice.  After that great start we headed to the reclining Buddha.  It was packed due to the holiday and really fun to walk around and see the sights and crowds.  After that we headed to the Palace.  I had to rent a shirt because I was wearing a tank top and it was fairly expensive to see the Emerald Buddha.  Colby had been looking forward to seeing it because he has basically been following its path from Cambodia to Laos to Northern Thailand.  Turns out the thing is about 2 feet tall and actually made of jade.  The Palace was beautiful though and we enjoyed walking around the grounds.  After a brief siesta we headed to a night market for some grub and walking.  They sold everything at this market…pants, shorts, shoes (some used), bras, porn, braces (yes you can get braces at a stall), dvd, cd, clocks,  bongs, horns…you name it, there was a stall selling it.  The craziest part of the market was the 3 full blocks of flowers.  All kinds of flowers, some I know and most I have never seen.  We all had the same thought, ‘How do they sell this many flowers and do they always stock this much?!’  It was crazy…hundreds of thousands of flowers.  I like that you can walk into a 7/11 and grab a beer to drink on the street.  Something liberating about that and we are taking full advantage!  Kho San is transformed for the Halloween week and there are stages on each end so we headed back there to check the scene.  Very busy and cracking so after a few we headed to a parallel street to find an alcohol stall.  That’s the way to do it.  Cheap drinks served on the street while sitting in little plastic chairs.  It is a great way to people watch and enjoy the scene.

Yesterday we got up and decided to check the weekend market.  There are over 8,000 stalls (according to the guide book, I didn’t actually count) of everything.  It was fun to walk down the aisles of stalls and see everything for sale.  Colbs and I picked up some more souvenirs and grubbed at a few different spots before bouncing.  I am trying to stock up on trinkets cause Colby is going to schlep it all home for me tomorrow.  After the market I headed to a travel agent to book some flights and sort some travel business.  Although I am here for another 2 months, it feels like I have no time.  After Colby leaves I head to Cambodia for at least a week then back to the Thai Islands to get SCUBA certified and chill on the beach then fly from Kuala Lampur on the 19^th of Nov to Hanoi to check Northern Vietnam then back to Luang Prabang (and maybe Vieng Vang for some tubing) then back to Vietnam for 3 weeks to check the rest of the country then home on the 22^nd of December…..no time!?  No time for Indonesia, Brunei, most of Malaysia…next time.

Colby found a German Brewery here in Bangkok and we decided to do a little research.  We showed up at the spot around 8PM and ordered a tower of their finest lager.  Delish.  There were a few really cool bands and the singers were walking around the crowd serenading people.  During a break in the music a guy and his daughter (I think it was his daughter) came on stage and did some circus tricks.  Reminded me of half time at the Warriors games.  At one point he starts tossing lemons into the crowd so people could throw them back to him while he is on a unicycle with a long needle in his mouth (to catch the fruit).  We were about 30 ft back but I still put my hand out for one.  He tossed it to me and without hesitation I gunned it back at him nailing him right between the eyes and missing the needle.  Everyone started laughing and I took a bow.  I guess he was a little upset (not really) because he called me up on stage….oh great.  By this time the place was pretty busy and all the benches (think Oktoberfest Thai style) were full.  After a brief introduction he puts me on a stand and hands me some balloons.  One on each hip, one in my mouth and one between my legs…oh great.  He then stands about 15 ft away with a dart blow gun.  I was having a blast up there playing along with him (shaking my legs in fear and giving him the sideways look).  He nailed each side no problem…then he nailed the one between my legs no problem…then he MISSED the one in my mouth…now that’s a problem!  I gave him the look, ‘dude are you sure about this’ and he hit it on his second try.  Then he tried to get me on his unicycle which I thought I could do but wasn’t coordinated enough to pull it off…then he pulls out the smallest bike (seriously about 10 inches tall and 1 foot long) and tries to get me to ride it on stage.  After lots of laughing he gave me a shirt and ushered me off stage.  His daughter did some amazing contortion tricks and they wrapped up their part of the show.  Back at our table I became a local celebrity.  The ladies next to us starting cheers-ing us (choke-dee!)….she became my mother-in-law because she wanted me to meet her 28 yr old daughter who wasn’t there and then proceeded to introduce me to any female within shouting distance.  The table next to us was having a birthday celebration…the kid was 8 (how come we don’t get to go to a beer hall for our birthdays at that age!?) and at one point when they brought out the cake, I grabbed his father’s camera to take pics (I had a better vantage point).  Next thing I know the kid brings us a piece of cake…pretty good..not sweet at all and really tasted just like butter…straight butter.  The father comes over and asks if this is my first time in Thailand and if I am having a good time.  We are all laughing and bowing and dancing.  At one point I grab his glass and fill it up from our 3^rd tower (3 liters each).  Next thing I know, he comes up to me and says he is buying all our beer for the night…about 100US!?  What…what….WHAT!??!!  Let the good times roll!!  It was just like Oktoberfest but Thai-style….by the end of the night, when they kicked us out; we were best friends with every table around us.  So much fun….so much fucking fun.

Needless to say we are all moving a little slowly today.  Thinking a massage and a pool are in the future but not sure if I am ready to leave the guesthouse…and I am sweating…just sitting here I am sweating..fuck

Well we did do a massage but skipped the pool as it started raining.  We decided to check out the movies and grabbed a cab to a HUGE mall.  We finally figured out that cabs are the best way to get around.  They run on a meter and are always cheaper than the tuk tuks.  The mall was massive and there were 4 different movie theaters and two IMAX theaters all on the same floor.  We picked the next available movie which wound up being ‘Red’ starring Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman and John Malkovich…John was HILARIOUS and the movie was entertaining..kinda comic book like.  Early to bed and early to rise.

The next day was Colby’s last day so we treated ourselves to facials…which was gross and painful.  It felt like she was cutting my face with a razor.  My eyes were watering and I almost had to call ‘uncle’.  Then she finished and showed me what she pulled from my face…nasty.  We decided to add a mud mask to the treatment (first time) and finished with cucumber and various scents.  Very very pleasant.

Plans came together as they usually do in that a friend of mine has a brother travelling SE Asia and I contacted him about his travel plans.  He showed up last night (Colby’s last night) and we are doing Cambodia together at the very least.  Super cool cat from Santa Cruz named Taylor.  Artist and wise young soul.  Like his sister who I know well, he is wise beyond his years and I am sure we are going to kill it.  We all grabbed dinner at the spot that Colby ate at on his first night (how fitting) then threw back a few Beer Lao and waited for the monsoon to stop before heading to a Blues bar.

The suggestions from my friends have been spot on.  We were recommended a breakfast joint called Ethos that served homemade muesli, yogurt and juices…BOMB…a friend said to party one night on Kho San which we did..drinking buckets of Thai whiskey on the street.  Another friend said to get away from Kho San to party and we did that at Tawandang German beer hall…SUPER FUN…and this Blues bar that was recommended was OFF THE HOOK.

