Thailand 5; Chiang Mai; Tiger Kingdom

Who still has 2 thumbs and got to play with a baby tiger? This girl.

Tiger Kingdom is place in Chiang Mai where you can play with tigers....real ones. There are 4 cages you can choose from: smallest, small, medium and big. Although the contrast of me and the big fellas would be amusing I decided to stick with someone my own size, the smallest.

Rumors have gone around that they are drugged. I admit that I have no qualifications to make an educated judgment but it didn't seem that way to me. The babies acted like little kids, smacking each others faces and pouncing playfully on unsuspecting victims. It was hard for me to contain my girl "awwww"s.

In Chiang Mai I also got my Mexican food fix (my friend, Smiley Gange won an eating bet), walked A LOT, and attempted to get a massage my prison inmates (it was booked when I arrived). There is a prison in the old city that lets the inmates give massages (and a few other services) as part of the rehabilitation process. Now that's a happy ending.

When it was time to say goodbye to the N, I took a night us to Bangkok and met up with my friend that I had met the last time I was in Thailand (at the Full moon party of all places) and his girlfriend for one last dish of crispy pork and basil.

Next stop:Nepal!

Thailand 4; Chiang Mai, Yee Peng (Yi Peng) and Loy Krathong (Loi Krathong) Festivals

Magical is the best word that I can think of to describe what I experienced on November 24th. Tangled's got nothing on this Chiang Mai's Yee Peng festival. The Yee peng and Loy Krathong are 2 celebrations held during the same week (during the full moon of the 2nd month of the lunar calendar); the Yee Peng is when the sky lanterns are released and Loy Krathong is a 3 day festival where bamboo candle rafts are floated down the river and there s a parade in the city. Both consist of massive amounts of fireworks.

It is believed that launching one of these balloons can send a person’s bad luck and misfortune away into the air, especially if it disappears from view before the fire goes out. Often people will say a short prayer before launching the balloon. Sometimes they will also place their address in the balloon, or write it on the outside. Anyone who later finds the balloon can then claim money from the sender. In this way the good fortune is shared.

When I arrived I bought a lantern but after trying to move through the crowd at a rate of an inch/5 min. with fragile tissue paper attached to a metal ring, I decided that someone else would benefit from it much more than me so I gave it away. I then proceeded to pull a spiderman and climb up a 20 foot pole so I could get a bird's eye view of the festivities. I don't mean to brag but this was a brilliant idea. Thousands of sky lanterns were released simultaneously, filling the sky with man made stars. Music, chanting and explosions of fireworks continued throughout the night. Some say that this tradition was created by Hindu Brahmans and the Buddhists altered it to fit their own beliefs.We also solved the old age question of how many people can fit inside a songtaew (red taxi trucks). Answer:at least22.

In northernThailand there are four different kinds of illuminated lantern or Khom. They are made of paper, but often contain a bamboo cylinder inside it to protect the paper from the heat of the candle. Firstly, there is the Khom Theua or carrying lantern. The citizens will carry this lantern with them on the Loy Kratong parade. Later it will be taken to the temple and used to decorate the temple buildings. Secondly there is the Khom Kwaen (hanging lantern), which is offered to pay respects to the Buddha. They are made in four shapes: the star, the alms bowl, the basket and the wheel. Thirdly, there is the Khom Paad. This one revolves on a vertical axis, the heat from the candle spinning a wheel. This circular shaped lantern will often feature the twelve signs of the horoscope. This type of lantern can only be placed within the temple gates. Finally, there is the famous Khom Loy, my personal favorite. This lantern is actually a small hot air balloon.

The second part of the festival was the Loy Krathong. On the first day I went to my hostel owner's village and made some of the largest fountain fireworks I've ever seen by hammering gun powder in bamboo tubes (a shout out to team Temple)...I have burn marks to prove it (we also sang karaoke with them). The next day we all made our own Krathongs and released them into the river and watched the street parade.

