Cities and massages and monks and things.

Bangkok = assault on the senses. Tuk tuks, smog, traffic, people EVERYWHERE. But also intriguing with it's canals (the Venice of the East) and temples and palaces and monks. Wat Po, or the Temple of the Reclining Buddha was just as amazing the second time around. Photos will be up soon. Oh, and really good (and painful) Thai Massages at the Wat Po Massage School (I actually have the bruises to prove it). Not relaxing per se, but definitely something to get the kinks out.

People are obsessed (in a good way) with the king. Yellow is his color, because he was born on a Monday, which is yellow day, so on Mondays, everyone (okay not everyone, but at least 60%) of people in the city wear yellow! There are Thai flags and yellow flags everywhere. The king is sick, in hospital, and has been getting bazillions visitors outside the hospital per day. (He is expected to get well soon, by the way). And everyone loves the king. Don't dare say anything bad about him. It is so nice and refreshing and different to be in a country where the leader is an icon, respectable (no jokes a la Leno or Letterman). It's a nice change. (Granted the government is corrupt, but that's a-whole-nother story)

Chiang Mai = also city-like and busy, but with a somewhat less frenetic pace. We took a 30km bike ride yesterday around busy city streets then villages and rice paddies, etc. Saw some temples, and the way village life used to be, and even (this was a bit strange) a crematorium. Buddhists believe that the soul lives in the body. So when you die, you have to burn the body to let the soul escape. So most Thais are cremated. And for some bizarre reason we went to this outdoor crematorium and our guide told us all about the rituals. Interesting.

Afterwards, time for another Thai massage :) Feet this time, nice and relaxing. I could get used to this. At $10 per hour, how can I resist?

The best part of yesterday was Doi Suthep, a temple about 12km uphill, outside of town. You can see all of Chiang Mai from up there (after climbing 300 steps to get to the top). The best part was a ceremony. We got to hear monks chanting, you know, that magic, deep, harmonious sound you hear advertised on new age infomercials. But this was the real deal - so magical. Our group leader is Thai, so explains anything to us that we ask, and we went in to the temple with her, just to sit and listen and be. It was fantastic.

And, I was blessed by a monk. A few of us went in to a temple and talked to a monk. He said a prayer for us in Bali (sp?) an ancient language (like Catholics might pray in Latin, the monk prayed in this ancient language). Then (since we are women, we are not allowed to touch monks) his assistant tied a white string on our wrists for luck and happiness and safe journey. It was really nice.

(Sorry if this is sounding a bit hokie to a few of you, but hey, it was pretty special).

And now I am in a sleepy border town, and tomorrow we go to Laos on the Mekong.

Life is good.
Now if I could just find some stronger insect repellent for tomorrow's journey down the river...