Mae Ai

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This will be a quick one, but I guarantee a whole load of pics in the next day or two...

I was picked up at the Chiang Mai train station by my very benevolent friends Bethany and Nathan, and Rachel and baby McKenzie came with, so we had a little ready-made family. We stayed in Chiang Mai that night, then the next day (Sunday) came northeast to Chiang Rai for evening church and the Night Bazaar. Man, I wished I had my camera there....ever see Thai transvestites dancing? You're missing out...kind of.

I tried my hand at bartering for a t-shirt, failing miserably. The guy actually laughed at me when I tried to bring the price down, and I was all "um, excuse me, but I don't think you get how this is supposed to work". If I'd been any more confident in my bartering skills, I'd have given him a polite "see ya later". So I'm going to practice some more - Thais are softball bargainers compared with what I'm about to run up against in Jordan, I feel.

Today we're up in Mai Ai, one mountain away from Burma (Myanmar? There's a Seinfeld about that.) I went for a run this morning - I was definitely the early-morning entertainment for the village. Let's watch the white guy in his little shorts run on the road - how bizarre! I love how friendly everyone is up here, though, a couple of the schoolkids gave me a shy "hello!" during my run. Followed by a nice, cleansing sweat. Nice.

This afternoon Rachel, Nathan and I head to Burma, Mae Sai, and Laos. I promise you glorious pictures. -steve g

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Photos

Monk Laundry
There was a monk house below the guesthouse in Chiang Rai. Which also just happens to be in the red-light district?