The krathong is a small floating offering about 20 centimeters in diameter. Traditionally this is made from the leaves and wood of the banana tree. The raft is decorated with flowers, a candle and an incense stick. People often leave a small coin in the krathong, and I heard that some go so as far as to leave a lock of the hair or even nail clippings. On the night of the full moon people will light the candle and the incense sticks and float their krathong down the river. As with the Khom Loy, this is a way that bad fortune can be discarded and made to float away. Thousands of these float down the river making for a beautiful and moving spectacle. At the same time, thousands of Khom Loy drift across the sky, so that the night sky mirrors the spectacle on the water. There are constant firework displays and a 5-6 hr festival, ensuring that all sensations are adequately overloaded. I released a few sky lanterns and my own floating krathong with some friends on the night of the festival. You light the wax, wait for the air to fill the balloon and when you feel it tugging with enough force, you release it to join the thousands of others in the sky ( most of the material is biodegradable). You are reminded that individually, you are unique and important, while also belonging to something collective and universal. Loy Krathong is not a religious festival. The launching of a krathong is a spritual gesture, a lasting tradition. The Thai people believe it will bring them good luck as these boats are gifts to the river gods. There is also a romantic slant to the festival - it is said that if a couple release a krathong together and it stays alight until out of sight, their love will last forever. Children, couples, families, and friends come together to release these special candlelit boats, making it a beautiful tradition to witness.

We (as in my hilarious friend and a few others for backup) finished up the night by making rap videos using the only Thai words we knew (toilet, cat, hello, etc.). A street vender even joined in, making it a masterpiece.

Thailand 3; Pai; Thanksgiving Remix

Holidays are the hardest time to be away from home, luckily not only did I find the Asian version of Thanksgiving food, but because of Skype randomly turning on by itself, I was able to Skype my mom as well. A Thanksgiving miracle!

After eating falafels for breakfast and watching my friend get a tattoo (you know, typical Thanksgiving activities), I spent the better part of the day searching for a Thanksgiving food with my British and Dannish friends who had no idea how important pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving is, yet remained enthusiastic and optimistic. In the end I had an Asian version of Thanksgiving provided by the street venders; chicken and vegetable kebab= turkey and green beans, blueberry smoothie=cranberry sauce, pumpkin egg roll= pumpkin pie (which I convinced a random American on the street to buy so we could toast) cheese and banana roti= just plain good (and contributed to my the stretching out of the elastic band on my skirt).

Although it wasn't a typical Thanksgiving, it was spend with quality people and was a good reminder to appreciate the small things like days spent going on missions for pumpkin pie with people that have never experienced it (yes, pumpkin pie is an experience).

Thailand 2; Pai; Hammocks and Scooters

Pai has become my favorite place in Thailand. It was a good thing I had all that relaxation training in Laos because it was put to good use in Pai.

Pai is a beautiful small town surrounded by mountains, waterfalls and rivers. You can walk across town in 11 minutes, the perfect size for city phobics like myself.

My hostel was the perfect breeding ground for friends and doing absolutely nothing. I think the most said phrase was "I can't be bothered with getting up" and food was delivered right to the hammock every night. Most people were solo-travelers who inevitably extended their stay.

My first day, my friend generously chauffeuring me around the area on his scooter. A few days later I conquered my fear and rented one myself. Yes, the girl who is terrified to ride push bikes decided to be in control of not just a bike, but a bike with a motor. I thought I was home free from accidents until my second day. I was riding on a rocky dirt trail, came around a corner to find a steep rocky hill and it got the best of me. I count myself lucky because I drove away with only a few scratches and relief that I got my first crash out of the way. I then ate mango and sticky rice to celebrate my survival and to let the shaking calm down.

By day, I went to waterfalls (including a serene 2 1/2 hr hike I went to on my own and one that you can slide down), town and a canyon. I usually ended up strolling the night market at night. After dinner, we usually had a more relaxed version of the college life that I never had at my hostel (including an epic homemade fruit punch night officially named "super awesome punchtacular").

On my last day, I discovered an Indian cafe run by a gypsyesque Swedish woman with the best chai tea I think I've ever had. Sorry Alley Cat, my chai loyalty to you only remains while I'm in Fort Collins. That evening I went to a meditation and Buddhism outing at a temple on the hill led by the owner of my hostel. He told us about his experience being a monk (for 6 years) and taught us how to do basic walking meditation.

He said that every year the elder monks would take the teenage novice monks to the graveyard. To combat their sexual urges they would open up the ground and show them a dead girl. They would then bring them back a week later to see her decompose. This was to teach them that beauty is fading and to not invest their thoughts in obsessing about someone who is just going to rot. Interesting approach.

