planes, trains, n tuk tuks….

Felt a little feverish, perhaps just dehydrated from such extreme heat so ordered a full american breakfast, and spent the morning in the hammock reading up on the local hill tribes and treks this area is famous for trying to suss out the least touristy ones.  Set off on a walking tour of the numerous wats and temples cutting thou the local market.  Mostly flowers at first and then it opened into a massive clothing bazzare w/ semi western gypsie chic the predominent trend. 

the frequency of passing stunning Wats just walking down the street is mind blowing.  11c AD lavish gold gilded, filigree, bright primary colours, all w/ a budha statue dominantly placed.  Monks live inside the compounds and are often walking thru the yard sweeping w/ twig brooms the puddled rain water off the walks.  The frequency of afternoon showers especially this time of year in the rainy season makes for a full time job.  One particularly intersting Wat had exotic 4 ft lawn animals…zebra, giraffe, deer, and ”daffe duck” all paying respects to master budha.  A little monk motioned us to follow him into his altar room and we shuffled out of our shoes and sat with him on the floor while he wove a rope thru our cuped hands folded in prayer gesture, then around our back and then through his until we made a circle of three.  He chanted a prayer/ blessing for what seemed like 10 minutes asking us to repeat occasionally.  We did our best being phenetically illiterate and must have passed because we got yellow braclets. (only after giving the 1usd offering to solidify the deal) and “”100 years of happiness””    Bargain!  I would have paid more, not that he needs to know.  Also wonder if there is an inheretence policy as a futher 100 yrs seems optimistic.

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