Ad Here 13 Blues Bar is a tiny (8 x 25) spot and we sat within touching distance of the band.  THEY RIPPED.  Seriously we were all going nuts as they killed hit after hit.  The best Thai blues guitar player is the owner and he jumped in for a solo that melted our faces.  The band was super friendly and after their set they all came over and chilled with us.  We wound up at this bar past closing talking about great blues artists (which I plan to download now) and thoroughly enjoying ourselves.  After that, around 2 AM, Taylor and I bounced back to Kho San for one more round on the street.  We started playing a game trying to guess if they were girls or lady-boys…hilarious.  Crashed hard only to wake the second my alarm was supposed to go off but was set incorrectly.  We grabbed a van and bounced to Cambodia.

I am going to be in Bangkok for one more night just before I head home and plan on going back to that blues bar.  Everyone needs to check this spot out if you like really talented musicians playing killer blues.

Sukothai to Ayutthaya

We arrived to Sukothai after a mellow 5 hour ride from Chang Mai.  The guest house recommended from our spot in Chang Mai was also recommended by our guidebook so we went straight to Garden Guesthouse.  Nice and cheap.  Since time is running out for Colby we decided to wake early and do the old part of Sukothai then bounce in the evening for Ayutthaya.  Last night was uneventful aside from the delish soup at the guesthouse.  It was HOTTT!  Tom yam and I needed it!  I already sweat a lot as is but this soup and the ride made the shower that much more enjoyable.  We woke this morning, grubbed and bounced by 8:30 to catch a local bus to the old part of town.  Upon arrival we rented bikes and set off to see some sites.  Sukhothai Historical Park is gorgeous.  We started at Wat Si Chum which has a 15 meter sitting Buddha.  Then we checked out Wat Phra Pai Luang while on the North side.  After that we biked out to Wat Saphaan Hin on the West side out about 4km.  The wat is 200 meters above the plain and gives a great view of the entire park.  By this time both Colby and I were dripping sweat and soaked through…water break.  Back on the bikes and straight into the heart of the park.   Wat Mahathat which is surrounded by a moat.  Then to Wat Si Sawai and a few others inside the walls before we returned the bikes and grabbed some food.  Khmer influence, Hindu accents and Buddhism abound!

Bounced back to the guesthouse to round up our laundry and shower (I did at least!).  We thought there was a bus at 3PM so we arrived at the station 10 minutes prior only to find out that the next bus isn’t till 5PM.  So we wait, read and maybe take a trebinol or two….relax, we are on our way again!!

                                                                                                                                                                                            

The bus dropped us off in the middle of the freeway about 8km from town at midnight…not many options but to pay the dude with the truck waiting there to take us into town.  We found a crap hostel for 5bucks and crashed.  They had no towels so in the morning we had to use one of my lodgis and get cleaned up then we decided to get the fuck out of that spot.  We found a nicer spot for 8bucks with a pool, blankets and towels…well worth it.  After moving our stuff we decided to hire a tuk tuk to take us around to the ruins.  They are more spread out here than in Sukothai so we thought it would be time efficient and it definitely was.  We started at Wat Yai Chai Mong Khon (my favorite) then moved to Wat Phanancheong.  After that we drove across town to Wat Chai Thantaram and then up to Chedi Pho-Kao Thong.  On the way home, we asked to stop by Wat Manathat in the center and then grubbed.  The pictures are amazing and will definitely show you better than what I can put into words.  Most ruins are from the 2^nd and 3^rd centuries and have been maintained well.  The river in town is swelling and there are sandbags everywhere.  We were going to stop in Lopbury but decided to come straight here instead…good thing because I saw on the news yesterday (while getting a killer haircut) that Lopbury was basically underwater!?

Once back to our spot we took a quick dip in the pool then played a few games of chess.  Colby came out on top of the ‘best of 3’ series and we headed out for the night market. The market was a dream come true.  Food stalls as far as the eye could see!!!  Fried chicken with chili sauce, fried sardines, pad Thai, fruit juices, fresh fruit, meat on sticks…..mmmmmmm!!!  Post food we headed to a pool table for some beers and games.  Colby slaughtered me on the pool table and I had to call it quits after about 8 games to 1. 

Today we woke early, packed, grubbed and are heading to Bangkok for a few days before Colby bounces.  I hope we get to check the tattoo convention our buddy in Pai was telling us about…stay tuned!!

Pai

Pai is amazing.  Pai is everything we heard and more.  It is a hippy-style town with tons of live music.  We showed up Tuesday evening and split up to find accommodation.  Colby found a local named Nancy who helped us negotiate a great rate on a room in the downtown area.  200 bat per room with Colby and I sharing one and Sebastian having his own.  Nice, clean room with fan and private bathroom.  Free wifi, coffee/tea, and hot water.  So we dropped our bags and headed out to do some research.  We were starving and decided to head across the street for some grub from Nancy, who had helped us negotiate the room.  I had the Mexican buffet for 5 bucks which included a beer.  MMMMMmmmmmm......burritos!!  After dinner we walked back across the street to a local reggae bar called Nancy's (coincidence).  Free pool and great tunes.  I hooked him up with one of my mixes and he was stoked. 

After that we decided to try and find our friends Vincent and Tristen who had ridden on bikes from Chang Mai to Pai.  We found them on a side street sitting with some locals at a table in front of a shop.  They hadn't made it far either as they had just walked out of their hotel and stopped to say hello to the locals.  3 locals and the 5 of us started chatting, eating and drinking.  5 bottles of whiskey later we were all hugging, laughing and cracking jokes on one another.  Sebastian decided to break a block of ice with his head and I was able to capture it perfectly with my camera (check facebook).  Another local dude stopped by with his guitar and the sing-along started.  Vincent played some songs and the guy played some songs...we all sang and it was great.  Around midnight they said we didn't have to go home but we couldn't stay there as the neighbors were getting restless.  We decided to walk to another bar we had heard about called 'Don't Cry'.  I was beat and can tell I am getting old because I called it quits first and walked home.  I tried to get on the computer when I got home but the connection wasn't strong enough in the room.  I woke up when Colby came home and started laughing at me.  Apparently I fell asleep with the computer in my lap and hands on the keyboard.  When we woke the next morning Colby mentioned that Sebastian had stayed the latest and wasn't sure if he had made it home. 

