More Chaing Mai

Since our last post we have been unable to take pictures because on the street corner right outside our hostel (and almost every other corner in the city) there is a little Thai girl and boy who have been splashing us with water as we bike by. They are up around around 0900 and dutifully splash every passing motorist, bicycler, or pedestrian until their family finishes eating, grilling, talking, and drinking at around 2200.

Our second day in Chang Mai we headed to the heart of the water wars and battled for most of the day. In the evening we headed to a large supermarket to try and find a soccer ball and catch some dinner. Unbeknown to us, the mall was the site of 2 very large concerts in the streets. Thousands of Thai people were packed into an area shaped much like 5th or 6th avenue and a pop-rock band was blasting music full volume. We immediately made plans to abandon all our plans, infiltrate the crowd, dance our hearts out, get sprayed by the firehouses that were being blasted from the stage, and meet back at the bikes. John was singing along to songs in Thai at the top of his lungs. Weldon got 6000 Bhat stolen (35 Bhat to the $) along with his iPhone and credit card - very unfortunate but not ruinous. Tyler and I got into the very heart of the dancing area and were jumping and pumping our fists and hollering along with about 4 trillion Asian teenagers and 0 white people. We met up later, got a soccer ball, and went home (yet again through the raging water wars).

On to yesterday. We got up late, around 1100, and had a very slow morning. At noon the Ice Cream man on a tuk-tuk rode by and played a jingle and stared at us. We signaled that we didn't want anything but he sat there awkwardly, with his music playing, and stared at us for another 30 seconds before driving off. (Not to ruin the stream of events, but this morning I was sitting on the exact same seat outside the hostel and he drove by again and played his music for about 3 seconds, gave me a knowing glance, and drove off. It was marvelous.)

In the afternoon we got on our bikes and explored the city's temples and sites. We saw trees that were 100 feet tall and and 7 feet wide. We saw a bunch of the traditionally orange-robe clad monks and visited about 6 really awesome temples. It would have been wonderful to take pictures but it was impossible because of the water. We rode about for about 4 hours and than headed home to meet up with a couple of backpackers who we had arranged to have dinner with. We ate at a very traditional Thai place that had tables outside in their garden of strange tropical plants. It was cool and breezy and the food was wonderful.

Afterwards, John and I went to bed and Ty and Weldon went out with some people from our hostel. We turned in early so that we could wake up in the middle of the night and watch the UEFA Champions League soccer match between Liverpool and Chelsea. We were joined by a young Thai man and a 30 year old traveler from Hawaii and watched from 0200-0400. It was a great game and a really good experience.

Time for Today. We woke up this morning at 0800 and were picked up to go to a cooking class. The owner was super-chill and taught us to make spring rolls, green curry paste (we used mostly fresh ingredients from his home and ground them with a mortar and pestle), pad Thai, garlic-ginger chicken, red curry chicken, and fried bananas. It ran from 0900-1700 and was so wonderful. We cooked and ate all day and left fat and happy. The class, which cost a whopping $30, included all supplies, great instructions, and a 60 page cookbook in full color.

We returned to the Hostel and played Flutter-Guts (a Frisbee game) in the streets outside with 3 young boys who spoke no English. They had a blast and we had a great cultural experience.

This morning we will watch more soccer at 0200.

The pictures are of a small boat in the Hong Kong harbor, Weldon sleeping outside a shrine on the ocean front, John exploring an island, and a wonderful sign.

In summary, we are having a wonderful time. It has been ear to ear smiles and we are tired, dirty, and hungry for more. Thailand is beautiful and the people have shown us bottomless kindness and acceptance. The political drama in Bangkok has had no impact on the North at all. Things are well.

Thanks for reading. I miss snow and the cold. Hope Alaska is as I remember it.

Before I go I think that it's important to mention that no matter how amazing it is here and how cool the people, temples, scenery, and culture are in this part of the world, I have a longing for the peace and beauty of Alaska. We live in the best place on Earth. We aren't homesick, but "distance makes the heart grow fonder" as they say. I keep thinking about the Turnagain Arm. Anyways. Much love - especially to my covy peeps and youths - and to my mom and sister.

A long way away, Christopher