Back in the City...

Out of the jungle and back in the city. It was an ever delightful journey through the depths of the Nan jungle as we kayaked for three days along the Nam Wa. Great white-water with plenty of paddling in between, but even greater scenery. We are safe and happy and healthy, yet exhausted so Oriana will sign in later with all the details. Hope everyone is laughing and smiling through the New Year. Much love-

Christmas Day

We discovered that our river trip doesn't actually leave until Friday. So now we are spending our Christmas Day here in Chaing Mai with our many new friends. Last night Charlie, Joshwah, our friend Gora and I went to see a movie in, quite possibly, the biggest mall I have ever seen. The inside of the mall is a maze of fading funhouse colors and six or seven floors of random shops, a bowling alley, a movie theatre, an old iceskating rink and to top it all off- literally - a swimming pool on the roof. It is a place you could easily get lost in if you are not careful. After a long, and boring movie - The Day the Earth Stood Still - we walked to get ice cream and rent some Kung Fu movies. Our friend Gora is Russian by birth, but ran away from his home and his country when he was fifteen to enter into monkhood in India. For the last seven years, he has lived in India and practised the simple and dedicated religious lifestyle. He recently left his monostery and came to live in Thailand to practice and teach Yoga. He is full of life and very interested in all the things he abstained from for so long. He is innocent and joyous and fills the room with laughter and good vibes whenever he is around. After we all, and a girl from Germany named Johanna, watched Kung Fu late into the night and ate our ice cream, we all fell asleep. It was like an old-fashioned slumber party. This morning we woke up and Gora led us through a session of Yoga, which was quite amazing and healthy-feeling. Gora is off to teach some Christmas yoga, Johanna home to shower, and we all are making plans to get together later for some kind of Christmas Celebration. Whether it will be a home-cooked meal, or a night out on the town, I don't know but both Charlie and I are open to our unconventional Christmas Day. The air is warm and the sun is shining. We are happy to be among friends, and happy to be here in Asia. Happy Holidays, dear family and friends. Our best thoughts and wishes to you all.

Much Love.

Paddle Thailand

Well, this will be brief - but I believe everyone should know Oriana and I paddled through the most intense white-water yet. I won't go into too many details but class 3 and 4 creeking about explains it. Talk about gripped...drop, manuevor, drop, drop, drop, manuevor, drop, it goes on. For those who know what I'm talking about -wow. I personally bit of more than I could chew. We did it though and wow... Tomorrow we leave on a five day paddling trip to the northeastern province of Nan. It is going to be sweet, maybe bitter-sweet. We will be out of touch till sunday night or monday. Till then. Peace. And happy holidays for all you folk out there. We will be on the river on x-mas. Hope the new year brings you all peace and bliss.

Thriving in the "New City"...

The last few days have been a bit strange. We are staying with friends rather than guesthouses, so that backpacker routine and vibe has seperated from us some, permitting us to feel closer to the locals. We've had the opportunity to hang in local areas rather than tourists divisions, so much. Since we have only been traveling for a short time it feels like we live here somehow all of a sudden. My friend Josh helps me with my Thai each day - yet it is such a hard language. They call it survival Thai here - that's what many farengs' depend on. That's foriegner in thai. Survival thai is being able to say basic things; such as, hello or thank you, how to ask directions or the price of something, how to bargain without getting ripped off or order something to eat. I'm trying everyday to learn a couple sayings in thai. The locals love it when farengs' make attempts to learn or practice thai. You have to be bold because most the time everyone is laughing when you do this. They are laughing with you though, not at you - It's a tonal language so in thai there are 5 tonal levels and if not carried out correctly you may say something completely different from what's intended. Last evening we went out for a little while to an area refered to as reggae row - there were many small bars in one block with live music competing in the streets. A great thai-reggae group played in the coolest little bar. Everyone was getting down - no matter the skin color. We began playing it cool on the outskirts, but that didn't last long. This roots thai rocker came directly over to Oriana, Danielle and I inviting us to join him closer to the stage. His name is "T". Talk about feeling welcome - he had a bottle of tequila and without hesitation poured us all shots. He preceded to make clear the bottle was for us if we'd like. We danced on beat with no distractions aside from "T' often dancing our way to pour another shot for the group. Tomorrow Oriana are going white-water kayaking through the jungle on a day trip. Wednesday we depart with a few other guys to the Nan province northeast from Chiang Mai for a multiple day trip. We will be gone for 5 days - on the river for three. The Nan province is the least explored by fareng for they did not allow tourism until the past couple years. Our trip is booked with new siam adventures. The owner is a super cool, experienced kayaker and has handled everything very professionally and friendly. It will be the three of us kayaking, two of his guides in rafts and a couple from britian on their honeymoon. Anyone interested can check out Jason's company at www.siamrivers.com. It is the most credible and professional white-water company in Thailand. Well, I've probably said too much already so I best be heading out. much love ya'll... chok dii. (cheers)