This is a great story.  Before Colby left the bar he told Seb exactly how to get home...which consisted of walking across the bridge, down two blocks and hanging a right.  Seb forgot that and wound up wandering the streets for at least 2 hours.  He was actually walking the streets when the Monks did their morning collection so that is sunrise.  Poor kid even laid down on the street at one point to take a snooze, then the rain started.  Needless to say he was not in the best mood and incredibly hungover when we finally dragged him out of bed.  Colby and I got up early and went for coffee and breakfast.  We also rented 2 bikes as they are super cheap here and there is a ton of great cruising.  Colby loaded Seb on the back of his and we took off for the days loop.  First stop was a waterfall with natural slides...super fun.  On the way up and back from the fall there were tons of women on the street trying to sell ganja...or at least what they call ganja.  We didn't buy any as it was seeds and stems, no buds.  Before I left for this trip, I was hoping to smoke less while on the road and break a bad habit that I got into.  I am happy to say that it has been going great.  I have been on the road 2 weeks (I think) and only smoked twice.  So, after not buying any weed we head to the next stop, hot springs.  Super beautiful and free.  Natural tubs in the sand with sandbags in certain places.  The hottest spring is 80 Celsius and they boil eggs in it for snacks.  The pools get cooler as they get further from the main hot spring.  So relaxing, so beautiful and so crucial for our aching bodies. 
After that we stopped at the Pai Treehouse Guesthouse as I had heard good things about it.  They were booked but the place was super cool.  You get your own treehouse to stay in for about 30 bucks a night.  Beautiful views, great restaurant and tranquil settings.  Next we headed to the Wat on the hill to catch the sunset which was amazingly beautiful.  After a full day of riding we headed back to the spot for a shower and regroup.  We met with Vincent and Tristen and headed to the Walking Street for some street food....meat on a stick and crispy basil with chicken...mmmmmm...

Vincent has been looking for a spot to get a tattoo so we were stopping at shops to chat up the artists.  One spot we stopped at had an incredible vibe and amazing art.  The artist was super cool and they encouraged us to grab a beer at the liquor store and chill with them for a bit...so we did!  We are all talking art, tattoos and life with these guys and they are super cool.  We all decide to roll out to a different reggae bar (there are a shit-ton here) and find ourselves at a quiet spot outside of town.  Quiet until we realize that there is a complete band set-up in the corner.  Pretty soon everyone has an instrument and the place is bumping.  At one point, when the live music stopped, I walked over to the computer to put together a playlist.  I was super into picking the tracks and didn't even turn around when I heard some bottles toppling over.  After I put together the playlist, I walk back to the table and ask where my beer is.  Colby turns to me with astonishment and says, 'did you not see that shit?!'  He points to a group of kids sitting on their scooters outside the bar and then points to the table with spilled beer.  I was so engrossed in the music that I didn't even see the shit go down.  Apparently these kids have beef with the tattoo artist we were friends with and they stormed into the place with kitana blades.  One kid jump kicked our friend and knocked the bottles over.  Colby stood up and stared at the group.  About 14 of them with two of them carrying fucking swords...fucking swords dude!  Our friend ran in to the back and escaped but the mood was serious.  Were we going to step in and help this guy we just met?  What was the beef about and who was in the wrong?  Turns out these kids are friends with a different tattoo guy who has beef with our friend’s teacher...so the story goes and the hating begins.  Luckily for them (and us), they never returned and our friend bounced safely.  We headed to a different bar to cool off and talk about what we would have done....pretty cowardly feeling to have totally missed something like that.  So, here we are now, packing our bags and getting ready to take the bikes to some caves about 40k away.  We plan to stay there for the night and then head back.  I might put a deposit down on a tattoo....stay tuned!

You know what they say about plans, right?!  After we packed our bags and grabbed a bite we decided to stop by Cross Tattoo and say hello to Mink (our buddy).  They were super stoked to see us and immediately started offering drinks, etc.  Vincent and Tristen found us there and we all talked about plans.  They wanted to do a trek and we did too.  We were thinking about doing it after the cave journey and asked what they thought.  Then Mink turns to us and says that the shop is going to have a bbq tonight and we should come….so we changed our plans, decided to stay for the Q and then head out to trek the next day with the homies.  After the new plan was formulated, Seb, Colby and I headed to a pool just outside of town.  We got free passes from our new hotel.  Oh, Pai River Lodge is the SHIZ!  We each have our own bungalow for 5 bucks a night.  Soooo awesome.  And they gave us passes to use the pool at this other hotel called Fluid.  We never would have found this oasis as it was up a dirt road but when we rolled in and saw the pool we melted.  So nice, so relaxing.  We chilled, swam, read and drank tea.  Colb’s and I headed for a massage after then back to the shop for dinner.  The boys cooked up more meat than I have ever eaten and wouldn’t stop feeding it to us….along with whiskey.  We actually bought all the whiskey and soda water at the local shop so we had to take scooters around the corner for refills.  Such a great vibe, such great guys and so much fun.  After a long dinner we all headed to ‘Almost Famous’ for a few more drinks.  Again, I bounced first and headed home seeing as we had to be at the trek spot at 8 AM the next morning and I wanted to send a few emails out before bouncing.  Turns out nothing is open before about 10 in this town…talk about chilled out!! 

We all met at the trek spot and prepared for the voyage.  We picked this guy because he seemed knowledgeable about the flora and fauna and also said he would teach us about medicinal herbs.  There were 5 of us (Seb, Colby, Vincent, Tristen and Myself) along with another 4 from the East Coast and 1 girl from Holland.  We loaded in the back of the truck and drove about an hour out of town.  Unloaded on a dirt road and the guide, who I will refer to as Yota since we engaged in illicit activity, started making our path with his machete through the dense forest.  After a few hours we stopped at a Karen Tribe village for lunch.  Delish soup with egg and noodles.  We continued on to a waterfall for a swim and then reached our destination around 6PM that night.  12km each way.  Needless to say I was drenched in sweat.  The jungle spot was super cool and totally in the middle of nowhere.  They cooked us an amazing dinner with jungle cucumber (looked like melons but tasted like cucumber) and soup.  Amazing chili on top.  Yota kept referring to anything out there as jungle ____...Jungle guitar, jungle animals, jungle shower (which was a pipe from a spring), jungle toilet (which meant any tree or space away for the house) and so on.  After dinner, the 10 of us sat down for a traditional opium session.  He was meticulous in the preparation and started by making the perfect flame.  He created a flame bowl out of a can, some cotton and oil…very cool.  He said the flame is the most important part and has to stay steady and consistent.  Then he went about preparing the opium.  Fresh opium (brownish and gooey), mixed with a little ash, Tylenol (to make it sweet) and aspirin (to make it a little sour)…turns out the guy in the Lao village wasn’t putting amphetamines in the mix but was actually trying to hook us up.  The raw opium is very bitter but Yota’s mix was delish.  He packed it in a bamboo pipe and we each had a couple pipe-loads.  Nothing crazy at all, kinda like smoking weed but your whole body feels high.  After hours of him taking care of us by loading, mixing, lighting and coaching he was exhausted so he took a few for himself and busted out the guitar.  We all passed out to jungle guitar played by a jungle guide…Beatles, Grateful Dead, Elvis and so on, sang with the twang only a jungle guide can give.

