Most people commented on the date that I chose to travel, 11th Sep 2011. The date didnt seem to bother me as much as the length of the journey itself.
A friend asked me what do I intend to get out of this journey and I couldnt help but think, this journey wasnt about getting back anything at all.
And thus it started....
So here I am in Thailand up north where flies and worms are publicly sold in a night market targeted towards fine dining and perhaps thrill seeking foodies. My first word in Thai that I learnt was 'Kinjay' which means I am a vegetarian and worms are not on my menu. The people on the other hand are extremely friendly and down to earth. My first evening was spent in Chiang Rai amidst the down pour of torrential rains and the sound of Tuk Tuks and loud music playing openly on the streets - mostly Thai Pop and some really cheesy love songs.
As the night flowed, I ended up eating an incredibly tasty and spicy Northern Thai curry dish - pronounced "Cow Soy" - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khao_soi and met fellow wanderers from Australia, Germany and Netherlands and ended up playing the bongos to Reggae music in a local hang out place here within the city called the Peace house. The main vocalist was amazing and did some Marley numbers accompanied by Thai musicians and one Canadian guy (guess who). Would highly recommend this first day schedule for any jet lagged traveller. The energy levels here are super high making me wonder if Red Bull's Thai Origins have anything to do with people's spirit.
"Human Traffickers are rampant in the border areas between Myanmar and Thailand", my new friend at a local cafe explained, "and so a lot of volunteers from other countries end up working in refugee camps while travelling."
Not quite the refreshing end to a great first day, but definitely makes you think about the purpose of one's journey.
More rain today and I am going to focus on my Thai Omelet that's waiting for me.
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| Rainfall in Chiang Rai |
And thus it started....
So here I am in Thailand up north where flies and worms are publicly sold in a night market targeted towards fine dining and perhaps thrill seeking foodies. My first word in Thai that I learnt was 'Kinjay' which means I am a vegetarian and worms are not on my menu. The people on the other hand are extremely friendly and down to earth. My first evening was spent in Chiang Rai amidst the down pour of torrential rains and the sound of Tuk Tuks and loud music playing openly on the streets - mostly Thai Pop and some really cheesy love songs.
As the night flowed, I ended up eating an incredibly tasty and spicy Northern Thai curry dish - pronounced "Cow Soy" - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khao_soi and met fellow wanderers from Australia, Germany and Netherlands and ended up playing the bongos to Reggae music in a local hang out place here within the city called the Peace house. The main vocalist was amazing and did some Marley numbers accompanied by Thai musicians and one Canadian guy (guess who). Would highly recommend this first day schedule for any jet lagged traveller. The energy levels here are super high making me wonder if Red Bull's Thai Origins have anything to do with people's spirit.
"Human Traffickers are rampant in the border areas between Myanmar and Thailand", my new friend at a local cafe explained, "and so a lot of volunteers from other countries end up working in refugee camps while travelling."
Not quite the refreshing end to a great first day, but definitely makes you think about the purpose of one's journey.
More rain today and I am going to focus on my Thai Omelet that's waiting for me.
Its a great cause that you have taken up. good going.
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