An Adventure Within an Adventure

We have been in Chaing Mai three days now and have found a place to stay a while. Our good friend Joshwah, from Missoula, is living here and teaching English. We have been staying with him and enjoying the local life of Jazz Bars owned by expats, markets full of every color and kind of vegetable and fruit- not to mention the many interesting stories of the people who live here. Josh's friends are many- and all are welcoming. His roommate, a Thai/Italian girl who speaks perfect English, Thai, Italian and French has welcomed us into her home and into her routine. On Sunday we will go whitewater kayaking two hours NW of Chaing Mai and then on Wed. we will depart for a five day river trip in the remote Northwest region of Nan. We are very excited and cannot wait to enjoy a foreign taste of river life. Until then, we cook, we walk and we eat. This is pretty much our daily life here in this small-town of 1.6 million. The city is much more personal than Bankok, and chances are you will see the same people over and over around the old city.
One of the best parts- the old city is surrounded on all four sides by an ancient moat and decrepit wall. This makes it easier to get your bearings among the streets of three-story buildings and alleyways.
Much Love.

Out of the City and into the Ruins

As the sun rises on our fifth day in Thailand, Charlie and I enjoy our breakfast of fruit salad, honey yogurt and meusli. Our Guest House in Sukethai is situated on the banks of yet another calm, and brown, river. Our rooms have been more elegant each night with oriental simplicity and as we venture farther from the beaten path, the prices decrease and the bungalows get more and more unique. We are early risers, so we are looking forward to a long day of exploring the most ancient ruins in all of Thailand- the old city of Sukethai - with lies about 14 kilometers from the new city, in which we are now staying. With golden Buddha monument on every corner, even this modern part of the city feels ancient. We spent yesterday evening walking down the river-front boardwalk, and witnessed people rushing to the local Buddha Monument, to bless themselved before the doors closed. The presence of Buddhism is so evident in every nuance of Thai culture - especially in the North - it is an amazing thing to see. Groups of children, eight or ten deep, ride their bikes around town as you might see in any American city, and yet as each one passes the large Buddhist statues of the monument, these rowdy young boys of age twelve or thirteen all stop to take their shoes of and run inside to poor a small cup of holy water on their heads as a bedtime blessing. The respect that is engrained in every person, young and old, is casual and deeply rooted. We are off to explore the ruins, then perhaps to Cheing Mai in the morning. Much Love.

First Impressions

At first glance, Bangkok seems to be like any other over-developed city. Skyrise apartments and business buildings tower over the downtown area and modern turnpikes endure the constant flow of traffic. The night is as alive and busy as the day, but offers a cooler and better smelling environment. The rivers are brown with muck and garbage and the wafting smell of raw sewage offends the nose every now and again. But as one looks closer down the small alleys and through the numerous markets, the exotic brand of Asian culture is evident. People of every color roam the streets and languages of every origin float through the air. As Charlie and I settle in to our first few days in Thailand we are happy to be a part of this global community, where tradition is as varied as the fruits sold on the sidelines. The people are beautiful, and there are so many gorgeous, multi-cultural couples, and styles to boot. We are inspired by the existence of such a place. We are excited for our upcoming journey, and having already made many diverse aquaintances, we are even more excited for the friendships, the experiences and the growth that we see is unavoidable in the coming months. We are safe, happy and light-hearted. We will keep you all posted.