Since we all slept in the same room on the floor, most of us were up early.  They killed a chicken for our breakfast and we grubbed on that along with jungle melon and jungle eggs.  Loaded our bags and headed up along the ridge.  The first day we hiked mostly in the valley.  He showed us plants used for blood coagulation, diarrhea and constipation.  This day was mostly about views.  The summit was 1200 meters and overlooked the valley we had hiked the day before.  So beautiful.  We stopped in a Lahoo village for lunch and had another great meal.  Got back to our starting point about 4PM and loaded in the vehicle.  At the first village on the first day we picked up a few volunteers.  Two dogs followed us the whole way out and back.  Apparently they love backpackers and trekking and we returned the love with lots of scratching and an occasional snack.  Once we loaded up, one of the dogs started chasing our car…almost all the way back to the main road.  She was so sweet and smiling the whole time behind us.  We all thought about loading her up and brining her with us.

Once back in town we headed back to our bungalows (which Tony, host, had saved for us) to shower and clean up.  Since it was Saturday night, most of the town was booked so we were so happy that he saved our spot for us.  After a long triple-s we headed for another massage and then dinner.  After dinner we dropped by the shop to see how our art was coming along.  Both Colby and I commissioned Mink to draw us some stuff.  Colby just wanted a piece of art from him but I am willing to get it done if it looks good.  He wants to free hand it on my but I am little nervous about that.  I have seen a lot of his free hand work but just don’t if I can be comfortable with it.  So Mink told us that if we stayed till Monday that he could have the art done.  He then brushed the worry and apprehensiveness away and told us to sit with all of them and drink.  I bowed out for an easy night of reading and sleeping.  In bed by 11 and didn’t wake until 9 this morning.  Colby’s time is coming to an end and there is a lot we still want to see so the next 8 days should be pretty busy.  Today should be chill.  All caught up, all calls made and emails exchanged.  Off to enjoy the day again…boy I could see how people come here for a day or two and find themselves here 2 years later….so nice and chilled!

Well that day was chill.  We took the bikes and went to the hotsprings for some hard-boiled (that were soft because I didn’t let them sit for long enough) and relaxation.  The tubs are so relaxing and nice.  We headed back to town and stopped by Cross to see what Mink had drawn.  The image I commissioned him for turned out ridiculously dope so I decided then and there that we should stay another day and get this done.  That was yesterday.  Went to bed early last night, woke up early, had a great meal and stopped by the pharmacy for some post-ink stuff (gauze, ointment, lotion, soap, etc).  4 straights hours (with a few cig breaks) and I have a sick new piece of art on my right calf.  It is so amazing.  He did such a great job.  I got the inspiration at a temple museum in Chang Rai.  There I saw the statue of Phya Luang which symbolizes strength and is a Lanna diety.  Lanna is the old Northern Thailand region which is now split into several smaller regions.  I found the exact image online and showed it to Mink.  He drew a beautiful rendition and applied it flawlessly.  He literally finished 25 minutes before the last bus left so we bounced, grubbed and boarded back to Chang Mai.  Here we can extend our visa till Colby leaves and then head to Sukothai.  Next chapter!! 

I love PAI!!!

Chang Mai, Thailand

Leaving our friends in Chang Rai was a difficult thing to do…It may have had something to do with the fact that we were all incredibly hung over but I’m not sure.  Luckily for us the bus ride to Chang Mai was super VIP.  Soft seats that reclined, AC, TV, cold water, snacks, cold towels, bathroom…it was super plush and cost about 6 bucks.  We arrived in Chang Mai and I immediately realized that this is the most metropolitan city I have visited thus far.  Tourists everywhere, English everywhere and loads of people…everywhere.  Sebastian had been here before and suggested Julie’s Place for our accommodation.  This was also the spot my friend Lauren had recommended so we hopped a tuk tuk straight there.  They were booked for a long time but suggested a spot around the corner.  No AC but a fan in the room, our own bathroom and three beds for less than 10 bucks a night…not bad.  Nat Guesthouse.  Like all the guesthouses, they will arrange everything for you if you want.  It was Friday night so we dropped our bags and walked to the market for some grub.  Our spot is in the old city which is surrounded by a moat and our walk took us to the new city and passed many bars.  We were getting hollered at like no tomorrow by hot chicks and hot lady boys.  That was funny because you would see a hot body down the street and then a voice would come from them deeper than mine, ‘hey babay!’

So none of us were feeling too hot and we just decided to find an easy spot to grub.  Indian food and it was delish.  After dinner we walked back to Julies for a game of pool and 1 beer.  We all called it quits early and crashed hard.  Saturday we decided to kick it around the old part of town and did a walking tour out of Lonely Planet.  I’m not one to follow the guide exactly but there were sights to see and we wanted to check em out.  Oldest temple in the city, a few amazing treasures then a stop for a massage.  This was cool because there is a women’s prison and, as part of their rehabilitation, they can learn massage and then have jobs when they get out.  We all got massages from these women and it was cool.  6 bucks for an hour of bliss.  Twisting, bending, pushing and pulling.  I definitely cracked all over.  After our massage we walked to an electronics store so I could check out some laptops.  Scored a cool one for 440 bones.  My dad says it’s not a great deal or anything but it works and does what I need it to do.  Get ready for more photos and more blogging!!  If I was home, I would have called my pops from the store and had him give me the rundown…or better yet, I would have had him take care of it for me since he is the local computer guru and all!  Reminds me, if you want a phone call from me please send me your phone number as I lost my phone and all numbers.  Went to the night market for some grub and souvenir shopping.  Fruit shake (75 cents), pork shu-mai (75 cents), chicken satay (75 cents), fried fish (75 cents)…god I love street food. 

We had to bounce early because we had tickets for the Muay Thai matches.  Super fun shit.  We had great seats for 10 bucks each and got to see about 8 matches.  Colby and I were betting beers and I lost more than I won.  A great girl fight (16 year olds), a great kid fight (6 year olds) and a great main event.  Some dude from England vs. a local Thai fighter.  I went for the local cause I like to root for the home team…too bad dude got knocked the fuck out.  Like cold turkey.  The English guy was way bigger and just dominated him from the start.  The bartender/waitress was super friendly and was helping us pick who to choose.  Then she got too friendly and we told her to back off.  Then she convinced Colby to buy her a drink and she would buy him one only to find out her beer was twice as much as his.  I told her to that wasn’t cool and it really rubbed me the wrong way so we paid and bounced. ..to a reggae club!!  This was the shit.  We walked in around midnight to a live band playing Specials songs.  In no time Colby and I were skanking in the pit!!  All of a sudden he gets tapped on the shoulder and it is our buddy Vincent.  Colby met him over a month ago on his motorcycle loop in Southern Laos then we ran into him again in Vang Vieng then again in Luang Prabang and now here.  It is so amazing how many people we may be crossing paths with regularly and not even know it.  Vincent is super cool, from Colorado and down to kick it.  Around 3 AM we bounced from the reggae bar, grabbed some BOMB kebabs and smoked a little ganja rolled in corn husks.  He busted out his guitar and we sat on the street, drunk and happy!

