Week One - Oh My Buddha!

Week one down! And it's been fantastic! I have realized that I will have to update this blog more often as there is just so much packed in to every day.Get comfortable, this is a long one...

I met up with my group on Monday night. There are just 5 of us and our group leader. We range in age from 24 to 33. Andy, our leader is from New Zealand is the oldest at 40. There are 3 Aussies Matt, Ben and Rhonda (Christa, I am dying to see the grin on your face), and an Irish girl named Mary. We started the trip off right with a snack from a street vendor (a few fried crickets in soy sauce), dinner (thai noddles), a lesson in haggling with the street sellers (Andy is a force to be reckoned with) and a night out drinking in the crazy tourist area of town. The people watching was fantastic.

Tuesday morning we took a long boat tour of the waterways in Bangkok as a group, then I visited Wat Pho and the Royal Palace with two others from my group. Wat is the word for temple and every sizable town has at least one. The cities have more than I can even count. Wat Pho is the home of the largest reclining Buddha and our first introduction to temple architecture. The Royal palace ground have several incredible temples and house the Emerald Buddha. Adjacent to these is the actual Royal Palace, but it was the temples we came to see. Every thing about the temple grounds is glittering, extravegant and decadent. It is a feast for the eyes. I am not even going to attempt to describe it here, you will have to see the photos. In them you with note we are all red faced and sweaty, did I mention that it was sweltering in Bangkok?

After an overnight train ride we arrived in Chiang Mai on Wednesday. A cockroach sighting meant I didn't sleep very well but the porter kept us occupied with an endless supply of Thai beer and soda. He also saved my morning with a lethal cup of coffee. After adding three creams and three packets of sugar it was lush.

As a group we had decided to take an optional excursion to go bamboo rafting so after settling in to our rooms, we headed off to float down the river. The relaxing float trip turned into a wet, splashing laugh and ended with a tire swing. This is where the title 'Oh my Buddha" comes from, it was coined by one of our Thai raft punters. It was great to stretch and swim after the train ride. We all elected to follow this up with traditional Thai massages at this little spot around the corner from our hotel. One hour of massage, one hour of foot reflexology massage all for $12!

In the evening we hiked the 328 steps to Doi Suthep Temple for sunset and to witness the monks do their evening chants. It was incredible. I was blessed by a monk (with a blue tooth in his ear) and given a string bracelet to bring me good luck. The monk culture is so interesting here. It brings great honor to your family to be a monk and they are a fundamental part of the community. But it is possible to be a monk for anywhere from three days (most common when a parent dies) to a life commitment. Hence the monks with cell phones and scooters. More about the monks later, I don't want to diminish their role in the culture here by adding it in randomly to my babble.

(Oh my god, is this entry long enough yet? It seems that I am no more controlled in writing than I am in talking and there is no one here to cut me off and tell me to shut up! I might be in heaven!)

We shopped like crazy at the famous Chiang Mai night market and boarded a private van the next day for the Laos border. Along the way we stopped at a cashew factory and the white temple. This is not the actual name for it, but that is exactly what it is. It is the life work of a Thai artist and there is nothing traditional about it. Again, the photos with tell the story, but the complex and the art work are amazing. While every surface on the main temple grounds is white and mirrored, the inside of the main temple is covered in rich gold murals depicting enlightenment on one wall and the opposite on the other. The most interesting part is that this mural includes images of satelites, rockets, famous people, superheros (Batman and Spiderman) and even Keanu Reeves circa The Matrix! The white temple grounds are the gold monks quarters and the "Golden Toilet." This is another beautiful building, all painted gold that literally house the bathrooms. I read that the artist is using this as a commentary about the need to let go of all wants and desires to reach enlightenment. I will have to look up his statement to explain this correctly, but it is impressive nonetheless.

Ok, we crossed the Thai/Laos border (via boat), and spent a pleasant night in the cutest little huts. Our guest house was a collection of huts, raised up off the ground on stilts, with small porches at the front and back. The next morning we departed via river boat for a two day float down the Mekong River to Luang Prabang. We spent a pleasant night in the sleepy little town of Huany Xia. Dinner was Indian food at this great little establishment that got our order completely wrong but the food was delicious so we were happy (and drunk) anyway. We boarded our boat for day two of the journey at 9am and spent the day watching the world and the villages float by. Along the way we stopped at some caves located above the river in a cliff face. People have been coming to them to place Buddha statues and pray for blessings for 600 years. How they raeched them before the concrete steps were built is beyond me.

We also had a quick stop just outside Luang Prabang at a Hamong village to pick up some rice hooch. No kidding! The villagers distill a type of rice vodka. The full strength is brutal, tastes and smells like terpentine and is 50% alcohol by volume. We shared three rounds of shots with the guys selling it and barely made it back down (stairs again) into the boat. They also sell a girlie version made from black rice that is sweet and tastes like berries and is only 15% alcohol content. We bought 4 bottles between us and are saving it to drink when we party at the homestay with our hosts.

We arrived in Luang Prabang, Laos on Saturday evening.

Luang Prabang is lovely. It's a UNESCO World Heritage sight and full of expats that have opened a whole array of coffee shops and restaurants among the restored buildings. Formerly a French colony, the architecture is a combination of French topical and traditional temples. But who wants to hear about the architecture...the coffee here is amazing! Lao is known for it's coffee and it certainly does not disappoint. It takes a little getting used to as it is much richer and intense than I am used to, but made into a latte at one of the french style cafes it is delicious. Joma's, the Laos version of Starbucks but much quainter has a phrase, "A morning without coffee is like something without something else."

On Sunday we went on an 8km hike out to Kwang Sii Falls. We started in a small village and hiked past rice, corn, tobacco and teak tree fields to the mouth of the spring. Then we follwed the stream through the jungle to the top of the falls and via bamboo fence stood righ at the top and peered down. After hiking down to the bottom we were able to swim in one of the pools. We recouperated with a manicure and pedicure ($10) followed by some shopping at the night market.

Phew, ok I gotta run. Today is the elephant trek and then some temple sightseeing. We are going to climb up Mount Phousi to see the sunset so hopefully it will be clear enough tonight to get some sky. I promise not to wait so long and make these entry's so long again!