Three Days Coming

Three days into my stay in Chiang Mai and I was FINALLY able to go and apply for my Indian visa today (yay!) I was up first thing this morning and took my first tuk tuk out to the Indian Consulate. On my way to get my documents photocopied (which by the way was not "out the door and too the left", apparently in thailand that's slang for: "go out of the building, cross two streets, turn left and walk 150m down the street to a Internet cafe where they have a photocopier" - thanks random man on his way back!) I met a really nice woman from the States with a motorbike (who lives in Pai!). She took me to Chinatown on the back of her bike (how these people balance their families, dogs and livelihood on these things is beyond me, and impressive, the driving here is nuts!) where we wandered through the streets watching the New Years festivities after which she kindly dropped me back at my hotel with a newfound urge to go to Pai. Happy to finally know when my visa would be done (next Monday, not 3 days, boo) I was at least able to finally make some plans for the next few days so I wandered over and found "Dash" (thanks Leah!) and signed up for a wicked cooking course tomorrow where I get to go to the market and then cook like 12 dishes (one of which is mango sticky rice! Yup), and then eat my creations :) Then, because wandering around aimlessly for three days was clearly getting to me I got productive and booked my elephant safari for Thursday, found a cheap way to get to Pai for the weekend and then Lao and the Gibbons experience next week then went off I search of temples where I met a couple of really nice monks to whom I awkwardly explained that I was 26, unmarried, did not live at home, had never been to church and did not have a religion lol. Seemingly unfazed,
they chatted with me for a half hour and then gave me a white twine bracelet, reciting prayers while knotting it for safe travels and good luck. Pleased I was finally able to have an honest conversation with a Thai person and that not everyone in this country has been jaded by tourism, I wandered off in search of a restaurant where I could explain that I wanted a meal with no oyster sauce, soya sauce, wheat noodles or dairy, and they would actually care. An hour later, having found a safe dinner and starting to feel better I had my first oil massage and then wandered home, excited for my day tomorrow and happy I don't have to plan for the next few days, I'm spent :)

Sent from my iPhone