Royal Ping palace

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I am already beginning to understand the "wetness" of the wet season. We're actually on the cusp of the wet and less-wet season, but it poured all day and night and although the sky is no longer dripping everything is still soaked. My towel won't dry and my clothes are all damp.
I am couchsurfing at Tai's house. She lives in the Royal Ping Palace, a gated cluster of big fancy houses. Her family was part of the consulate or something, and somehow she's managed to cling on to her own two-bedroom estate here right on the riverfront. Its beautiful; lush trees dropping vines, bamboo thickets, and blankets of ivy. We're about to head to the Sunday market and then to dinner. I had some foul luck walking to a noodle shop for brunch today-- no one spoke english and they couldn't understand my tone-deaf pronunciations. I ended up with a bowl of soft and crispy noodles in a spicy, salty broth (they seemed to understand vegetarian and omitted the meat, although they gave me looks that indicated I am crazy). I once again felt like a freak show, but made friends with some Guatemalan documentary makers. They stuck a camera in my face and asked me a bunch of questions about why I am in Thailnd. Maybe I will be in the movies after all?
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Adventures in the market have taken my journey on a twist. I wandered up and down the crowded market soi, oggling the crafts and clothing and food stalls along with a million other tourists. By far the biggest (and cheapest) market in thailand; the soi go on forever and ever... There are several wats alongside to stop and wander their courtyards and hear the monks chanting.

I got ripped off by a food vendor-- I paid for a .60 omelet with a 500 baht note and he only gave me change for a 100 baht. Which means essentially I paid $15 for my .60 meal. It made me really sad that he was so mean. I suppose in his mind I deserve to give him all my money because I am a rich westerner, but damn that was cruel to do to a backpacker.
I met a pair of girls from London and we bought Thai fisherman pants togther. They have been volunteering in the south and are touring around Thailand before they go home. I've decided not to take the Thai language course at Payap University because it is very far from the city center and I wouldn't get much out of a 5 week course. I have met a lot of people who have been here for 1- 2 years and still don't know much Thai, and I think it would take me a long time to really feel vindicated for my hard work. So instead I am going traveling with the British girls, to Mae Sariang for some hill tribe trekking. From there we will go to Pai, a hippie village to the north, and then return to Chiang Mai. I haven't even seen the city yet so its good we can come back for another week or two. I think it will be a lot more fun with them because the girl I am staying with seems very wealthy, but not much more than a party girl living off her parents' income. She is certainly more into western culture than I am!
So I suppose I won't be posting for a few days, but maybe I will get better pictures and put some online soon. 😊

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Comments

[chris]

Delicious eggs from the market...
"Lady, yer puttin my kids through college"