Today we rolled out of bed a little late and decided to rent a bike and head to Doi Suthep.  It was a great ride and beautiful temple on top of a huge mountain.  Lots of people around and lots of beautiful things to see.  We bought a bell for the house so the delivery men don’t have to worry about getting eaten by Early and also a few other cool trinkets.  On the way home we stopped at Amazing Sandwich which was also mentioned in the book.  Definitely worth it when you are tired of rice and noodles.  I had a chicken sandwich with blue cheese, garlic, basil, rosemary, lettuce, tomato, olives and some other dankness…soooo good.  Now we regroup and head to the big night market.  Vincent is going to kick it with us and we are planning on doing a cooking course maybe tomorrow and then heading to Pai the day after…we will see!

The night market was grand as usual.  The food was amazing and the trinkets were perfect.  Colby purchased an extra suitcase for all our shit and I am glad to be able to send him home with a ton o shiz.  We walked the streets for hours, snacking, watching performances and looking at all the cool crafts.  The night ended very mellow-like and we agreed to meet in the morning for the cooking course.  Since there were 4 of us in our group, we were able to cook everything that was offered and even negotiated to add cow-soy to the menu.  We were picked up around 9 and taken to the market to learn about the ingredients.  Very cool facts and tricks about eggs, pineapple and veggies that will surely keep in my repertoire.  After the shopping spree we headed to Mr. Prom’s house for the lesson.  There were 10 of us total in the class and we each had our own cooking station.  I cooked spring rolls, papaya salad, panang curry, sweet sticky rice with mango, cashew chicken with vegetables and tom yum soup.  We even got to do ‘extreme’ cooking which entailed a huge flame covering the wok and giving some great flavor.  Our teacher had a great sense of humor and was cracking jokes left and right.  Did you know that ‘shit’ means friend in Thai?  Do you know how to say 5 in Thai? Ha.  If you want to say 5,555 then you just start laughing!  By early afternoon we sat and enjoyed our food and everyone else’s.   Then nap time at our pad which was crucial.  We woke in the evening, went and played a few games of pool at Julies then headed to the night bazaar for food and sights.  Yum, yum, yum then more sleep.  Colby and I actually bounced back early and read for a bit.  I am still reading Shantaram and loving it.  There are so many great quotes and poetic words; not to mention that the story itself is like none other.  I am at the part where he is in the worst prison in Bombay and it sounds horrible.  I couldn’t help but think our current living situation is somewhat similar to a prison in the US.  We have 3 small beds in a small room.  Each bed has one sheet to cover the mattress and one blanket to cover ourselves.  The toilet is outside in the shower and there is no flush, you just dump water down it.  We put the paper in the bin and shower with cold water. …but we are all happy to be there and it is cheap.

Sebastian and I decided to check out the tiger kingdom the next day before bouncing to Pai.  That was an amazing experience and I got some great photos.  For 20 bucks I was able to pet, scratch and lay with small tigers (6 months old) and large tigers (20 months).  All tigers there are hand reared and friendly although you do have to approach them from their rear and never touch their head or face.  We got back just in time for the rain storm and were able to pack up and wait for the minivan to swoop us up.  Off to Pai we go!!

My pops asked me awhile ago about the ages of other travelers and if older people were out and about.  I told him, ‘yeah there are older men out here and they all have young Thai chicks on their arms.’  This is true but not entirely.  I have actually noticed lots of travelers that are ‘older’.  Couples, friends and solo travelers both young and old.  It really just depends on where you hang out.  Most of the older travelers are spending 15-20 bucks a night to stay at a 5 star hotel, whereas, the younger ones are spending 2-5 bucks for a hostel/guesthouse.

Myanmar (Burma)

So on the way to the border I started my research.  We had about 3 books between the 6 of us that discussed Myanmar.  Here's what I got; the government is bad and the people are good.  Basically the current military government lost the last democratic election and didn't give up power.  Instead they put Aung San Suu Kyi behind bars were she currently resides.  This reminded me of South Africa and Nelson Mandela in a way.  She won a Nobel Peace prize for her work and writings.  We knew that supporting the government would be bad but supporting the people would be good so that was our goal.  First off we had to pay the government to get into the country so there went 15 bucks each.  Then, at the border, they told us that we had to stay there for a night because no buses were running to Kengtung.  Also, if we wanted to go to Kengtung then we had to have a government guide aka spy with us at all times.  That was expensive too at 1000 bat a day (you can get food, accommodation and beer in Thailand for that).  I asked for a map, a few sites to see and a few words to say then we headed out to find accommodation.  This is in the city of Tachileik.  Another thing we new was that hotels gave some of the money to the government so we looked for the cheapest hotel which is expensive compared to anywhere else...no AC, no hot water.  Whatever, we wanted the experience.  Drop our bags and head out for some traditional Burmese tea.  We also wanted to try the beetlenut that makes everyones mouth red and is a stimulant of sorts.  That was funny as we were all dripping spit down our faces trying to do it correctly.  After tea we decided to check out a meditation temple so we wandered the streets until we found the compound.  It was great to laugh with the little monks-in-training as they were amazed at how tall we all are.  We then sat down in front of the master just to see what would happen.  He had a video screen next to him and was toggling between different cameras on the compound.  We found out later that he does this to make sure people are meditating and practicing correctly.  If he sees something then he sends someone out to fix it.  Pretty cool.  Next we are escorted by another monk to a place where they agreed to show us some meditation techniques.  Turns out this is a Vipassana meditation center.  Last time I backpacked around Europe I did a 10 day Vipassana course.  One of the most difficult things I have ever done but also one of the most rewarding.  10 days of silence and meditation.  It is free, you can only pay when you are done what you want.  They have a center in Joshua Tree if anyone is interested locally but they are also all over the world. 

After that we catch a late dinner of fried rice with egg on top, small bowls of soup, krapao (minced meat) and sampled some beer.  The cheap beer is 'Chinese beer' and it tastes like shit...1 buck...the good beer is Myanmar beer and that costs 3 bucks...it is also owned by the government...fuckers.  Also, there are no prices in the menus or anything and we all knew we were paying a 'special' rate on everything which feels a lot like being ripped off. 

Colby, Maarten and I woke at 6AM to hit the morning market and get another lesson at the center.  It was really fun to practice walking meditation and get to sit with the master for a bit.  There was beautiful chanting going on when we first showed up.  After our second lesson we bounce back to the group.  They were in charge of sorting out our guide as we were hoping to have a few to choose from.  Actually, the day before we met a cool kid named Mr. Carter who said he could be our guide.  Right off the bat we all liked him but were scared that he may not be legit.  They went with him to the border the next morning and we were told that he isn't 'licensed' and we had to use the guide they assigned.  Mr. Moonk was not very cool. Before we left with Moonk, we decided to take Carter out for food.  Best Burmese in town and it was pretty good.  Butterfish, sweet pork, sardines, mutton and veggies.  The conversation was awesome as Carter dove right in to politics, theology and world experiences.  This is what we wanted and we were all bummed he couldn't come with us.

