Dancin' down them dirty, dusty trails...

Dedicated to Astrid & Leanne

On Tuesday, November 9th, I left the city of Chiang Mai for a 3 day/2 night trek with the cuddly Pong and a group of 10 people in total: 4 Canadians travelin' and being lame together, a quiet German couple, an older Aussia gentleman, and 2 other solo travelin' girls: Astrid from Austria and Leanne from England. The three of us quickly became friends due to our very similar attitudes and feelings on everything we were experiencing. We bonded over being travelers/adventurers as opposed to tourists who fail to show respect to the Thai culture and people. We trekked through the jungle laughing and smiling nonstop and appreciating every single leaf, butterfly, smell, epic view, rice field, color, person, silence, step, and waterfall. I felt so fortunate to have met them and was even more lucky to find they felt the same!

When we returned to Chiang Mai, we continued to hang together and get dinner or whatever else. Leanne flew down South to the island on Friday night, but Astrid and I have been rooming together ever since. It's so wild because everything just happened naturally, but if you told me even a week ago that I would be rooming with a "stranger", I wouldn't believe it. And they are not strangers! They are like other thirds of me I was lucky to find. It will be sad when Astrid and I part tonight as she is leaving for Laos and I to Nong Khai for the orientation for my volunteering placement. But this is not the end. We will all meet again one day =)

Camp fire the first night (Leanne & Astrid).

Waterfall in Doi Inthanon National Park

Chiang Mai, in photos

Chiang Mai is the second biggest city in Thailand with just about 1 million people. Bangkok has about 10 million. It is so calm within the Old City Walls (the walls are just beyond a moat) there is a law prohibiting building anything taller than 3 or 4 stories. The mountains you see are just the beginning of the glorious Himalayas - there is no snow on them here! There is a wonderful night food market where I have eaten the last 3 nights. My friends and I have discovered amazing juices here, there, and everywhere and switch between water and fresh juices all day long. And, yes, I have friends and they are great - one has left to the South, though. We also went out to Roots Reggae Bar at the instance of Pong, our trek guide (more on that in another post), and watched a really good Thai reggae/ska band play Bob Marley tunes as well as reggae versions of "Red, Red Wine" (don't know the actual title), "Wild World", and other songs. It was a fun time with the exception of everyone in the bar who was a dirty, young tourist acting like they were drunk on spring break in Cancun. That's another thing, for a small city, Chiang Mai has so many Western bars and restaurants. But it's all good. I just hang near the Thais in a park, outside a wat (temple) by myself or with a friend and don't have a care in the world...except for where I'm going in January!

Wat Chedi Luang - crumbled 400 years ago.

These guys...

Buddhist sayings in a park in Wat Phra Singh.
This one speaks to me.

Lots of dogs runnin' around the streets of Thailand.

My tuk tuk driver loved Obama. They all love Obama.

Fish section at the Night food market outside Chiang Mai Gate

In preparation for Loi Krathong - the annual lantern festival on the full moon this month.
Unfortunately I will not be here but it is celebrated all over the country (and in Laos!).

Roots Reggae Bar

Roots Reggae Bar, where I fell in love with the guitarist and saxophonist but they were both shorter than me =/!!

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep on Doi Suthep mountain. In one of the halls, I sat before images on the Buddha and then was sprinkled with holy water by a monk and given a white threaded bracelet for good luck.

View of Chiang Mai city from Doi Suthep

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep.

Erawan Waterfall, in photos

I read about this waterfall in my guidebook and was left really curious about it's 7 levels. Luckily, I got to go here and it was AMAZING! Unfortunately, because I needed to be back in Bangkok for a bus to Chiang Mai, I was only able to spend a little under 3 hours here, which is absolutely not enough time to hike the 2.5 km up, swim in each level, chill with the monkeys, hang out with the Thais who get to come here for free, AND enjoy it all. Out of the 8 people on my bus, I was the only one who hiked all the way to the 7th level, skipping the 6th. I had to, how could I miss out on it! I swam up there in the smoothest, bluest waterfall waters I have ever had the pleasure to sink myself into. I am so lucky here every single day.