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| Lovely lodging on the lake. |
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| transportation to the floating diner...it is a different world. The dam creates the lake where floating lodging with small mom & pop owned facilities spring up for overnight lodging and food service in a very minimalist way. |
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| Water craft ride to a lazy afternoon on the lake. |
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| Lazy afternoon on the lake with friends. Chiang Mai Thailand |
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| Another great day in Chiang Mai, Thailand comes to an end. |
This was definitely the best week for a water fight. It was hot and humid and just the break I needed from sight seeing and socializing. Having time with new friends to just let loose and be as I have been told from feedback on my posted pictures....act like a big kid. Boy did I ever. just being able to sit in the back of a truck and take super soaker shots at strangers who are either expecting them and return them whole heartedly or you actually get to surprise those few unsuspecting souls with a nice drenching. All in the name of FUN.
The most memorable and honored moment occurred when my hosts and I were invited to attend my new friends Ooo and Rhat to attend the traditional Songkran celebration at Ooo's family's home. Ok, the Thai names are shortened and some are rather unusually to my Dick, jane, Barbara and James names from home. Ooo's grandfather is 91 years old and the elder of his local village. As the elder not only of his family but also of his village. He is honored by being presented with presents of food, gifts of money, and neighbors and friends dropping by to pay their respects. It is traditionally a great honor to be invited to a locals individual Songkran celebration. The 6 of us (Ralph, David, Ice, Norma, Ek and myself) presented a basket of groceries and received in turn a blessing from Grandpa and of course the traditional cotton string to be tied around the right wrist. Grandpa gave us a very traditional blessing that brought most of us to tears as we were joined by Ooo, his mom, Dad, and 2 aunties. Ooo translated for us farang (whites) who did not understand Thai. It was a moving gift from a special man to honor not him but his special quests that those to visit him on this special day.
It was an amazing lunch eaten outside with the extended family and friends and then we were joined by Ooo's father on a low long boat ride on the lake created by the Dam. The surrounding landscape was breathtaking and then we spent a few hours diving/swimming in the lake, had a lovely lunch of fresh local fare (fish) and a few beers before being picked up from the floating house boats where there were actually folks staying the night. It was the most romantic setting. It would be a lovely place to spend quality time with a loved one or as I did with a great group of mates to just sit on the edge of the deck and swing our legs in the water. the sunset over the water was again breathtaking as i know they are when and where you can catch them....however in the city they disappear behind tall building and the city lights prevent the daily beauty to be masked from those of us in the city. Also being out in the Thai rural jungle.....the Stars the wonderful, beautiful, twinkling, gorgeous sky of mother natures talents.
Being able to just admire the night sky in all of it's splendor with a gang of friends lazily lounging for an afternoon together without a care in the world is a lovely way to wile away an afternoon. The lodging was small and the facilities limited but i am learning that less really s best. The Jone's just don't know what they are missing. The rat race is called so appropriately. The gotta have it's will most certainly get it. The problem is once you got it all what do you do with it? Well you store it, bitch about having to clean it all, having to pack it all when you ultimately move it all to yet a larger dwelling in order to store it all, you rarely enjoy all the blessing that you have as you are usually too busy organizing it or rotating it in and out season after season is just exhausting....and not in a good way. I have already deemed that the important wardrobe essentials are the gym type shirts that are easily warn, washed, hung to dry and then worn again. this is definitely not the lifestyle for the trendy set as you who won't be seen in last seasons fashion let alone next week you just keep on working to be able to afford your passion. I think I have found mine and it is simple, very simple.
A few pair of slippers (flip flops), several shirts, shorts (board, again think wash and wear), socks and of course swim suits instead of underthings as again I am living in a wash and wear world. Being homeless literally, is a bit of discerning as there is really nowhere to store anything that you might normally acquire. No choatztes but i definitely have a nice collection of t-shirts that being cotton are not the best travel wardrobe. They do not dry overnight which is kinda of disgusting to pack wet (smelly/moldy) clothes with your luggage. I brought a cap and all the wrong shoes. I purchased an US$11.00 pair of walking shoes on the street in Bangkok, Thailand. they along with my US$8.00 pair of slippers are my now favorites for traveling. My Puma sneakers have been a godsend for all the walking/hiking done during my first quarter. I have borrowed the gorilla glue from the Thai mates and thus the Puma's will live for another day.
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