Pai, Thailand

The owner of my guesthouse said to me today, "Ha ha, you no wet today!" because every other time he's seen me, i've been soaking wet from little thai punks throwing buckets of water on me. songkran is finally over!! it does feel nice to get cool with the water, but 5 days of getting slammed was a bit much. last night i ate the best meal i've had in thailand so far: grilled pork in red curry with rice. this very nice american couple kept talking to me from their table, and usually i welcome company at meals, but this time i was just thinking "shut up and let me concentrate on my curry!"

My parents are going to kill me when they hear this but....I rented a motorbike today and drove through the mountains! and yes, i wore a helmet. i also stopped at every buddhist temple along the way and prayed for a safe trip. it was scary, because i'd never rode a motor bike before and wasn't sure i'd be able to hack it, but i did it! by the end of the trip (i drove for like 6 hours all around Pai) i was actually pretty good. i don't think i'll do it again any time soon but it really felt like an adventure. the mountains here are lovely but i think i'm visiting them in the wrong season because it is just so damn hot here. the ground is baked, the grass is fried, and everything -plants, animals, people- looks exhausted.

Koh samui, thailand

imagine the most beautiful beach you have ever seen in your life: soft white sand, clear blue water, swaying palm trees, a few small fishing boats out in the distance. now imagine that that beach is saturated with built up bungalows and hotels. disappointing eh? ahhh tourism. hopefully my next island location, koh tao, will be a tad more remote. off for a massage now!