Wats Up

Before leaving Chiang Mai, I was able to visit some of the well preserved wats (Buddist temples) that are around the city. On the outside of the abbey the sign said Welcome so I took off my shoes and started to enter before I saw about 10 monks eating in a circle so I quickly ran away. It is a good thing I did because I learned that they only eat once a day at 11am and I nearly interuppted their meal. I went back later and walked into the foyer.

A Thai woman was communicating with one monk while kneeling on the floor and the other monk in the room sat cross-legged. He was quite old and I believe he was meditating because he didn't seem to see me. He had this very serene look on his face with a slight smile, it was a look of someone who had reached nirvana or some high degree of enlightenment. It would be wonderful to have such peace of mind. Before I forget, I want my sister Chelsea to know that I observed a monk talking on a cell phone while crossing a busy intersection. I guess they are allowed modern conveniences after all, or at least some are.

Friday I was trying to get myself to Ko Samui in order to get to Ko Tao where I will be meeting my friend Rachel and her husband Darren for a week. They will be diving and might talk me into taking classes. All of the flights were booked and a train would have been 16 hours. I decided to fly to Phuket and take a bus to the other side of the island so I could take a ferry over to Ko Samui in order to get to Ko Tao. A friend that I met trekking was going to be staying at a posh resort in Phuket called the Banyan Tree and said that I was free to stay there that night. Seeing as that I wouldn't get to Koh Samui until very late, I accepted his generous offer. I mean, why not stay in a beautiful 5 star resort? We went out last night in Phuket to an area called Parong Beach which Matt kept calling Pooty Tang because he kept forgetting the name of it. It was like Bangkok meets Waikiki, a very crazy and different party place. One neither of us would have hung out for long if we were on our own. First we went to a place called The Expat Bar where Matt the youngest male by about 25 or 30 years and I was the only non Thai female. I have observed many couples in Thailand with these demographics, it is no wonder it is such a cliche. We were walking around and I suggested we cut through this alley. We realized we had found ourselves in the gay section of Parong. Now Matt is gay himself and was a little intimidated by the environment so I told him I would be his shield. We walked into one bar just to see what it was like. It was a bunch of 19 year old guys on stage standing in their underwear looking quite drugged out so we got out of there right quick. We then thankfully found an Irish Pub called Scruffy Murphys and hung out there for a few drinks. I just love how you can be anywhere in the world and find an Irish pub. In front of the pub out in the street I managed to find myself some Australian male Playboy Bunnies.


From monks to people in their underwear, I have got it all for you. Currently I am writing from Koh Samui and tomorrow I leave for Koh Tao.