We did walking meditation starting at the basic level and then progressing to more complicated levels. The purpose was to clear your mind and to be in the moment, living through your sensations as opposed to your thoughts. We started with "left foot up, move, right foot up, move" and finished with "left foot up, move, down, touch, toe, heal, etc..." It was much harder than I thought. I like to think of myself as an experienced walker and top notch pedestrian but I had trouble pushing away my thoughts of things like tomorrow's plans, the sound in the background and what I'm going to eat for dinner. Without realizing it I would create elaborate stories of who the tourists making noise were and their typical dinner time conversation (without even seeing them). I did improve with time and was able to pay attention to the coolness of the stone and the slight breeze across my cheeks. One thing I noticed about myself is my tendency to think in metaphors. I couldn't help but to think about the pebbles I collected with each step and how some of them fell in just the right spot to relieve my itches and some fell in sensitive areas, making contact with the stone hurt. Some would fall off and some would stick around for the entirety of the ride. I likened the pebbles to people and experiences in my life, coming and going, relieving and irritating me. They are all part of the journey and each of them plays an important role, better preparing me for each coming step (the irritating ones toughening my feet). Each step was conscious and calculated and the surface of every mossy stone was slightly different. It is easy to think in past and future (especially when traveling) and forget about the basics like how the coolness stone feels on your heels. Good reminder.

For my last meal I had ........(drumroll).......pie.

Thailand 1; Chiang Rai; White Temple

At the end of my 2 day cruise in the Mekong Delta to the Thai border, I was left with one disproportionately tanned arm and a yearning for all things Thai.
I set off for Chiang Rai and went directly to Wat Rong Khun, more commonly known as The White Temple, for obvious reasons.

After seeing dozens of temples in Japan and Laos, it's safe to say I was a little templed out. But this was no ordinary temple. Wat Ring Khun is a contemporary Buddhist and Hindu temple designed by Thai artist Chalermchai Kositpipat in 1997 (construction is estimated to continue for another 90 years).

The bridge represents the cycle of rebirth (leading from hell to heaven) with the pits of hell below, the gate of heaven is guarded by death and ghoulish heads dangle from the trees. You think you've heard it all? Wrong. Inside is a large Buddha with an extremely creepy wax replica of a monk sitting in front (unfortunately photographs were prohibited inside). It was as though we were asking each other the same question, "what are you doing here?" Pop quiz! What do The Twin Towers, Kung Fu Panda, Michael Jackson, Neo from The Matrix, Freddie Krueger, Darth Vader, one of the Transformers, that guy from Avatar, the Hulk, Batman, the Joker, a cellphone, Spiderman, Superman, a couple of Angry Birds, Harry Potter, Jack Sparrow, and a Converse sneaker have in common? They are all in a mural representing the apocalypse inside the temple. The artist's intended message was that not even superheroes like Batman can save us from the "killing of innocence." McDonald’s, satellites, and human sperm are also shown. I think the artist was trying to urge the viewer to do a little introspection to think about what they are consumed by and what they need to do to let go of in order to be happy. If you look closely at the devil's eyes you can see small portraits of Bin Laden and George Bush.

The temple looks like a castle that a gothic snow princess would reside in. This peculiar temple is overwhelmingly white (Buddha's purity) with small mirrors adorning its rims (so we can reflect on ourselves and observe the mind) . I'm sure right about now you're asking yourself "why is the White Temple white?" I'm glad you asked. Kositpipat believed gold is “suitable to people who lust for evil deeds” so he wanted this one to be different from the traditional golden temple. More pure. More contemporary. More Michael Jackson. More cow bell.

Definitely worth the trip.

I then took a bus to Chiang Mai so I could transfer to Pai, a bus that, as destiny would have it, I missed.

Stuck in a city that I did not want to be in (yet), I went to 7-11 to get some pity Pringles to bring back to my room. Somehow I knew that sour cream and onion would improve my situation. I spotted a ladyboy. She/he called me "honey" in a raspy jazz singer voice as he/she passed me to get a better viewing of the yogurt assortment. Japan's 7-11 may contain better food but it's got nothing on ladyboy customers.