Upon return from Lao I found myself in a pretty low place. So I had been here for about a month and a half, and thought I had made this great group of friends, was establishing a life and routine, and then it all kinda came crashing down. I think those nights I cried myself to sleep weren't just about the people I was with, but the fact that I live in SE Asia now and it isn't always easy. As those who are close to me know, I tend to repress, so when it finally comes out it's usually not just about the one thing. On the flip side of that this was a healthy thing, I needed to feel it so I can move forward.
When I first arrived, everyone I talked to told me this would happen: "It might be 2 or 3 months, but eventually it will hit you that you actually live here. You will totally freak out, then it will get past it and you will be okay. Everyone goes through it." OKay so I think this was mine. Or at least I hope that was it.
That first week back from break I just sort of kept to myself. Ate lunch in my room, or off campus, and was overall just pretty bummed out, homesick, and lonely. Don't feel sorry for me. This is what I signed up for and it was bound to happen. Chances are it won't be the last time, but at least the initial realization I am not on vacation, and I actually LIVE here has passed.
So what did I do? Skip my favorite holiday- Halloween, and run away to Doi Inthanon- the highest mountain in Thailand.
Somehow I knew this was what I needed, and it truly was. Once I got there I realized what it was I was searching for- to reconnect with Thailand. I was so caught up in the problems I was having with people around me I forgot why I am really here.
Thursday night I packed up my bags, didn't get a wink of sleep (it was just one of those nights I couldn't turn my mind of), and the next day directly from school took off for Chom Thong, and Doi Inthanon National Park. I had made arrangements to stay in a small hut near the park for 400 bht/ night (that's about 12 bux),In the end the owner considered me a friend and gave me a considerable discount. The directions had been translated in Thai from the owner (Nok) to my assistant, to me, so unfortunately when I arrived I could not find the place. I rode through Chom Thong a few times looking for the proper landmarks, and with no success pulled over off the main highway. This was all it took to remind me why I love Thailand so much. A family- literally 6 people came running out to me on my bike to help. None of them spoke much English but through some hand gestures and broken Thai I managed to tell them what I was looking for. Before I had the chance to offer up my mobile the woman had her phone out and was calling the resort. (I knew I couldn't because the owner didn't really speak English). They told me to go to "Tesco/ Lotus" which is like Safeway/ Costco, and wait. Soon a young man on a motorbike met me there and I followed him to the resort. This is the sort of "go out of your way for a complete stranger" culture that I love so much about Thai people. At this point I was instantly reminded why I am here, and came back to a happy place.
I arrived at the "Forest Lanna Resort" and they instantly showed me to my "hut" and took me straight to have dinner. I learned a little about the owner her name is "Nok" and we became fast friends. She instantly liked me once she found out I was a single woman who rode my bike 50 km alone from Chiang Mai. Funny how the first two women I met on my trip (the first at the house that gave me directions) asked the same thing- "You have a boyfriend?" Me- "No" "You have a girlfriend?" Me- "No" "You ride motorbike all by yourself" Me- "Kha" (Yes). "Okay- We friend." Always a positive to be commended for being an independent woman.
I retired to my hut, settled in a bit, caught up on some reading and had a good night's rest. Slept especially hard as I hadn't slept at all the night before.
The next morning I got up for breakfast and coffee at Lanna, then headed up the mountain to Doi Inthanon. 40 kms to reach about 7,000 ft above Sea Level. Admission to the park is 200 Bht for foreigners, but if you have a work permit in Thailand they charge you the Thai price. I paid 60 Bht. The ride was cold, and not really all that much fun. It's been a while since I have felt like I was in Oregon. In this case it was not nostalgic. I powered through and my bike and I made it to the top.
The two temples near the summit were built by the Thai Air Force, and are called the Napamaytanidol Chedi. These temples were built to honor the King and Queen in 1987 and 1992. The one to honor the queen offered an especially interesting history of Siddhartha and the first female monk. I am still learning about Buddhism and am in no way familiar with the role women have played in it's history so I found this particularly enlightening.
The mist cleared and came back off and on, but offered some glimpses of the valley bellow. It was beautiful. I wandered through and around the temples, botanical gardens, and walked by a Thai officer who yelled "Hello, I love you!" I just laughed and smiled. Pretty sure if I had responded he wouldn't have known what to say anyway ;) People were kind, and there weren't too many tourists so that was nice.
My bike was low on gas, so I chugged it up to the summit, took a pic, and headed back down. About half way back to Lanna I stopped in a small village to refuel and stumbled upon a particularly breathtaking waterfall. It was not easy to get to, but I ditched my stuff and made my way as close as possible along the slippery limestone.
The rest of the afternoon I made stops here and there exploring villages, the countryside, and a few waterfalls/ rapids.
That evening I went to the south end of Chom Thong and had a particularly memorable experience. I found my way to a temple visible from the road with a HUGE golden statue of "he who rest" on the side of the mountain. I have seen this same monument in other places but not to this scale. So I wound through the village and eventually made my way up. I met some Thai people and they invited me to participate in evening prayers with them. It was a really amazing experience and gave me a sense of peace that I can't really explain. Monks were chanting and singing in the background and the sun was setting.
Yep, this is why I came to Thailand.
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