Moonk gets us a tuk tuk to the bus station and the guy tries to rip us off...first effed up thing he did.  While waiting for the bus I decided to try and blend in a little.  I put on the longyi I had purchased that morning, got some tanaka for my face and started chewing beetlenut.  Tanaka is bark that they put on their face for a natural sunscreen. 

The bus ride was somewhat uneventful.  3 checkpoints and horrible music on repeat.  I offered my cd for the bus and after two songs it got cut off for something better...Shakira music videos...holy shnickies those hips don't lie.  I'll take a back seat to Shakira any day (I'll take any seat near her!)  We arrive at Kengtung and head for accommodation.  5 bucks a person, no shower, no ac, no fan.  Colby and I shared a room and paid 10 bucks for it...so ridiculous.  We then walked to local food which was not good then headed to the lake for a walk.  On the way we bought some fireworks which were really fun and lit them off with some local kids.  We walked to a club that was empty then decided to play a little snooker instead.  All of us were stressing on our lack of freedom and inability to be spontaneous.  As well as the ridiculous prices of everything. 

Next morning we get up early and head to the morning market.  I bought another longyi an had it tailored.  I also bought some Burmese Hip Hop and Rock that is pretty cool.  We boarded a tuk tuk for a day of trekking to the hill tribes.  First tribe is a Christian tribe of Akah people.  They offer us bananas and peanuts and we offer them some toys and a soccer ball.  They took us up to the top of their hill with the most amazing view and we had a great game of soccer.  That was super fun.  Then next village we went to was super poor.  As we walk up Moonk turns and says they are super poor, have kids that starve and most aren't wearing clothes.  When we approach the kids mob Maarten because he has the chocolate.  I didn't like the feeling of being there and neither did Maria.  Our guide told us to get things for the people but he wasn't specific.  I didn't realize until we were there what we had brought...sugar and trash.  These kids were gobbling chocolate and tossing the wrappers on the ground.  Made me feel a little ignorant so we decided to pick up trash in the village before leaving.  I tried to impress on Moonk that he has the power to help these people by helping the tourists he brings there.  We want to make a positive impact and had no idea what we were walking in to.  The good thing that came out of that was the conversation between our group about impacts, histories and life.  Next stop was a fruit farm and waterfall where we grubbed on huge pomelos, grapefruits and oranges.  The waterfall was ok but we were ready to bounce.  Maarten and I wanted to play some more football with the locals in Kengtung so we made it back just before the sunset.  I thought both of us scored goals because we kicked it between the bricks set up as posts.  I actually had a break-away and dribbled it right through the posts only to find out after that you only score if you knock a brick over...what the fuck.hahahahah.  We had a good dinner that night but it costs 55 bucks...WHAT!>  And 25 of that was beer...screw it, we want out.

I wanted to come back and say, 'Burma isn't ready for us yet' but have heard other things to the contrary.  What I will say is do NOT go there through Mae Sai like we did.  I talked with someone who got a proper visa and flew in.  He didn't have to hire a spy and really enjoyed the country.  Also, things change there daily.  There is an election planned next month that could change things.  Do research and do it properly.

Every time we passed through Mae Sai we grubbed on some bomb fried chicken...so good.  Caught a bus back to Chang Rai for our last night together.  This cool group had been together for 1 full week and we have grown close.  It was Maria's birthday so we got her a cake and celebrated on the town.  So nice to drink cheap, good beer and do what we want. 

Now Colby, Sebastian and I are in Chang Mai...stay tuned!

Good Bye Laos and Sa-wat-dee Thailand!! (Chang Rai)

To pick up where the last entry left off...heading to the night market in Luang Namthang.  What I didn't mention is that we ran into a friend we had made in Luang Prabang.  A younger guy named Sebastian.  Apparently he had a horribly failed attempt to get into China and was back in Luang Namthang, trying to head to Chang Mai to renew his 1 day too late expired visa...he was floored to see us because all the wind had been taken out of his sails with the failed attempt and 3 days of wasted (not wasted but you know) travel.  We all went to the night market and grubbed on pork and duck...BOMB.  A whole duck was about 4 bucks..Colby called it when he said it is the pork of the bird family...so greasy and soooo delish!!  We crashed and it was nice.

The next morning we woke to a delish breakfast of fruit juice, fruit shakes, coffee and a bowl of muesli, yogurt and fruit.  Then the tuk tuk took (hahahahahah, that was accidental) us to the bus station where we boarded a packed bus for the border.  Sebastian was and is with us.  The bus was great.  We boarded, all sitting separately and I turned to either side to say hello or actually Sai-ba-dee!  Next thing I know one guy is giving me gum and another is sharing her pomegranate.  My super cool pillow sprung a leak and the Israely behind me tapped my should to make me aware I was spilling out all over his feet.  I asked if he happened to have a needle and thread and he said that he did!

-Story break...I am amazed at how similar backpacking and burning man can be and here's why...first off, people don't 'accidentally' backpack just like they don't 'accidentally' wind up at Burning Man.  If you are at either then you have a desire to learn, a smile on your face and a hope for new experience with new people.  Also, like the playa, the road for a backpacker will provide what you need (maybe not what you want) when you need it.

So there I was, on the bus, doing minor surgery on my pillow with a needle and thread.  I did a decent job if I do say so myself! (reminds me of something we learned...instead of patting yourself on the back when you want to congratulate yourself, instead kiss your hand and turn to the person next to you and ask if 'they want some'!!hahahahah)  The bus was mellow, I read mostly due to the nice roads and the pure enjoyment of shantaram.

We showed up to the border town and boarded a tuk tuk with 3 Israelis and the 3 of us.  We get to the river, change some money, stamp our passports and board the boat to take us across to Thailand.  Get there, stamp our passports, board another tuk tuk and head to the bus station for Chang Rai.  It was funny because as we are on the boat Colby says something like, 'welcome back to the land of 7/11's'...he was right!  They are all over.  I am in love with all that is Laos and, already, after 1 day in Thailand, am a bit overwhelmed....but don't worry about me!

The bus ride from the Thai border to Chang Rai was beautiful and full of rice patties.  Sebastian and I chatted most of the way while Colby sat behind us chatting up a local and digging for pertinent information.  I feel a connection to Sebastian as he is 21 and on his first trek.  That was about the first time I went out into the world and now that I am travelling again have realized that I am sort of a professional at it (kiss, kiss...want some?).  I wanted to share how we do it, what we do specifically and also inspire him.  He really is inspiring too though as he is travelling solo for 2 years and has already been on the road for 6 months....Good on ya!

