We left the crazy streets of Bangkok to arrive in the sleepy town of Chang Mai where we would have almost a full week to explore all its splendor. We spent the first part of the week renting motorbikes with Steve and Tavo. We explored some of the most breaktaking landscapes including waterfalls, jungles and monkey shows where monkeys shoot three pointers better than the finest NBA player. The waterfalls where gorgreous and we spent one afternoon lazily drinking beers and swimming underneath the thundering waters.

The nights in Chang Mai were quite fun as we sampled different bars and experience a night of Thai boxing. The boxers ranged in age with the youngest being about 15 years old. The boxing was hard to watch at times but it is so rich in tradition and honor that you can have nothing but respect for those in the ring.

The people in Chang Mai were very welcoming and we made many friends along they way. Some include the band members who played counting crows for us at the beach bar, to our very own travel agent who didn't mind that we just came in to chat with her without ever making reservations to Ban who helped lead our trekking trip. Three of my favorites were these children whose job it was to sell flowers to all the visiting farangs. We spent hours with them playing pool, joking around and just enjoying their company. I know I continously refer to the child poverty issues in Asia but these kids gave me a slight bit of hope. Though they went back in forth between just being kids playing pool to being scolded by their parents from taking a break from selling, they seemed to be much happier than the children in China. The people asking for money where not of the same state of mind as people in Thailand seem to be a lot happier.

The second part of our week in Chang Mai we decided to go trekking which is just another word for hiking in teh blistering heat through the jungle with some crazy people! We did a two day trek where we stayed in the home of a hilltribe know as teh Kirin people. It was an unforgettable experience as they welcomed us into their home and gave us a glimpse into their world. There are about 40 people per group and all the unmarried women wear white. The familes with little girls have a baby pig adn they feed the pig and fatten it up so that when the daughter gets married they can have it at the feast. So when you went to a house and they had a pig, you knew they ahd an eligible daugther. We slept in a big room in their home which is raised on stiltls and consits of many indoor and outdoor areas for cooking and just hanging out. They made us the most amazing curry for dinner before leaving us on our own to play cards and take in the scenery. The next morning we left and went hiking ot the river where we rode elephants! The elephants were amazing and I have plenty of pictures. They had seats on top but we also took turns riding on their necks as they walked along the river. We rounded out the trip with ride back into town on bamboo rafts that they made for us whil we waited. There were a few rapids that we managed to go through as we played waterfall and splashed each other with the bamboo oars. Overall it was a great feeling to be able to experience another culture so unlike my own It really gave me a chance to appreciate the enormity of this world and how much their is to experience and appreciate.