I'm Back...Well, for a little bit anyway!

Friday, 29 April 2005

Okay, so if anyone out there is still reading my blog, I've been incommunicado for awhile due to traveling and lack of internet access. But, I just got back to my town this afternoon, for the weekend, to do laundry, take a hot shower, and then I'll be back traveling next week...and soon to leave Thailand (I think I only have 3 or 4 more days in Thailand left!). "So sad!" as my friend Aw would say.

So, since I'm rather tired and have hundreds of pictures to sort through and decide which to post, here are some highlights of my travels over the past few weeks (and I'll bore you, I mean entice you, with the details in future entries...probably when I get back to Hawai'i in a month and have some time to settle in):

April 11 - 22: My mom, her boyfriend Gary, and my childhood friend Nina came to visit Thailand, and this is what we did...

* Songkran Water Festival (The Traditional Thai New Year) in Chiang Mai (northeastern Thailand) - just imagine Mardi Gras combined with the craziest water ride, soaked to the bone in the hot sun for three days straight, buckets of ice cold water and dirty river water thrown all over you as you walk the streets of Chiang Mai, riding in open tuk tuks (not even half-closed songthiaws worked, as people would just grab a hose or a garbage can full of water and throw it right in the back at you!), traffic jams for miles in the streets because hundreds of people are blessing each other by throwing buckets of water, water guns and hoses in hand, jasmine water poured over beautiful parade floats and buddhas...the most insane water party I've ever seen in my life!

* Visit a beautiful orchid farm and buy jewelry made from real lacquered orchids

* Visit the Elephant Training Camp in Chiang Dao and ride elephants through a jungle and river

* A relaxing bamboo raft ride down the river, with hilltribe people selling beer and soda and crafts as they wade chest deep in water.

* THE HIGHLIGHT: Visiting Four Hilltribes: Lisu, Akha, Karen, and Palong; and getting to walk into their homes to see how they live, and buying their unique decorative costumes, headresses, and jewelry as keepsakes.

* Shopping at the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar each night: silks, colorful paper lamps, hilltribe crafts, clothes, purses...really, an overwhelming amount for us three women (poor Gary!) till about midnight each night we were there!

* Visit Doi Suthep temple, situated on a mountain overlooking the city of Chiang Mai.

* Phu Ping Palace, where the Queen and King often stay, with beautiful gardens and a new water fountain (with Kenny G music playing in the speaker surround sound system) that was recently built for her 72nd birthday. This day we visited, truckloads of novice monks were visiting as well, so I got lots of great photos of young monks walking around the gardens.

* The famous umbrella making shop (where they make umbrellas out of saa - mulberry - paper)was closed for Songkran, but we found success at a silver store, where we each splurged on some silver and gem jewelry for ourselves (even Gary found something for himself!).

* Visit my town, Nakhon Pathom, for a farewell party for me, with the staff and English Program parents and students in attendance. We did a special Songkran blessing ceremony where everyone lined up and poured jasmine water over the eldest people's hands (the administrators and my mom and Gary included) as they gave us blessings in return. I cried during my speech, thanking everyone for the amazing experience I've had living and teaching here in Thailand.

* Visit Phra Pathom Chedi, the tallest stupa here in the country, and visit the Floating Market.

* Packed my two suitcases, and every spare inch of room in my mom's suitcases, so that my porters, um, I mean my lovely and wonderfully kind friends and mother, could bring all the stuff I've accumulated here home to the states for me.

* Visited Wat Phra Kaew, the Grand Palace, and Wat Po, and got Thai traditional massages at the oldest, original Thai school of massage in Bangkok. Stayed in a nice, luxurious hotel for three nights in Bangkok to end our trip.