It also funny to mention here that my English changes all the time.  I have found myself mostly speaking what I call 'backpacker English' but my mom aptly named 'economical English'...no contractions, no slang and only the important 'meat' of the sentence...If you have travelled then you know.

So on the way to Chang Rai we scope a couple of spots for accommodation, arrive and head out.  The first spot is the cheapest at 170 bat (30 bat to the dollar).  This is on a busy corner, on the third floor and has a shared bathroom.  The cool part is that the bottom floor is a bar/restaurant and the ladies (actually young girls) were really friendly and nice.  I stayed to watch the bags while the other two went to check the rooms then I went with Sebastian to a different spot that had been recommended by the book and the local guide.  It was 1 dollar more but had free internet, private bathroom and a nice garden, all located off the street.  Unfortunately they didn't have a two beds and we weren't prepared to share 1.  Sebastian decided on that one and we went back to grab Colby and discuss our options.  Of course he had everyone in the bar sitting around a table and was telling jokes, stories and showing bar tricks.  We sat down for a refreshment and more bar tricks (my favorite is the one we learned at Oktoberfest) but Colby has 3 really good ones.  Next thing you know more backpackers roll in and we are all swapping stories and laughing.  It was 2 dudes from the Netherlands and a chick from Sweden..they all met on the bus.  We told them about Laos and they told us about Northern Thailand.  As I sat there sweating my ass off I decided that Colby and I should 'spring' for the nicer spot in between the two we had checked out...by spring I mean spend 5 bucks each.  Our own bathroom and A/C..both things I have no problem paying for.  Free internet and coffee.  We decided with all our new friends to split, get cleaned up and meet back there for the evening entertainment. 

The people working at our hotel are hilarious...the first sign was their ability to use sarcasm...GREAT SHIT!  So, one of the guys turns to Colby and asks if he likes lady boys...we laugh and say no then he says something like 'they have a hole down there you know'...we were like 'no we don't know' then....'how the hell do you know!!?'....he said 'one time, one time I try'....we lost our shit and almost fell over laughing as did everyone.  He is sitting next to me now and I reminded him about that...I will never let him live that down.

Once we all arrived back, everyone fresh and clean, we decided to just eat there and drink.  We were all having so much fun telling stories that it wasn't worth it to go anywhere else...at least not then.  Conversation meandered over many topics but then got stuck when we started discussing the Killing Fields in Cambodia (a destination on my list that Colby has been to).  His opinion was that it was not his place to be walking on the graves because you can actually see bone, teeth and cloths sticking out of the ground.  He compared it to the concentration camps we had been to and said that those were more informative and still got the point across, where as this was a bit much.  It went back and forth about maybe that is what people need to get the feeling deep in their hearts but then again that is also destroying it and maybe a better infrastructure should be put in place to preserve it.  From there the conversation went darker with people talking about the horrific things their ancestors had done to other people...not our faults but still part of us.  At one point, I had enough and wanted to get back to smiling (smile, smile smile JP) so I went a bought us a round of Thai Rum.  I made a toast to the past and the present and the fact that conversation should now shift back to the beauty that surrounds us and the experiences we want each other to have in the places we have been (Dad you would have been proud!).

Then came our Thai lesson...this shit is going to be super difficult as there are not only words, but more importantly tone.  Fuck, how do you write tone phonetically....it was funny and the girls working were eager to swap English for Thai.  They also had a hula hoop there and I was the only one of the 'Falangs' able to keep it up...Jeez I wish I had a bit of Dilly's skills because even my horrible hooping was impressing them.  The girls liked hip hop so I ran back to our room and grabbed my mix.  Second set went off really well!  It was great to talk music with the other travellers and I wrote down some new shit to check out and made sure they new of some shit to check out.  We wound up there till they closed at midnight and then decided to check the 'nightclub'...that was HILARIOUS!!  We were the only tourists (falangs) in the club and it was ALL GOOD!

7 of us now decided to get a bottle and some mixers (total cost 20 bucks).  We were dancing our asses off and practicing our Thai.  Super nice backpackers and friendly people everywhere.  At one point a guy tapped me on the shoulder and wanted to take a picture with me.  I call him the Chang Rai MJ..this kid was hilarious (wait for the pic).  Huge collar flipped up, a v neck shirt that split down to his belly button, a chest filled with necklaces, a leather spiked bracelet, red hair and sunglasses (in a pitch black club..what BALLS).  Turns out he sings at the club next door every night so we made him promise that if we went, he would do the best performance ever.  Flamboyantly gay and brilliantly beautiful in his own way.  He was telling us he sings Pussy Cat Dolls and Lady Gaga type stuff so we can't wait to check it tonight.  The night ended at 3:30 in the morning when I called it quits for the group....the only reason was that we had to get up the next morning you know.

So, here I am, ready for the day and some wats and some food and some laughing and some fun.  I am going to round up a few of the folks and see about getting us out and about.

----HOLY SHIT HAS THE LAST 24 HOURS BEEN AMAZING!!!----
So, finished typing and went to collect our friends from the various guesthouses...we had heard amazing things about the White Temple so 5 of us crammed into a tuk tuk built for 3 and headed that way.  Maria had never been on a tuk tuk before and the whole time was giggling with pleasure..the White Temple is the most AMAZING TEMPLE I HAVE EVER SEEN....Think Gaudi's cathedral with Dahli art, the brilliance of Van Gogh/Monet and Picasso...Here is one of the reasons I liked the temple so much.  It was started in 1997 and won't be finished for another 60-90 years so it is brand new as temples go.  The art on the inside is insane and one wall starts with a 'hell' showing the cravings, temptations and such of man...superman, spiderman, batman, predator, star wars, avatar, the twin towers...this is OUR history...this is 'now' for us but will be 'then' for our children.  The mural then travels with the people towards Buddha and enlightenment.  It is the struggle between Lord Buddha and Mara (devil)....YOU HAVE TO GO SEE THIS IF YOU ARE ANYWHERE NEAR THIS SIDE OF THE PLANET!!  I could go on and on about this temple but the pics will show you what my words cannot.

After that we headed back to town and I picked a random spot for lunch....due to the great smell and locals.  Turns out they only served cow-soy soup....AMAZING...wow...no really...it was fucking delish!!  After lunch we decided to head to the local temples to check out the Jade Buddha and the museum, etc.  Very informative and amazingly beautiful.  Colby has been looking for a book about Buddhism so he started talking with a monk about where to go.  At that point no one else could keep up and they all bounced back for a rest and relax....we didn't..fuck it, sleep when you get home or die.  Off to find the bookshop only to get there and see that they are closed, then the next bookshop which was stocked to the brim but only had about 3 books on the topic...and super fucking expensive.  By this time my dogs were barking so we stopped for a foot massage which was crucial and amazing.  Quick showers then back to the spot to meet up with our new group. 

