Temples and bananas and water, oh my!

After Bangkok, we took a quick stop in Sukhothai, the old capital of Thailand, where I lost both Koen and Dave. Koen took a separate bus and I couldn't find him. I hadn't heard from Dave before we left. So I took off to the old city by myself on a bicycle and saw the temples. So many of them and after a while they start to look the same. There were a few notables, including the two very large Buddha statues, one accompanied by a gorgeous view.

I ended up meeting a nice Finnish woman named Anna who was kind enough to let me accompany her through the second half of my journey through the old city. We picked up another, Claire from England, not too long after lunch. At the end of the tour we went separate ways, and I ran into Koen. He had met two Canadians, Max and James from Toronto, and they were headed to a little village called Pai next.

Pai is tucked away in a valley and is such a relaxing place. Not only was the weather a relief (still hot but less humid, and quite cool at night) but everyone was so relaxed and positive. We ended up seeing Dave the night before we left - he should meet us in Chiang Mai before the weekend. It was near here where I met Ot. She was 30 years old, so right around my age. Very sweet and playful, and we were at the hug stage almost right away. She was a bit on the large side, and somewhat hairy, but that wasn't important. She also loved bananas!

I only got to spend an hour with her but it was a time filled with nothing but laughs and joy. We went to the nearby river where I would climb on her back and she'd splash me with water and try to throw me off. It was difficult but each time I went into the water she was happy to lift me back out. I was so sad when our time was done. She was the greatest, and only, elephant I have ever loved.

This weekend is the New Year celebration of SE Asia, called Songkran in Thailand, but celebrated all over. It's called the 'water festival' by foreigners, and that's because of how much water gets thrown around. It's a perfect way to cool off during the hottest and driest time of year.

The celebration started as a spiritual spattering of a few drops of water on Buddha statues and fellow people as a well-wishing. Since it's the hottest time of the year, one can see how it evolved into and 2-3 day long all-out water fight. I'll be celebrating the festival in Chiang Mai, a busy city that has the old section surrounded by a moat and large stone gates. I will mention that the vendors here are notably more pushy here than the other three cities I've been to, and I hear it's still tame compared to what i can expect in Vietnam.

We're rooming here with three English folk - Kristian, Ellie, and Laura - and Lucas from Brazil. There's hardly a dull moment when Ellie and Laura are around, especially when rum is thrown into the mix.

I'll lead into the festival with a Thai cooking course tonight and mountain biking tomorrow. Then it's a weekend of wet and wild fun!