For the last few days I've been walking the streets of Chiangmai. Resisting the urdge to go "treking" with the other farangs (foreigners) which consitiutes going into the forest to see "hill tribe" people such as the Hmong. There's just something weird about paying money to gawk at other people in their homes. Other tourist holes such as the "tiger kingdom" or "elephant village" have posters plastered all over every red car (shared taxi) or Tuk Tuk. Anyway, there are plenty of tourists in Chiangmai and I have little regets following the crouds. The hostel I've been at is on the outskirts of town, about 30 minutes walking to the old city, wich is surrounded by a moat and partial wall. It's been really nice being out of the tourist ghettos, and the hostel has interns that I've been talking with and trading language. The main mission of the last few days has been seeing the many Wats (temples) abound in the old city. The most visited, Wat Phrasingh, houses the jade buddah, and has a giant stupa, which is a tower like structure painted white with lengths of bright yellow and orange cloth with prayers written on them wrapped around. The temples are so beautiful, I've spent the better part of two days moving from one to another, gawking and paying respects.
One contains the ruins of a 15th century temple, that reaches to over 30m in the air and has plants growing in the cracks of the brick and huge paynak (dragon) and elephant statues around. Over all Chiangmai has been really pleasant and I'm sad to leave the hostel and my new friends.
However, I'm about to embark on a new adventure. With a healthy helping of happenstance, a friend from OSU, Levi is also in Thailand working on his "why farm" project, in the last year he has visited farms all over the US, and now hopes to do the same in SE Asia. But before he goes to Cambodia to visit his first farm, he and I are headed south to island hopping! I'm boarding a train to Bankok today to meet up and depart to the south to work on my sunburn!
Peas,
Bridget