Since it was Saturday night, the walking street has an amazing market....no, not amazing...THE BEST MARKET I HAVE EVER SEEN...food; chicken satay, pork liver, spring rolls, sticky rice, juices, BUGS (side story; Maria is a vegetarian and said she would eat bugs so when we found them the other 6 of us crowded around her and started chanting...she was freaking out and it took half hour to get her to touch them only to have her flinch and spill the bag everywhere...HILARIOUS!!)...bugs are good.  They could be sitting in a bowl at a bar and you could munch as you drink no problem...a little salty, a little crunchy.  We all bought way more souvenirs than expected and then had to leave only because we wanted to catch Chang Rai MJ at his club at 10...we planned to see that then bounce to the other bigger clubs later...that was the plan at least.

So we show up to the club (Face) and get seated next to MJ who is happy to see us.  Since we aren't sure what to order, I just get a round of Heineken...120 bat each!!! what the fuck that is like 4 bucks....so it was over 800 bat for the round...after that we realized that everyone was drinking Thai Whiskey...why you ask?  Because it was 700 bat for a bottle bigger than the normal size and ice and mixers...

Now I have to talk a little about MJ...the night before when he said he sang there we didn't think too much of it but that was incredibly ignorant...turns out that 'Bell' ,as he likes to be called, is the lead singer in a 8 piece band along with a few other 'lead singers'...THEY FUCKING KILLED IT...after the beer and our first bottle we decided we shouldn't leave yet.  We were hanging out with the band and laughing and dancing and singing and hugging!!  I have video, I have pics but you had to be there!~!

Another side story; Joost and Martin were in a Frat back in the Netherlands so they were playing a drinking game throughout their entire journey and I joined in....here's how you play.  You can never drink with your right hand and if you see someone doing that you yell 'BUFFALO'!!!  The reason is because of Western Movies...you always have to have your right hand free in case you need to reach for your revolver..fucking righteous!!  The other part of the game is that when you raise your glass to cheers you have to do that, then drink, THEN raise it again as a salute of sorts...now if you get caught then you have to chug the entire glass....this game is coming home with me.  In return for their game I showed them 'Ew Dude' and they all started taking pics and practicing...pretty soon the students were the teachers...I showed them the pic of Dill, Dee and I at Burning Man as the exact example of what it looks like...By the way, all of them were just staring at Dee...haahahahahah.

Another side story; Gloria kept referring to parts of northern Thailand as 'hippie' but with a negative connotation.  Colby and I quickly spoke up to defend our heritage and ask why it was bad...she explained that hippie was not only super chill, relaxed and laid back but also had a sense of arrogance and snobby-ness because of it...I get it but that isn't who hippies are where we are from..those are yuppies, right?  They explained that we weren't hippies, we were 'surfer dudes' which was WAY better and alright with us.

BACK TO FACE CLUB...shit was wild and by the end of the night we were sharing booze with every table around us...Gloria, who drinks more than she should but smiles the whole time, ordered another bottle...then another bottle....We had 3 between the 7 of us and also shared with the others.

Joost started thumb wrestling and that went around, then Sebastian and I were arm wrestling and that went around but I think the best game was the sword game.  You put your right feet next to each other and grasp hands with your index finger pointed at the other person.  At 'go' you have to touch your finger to any part of their body beyond the hand.  Great game and the locals started playing with us too!

Now your probably thinking, 'I bet Dan was dancing with all kinds of ladies'...and I was kind of but the sad fact is that I sweat like a fucking pig and no one wants to touch that shit...but I couldn't help it...the music, the vibe and everything was golden so I was bounced and bounced and bounced...If  you have seen me dance then you know how aerobic it actually is...AND it was cooler in the club than outside so there is nothing you can do about it.

A beautiful lesbian showed us some great dance moves then, when she realized that I was kinda of popping and locking, we did the classic rave thing of passing the 'energy' around like a ball....so fun and such a good time..In the mouth, down to the chest, around the waist, into each foot, maybe dribble it between your legs then toss it up and shoot/hit/push it to the next one.

The night ended when they kicked us out...no one wanted it to end.  By this time too, Sebastian has become one of us.  At one point, after I was giving him heaps of shit for something, he said, 'your kind of like an older brother' to which I replied, 'well actually I am'...he doesn't have one so I took the roll...poor guy...As Colin can attest to, it ain't easy.  From then on it was never ending shit but only with love and only to make him stronger, funnier and smarter.  At one point he said he wanted to punch me in the face because there was a gay guy hitting on him the whole night and as we walked out I turned to the guy and said Sebastian thought he was cute.  That guy took that as an invitation to lick his face...hahahah...So I turned my cheek and let Sebastian drop a cold punch...he hits like a girl!!

I am many things good and bad but someone recently told me a bad thing and sent me the definition.  I read it and actually was like 'shit, that's not really that wrong'....Narcissistic...aside from hurting other people to make yourself feel good (Which I hope I don't do but now realize happens inadvertently) most of the definition was spot on....I guess I could be worse things.  Here is the part of the definition that doesn't make me feel that bad about it. 'Freud believed that some narcissism is an essential part of all of us from birth.  Andrew P. Morrison claims that, in adults, a reasonable amount of healthy narcissism allows the individual's perception of his needs to be balanced in relation to others.'

So today we are renting bikes and going adventuring through to the Scorpion Temple, Golden Triangle and Opium Museum as well as whatever else we can get into.  All the others were supposed to be leaving today but decided that we weren't done yet so I think the crew will congregate and we will do it.  I need to go gather the posse so stay tuned!!

----Another great day and Journey----
Rented bikes and realized that the scorpion temple is at the Burma border.  We had heard that you can't go to Burma for various reasons but decided to ask at the border...turns out YOU CAN!!  So we are!!!  The scorpion temple was great but it was so far and took us so long to get there that we didn't do the museum or golden triangle, etc.  We came home and asked the front desk where the best traditional Thai massage in Chang Rai was...and it was amazing..7 bucks for two hours of bliss..Colby and I have had 3 massages so far and every time he starts snoring in the middle, pretty funny.  I have also learned something new with each one.  First time, I started on my back with my head on the pillow like when I sleep.  Second time I started on my stomach (which is the better way to start) but still, when flipped, laid like I was sleeping which is kind of hard on your neck.  This time, the professionals didn't let me do that.  Put the pillow on the top of your chest and let your neck dangle over the other side....duh.

After the massage we went to our local spot for a delish dinner and then loads of water and juice.  I crashed at 10:30.  We were all supposed to part ways this morning with the Dutch and Swede heading for Laos and Sebastian heading for Chang Mai....then they all changed their mind and decided to roll with us to Burma.  It is a great crew and we are all having so much fun.

I probably won't be able to write while in Burma so stay tuned for that one!

Also, a tattoo idea is forming in my head and developing with Colby...super SICK!!