I'm lovin' it. Haha, I hate McDonald's, but I do love Chiang Mai. This city in NW Thailand is much more relaxed and clean compared to Bangkok. You don't have pushy merchants and tuk-tuk drivers hassling you everywhere you go which is quite nice. Of course, as in Bangkok, there exists the ever-present scent of street stall food, but that is definitely a plus since I am always hungry.

Thai Soul Food

We have been in Chiang Mai for five days now. On our second day in I left for a three-day trek into the jungle. It was great fun. The first night we spent at a Karen tribe village. The Karen made their way to Thailand from Myanmar (Burma) centuries ago. The second night we spent at a Meo (or Hmong) village. They hail from China originally. Both tribes live in bamboo huts and spend there days crafting and hunting (one Karen villager came back with three flying squirrels for dinner). During the trek we visited several waterfalls and did a bit of swimming, as well as learned about some of the flora and fauna of the area. Strange mantids and wild herbs were the most exciting discoveries for me. On the last day we went bamboo rafting for about an hour and then got to ride elephants. Very beautiful creatures, but I felt kind of bad for them since they do that all day, everyday for years.

Old Temple Built by the Burmese

Karen Children

Meo Children

Bamboo Rafting

Riding Giants

Tomorrow, Chad and I are headed to the sleepy town of Pai, which is about 3.5 hours west of Chiang Mai. We are looking forward to some more peace and quiet-- the kind I was looking for in Chiang Mai, but did not receive. We hear that it is very laid-back and kind of nestled in the mountain jungle, so it will be a nice break from the heat and action of the city.

Driving in Thailand is weird! As you know, they drive on the left here. I made some Thai friends the other night and they had me drive their car around for awhile so we could run some errands for their new business (a bar). One Thai named Khep, who is my age, is a phenomenal artist! I watched him "tag" one wall of the bar with spray-paint and it was amazing. I told him that if I ever buy a house (in America or abroad), I am going to fly him over to paint a mural for me. He is also a tattoo artist (and a very good one at that!), so Chad and I are considering giving him a bit of business.

That's all I feel like writing for now. Y'all come back now, ya hear!!!

"All religions must be tolerated... for... every man must get to heaven in his own way." Epictetus