Far East and Loving It

Here I am in Chiang Mai, Thailand...pecking away at an internet cafe halfway around the world. I wish I had pics to upload for y'all but I am still in wary-tourist mode and self-concious about it. They'll come, I promise.

My trip to Bangkok was smooth and uneventful, aside from some jet-lagged-induced resentment at the DAMN RUSSIANS that were drunk and loud and pushy in Seoul. Room for spiritual growth on my part I suppose : ). I got to my hotel around 2 am, and was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the room for how cheap it was:
http://www.thongtaresort.com/

The next morning, I took a cab into central Bangkok and dropped my stuff off at the main train station. The information desk lady TOTALLY tourist-trapped me into buying a ticket for the overnight bus to Chiang Mai, versus the train. And she was soooooo polite when she explained that I would be more comfortable since I wasn't Asian (pantomiming big thighs at the same time). Anyways, I decided not to fret since she guaranteed me I'd have a great night's rest. I rationalized that the cost was worth it (about 30$ US) and it wasn't going to be the "QueasyCoach" experience I had from Nakuru to Bungoma in Kenya. NO bus ride on the planet could equal that one.

I took the Bangkok metro subway to a neighborhood called Sukumvit and attended a great meeting there. Everything is so clean and orderly and easy here! I met some great people (fellow travellers mostly), had a good lunch and did some shopping before I headed to another meeting in another area.

I spoke at length with a journalist about the political situation, and surprise surprise we weren't getting the whole picture from MSM. The group that caused all the problems at the airport and such weren't rallying for the little guys at all (even though they claimed to be a people's party); there's all sorts of complicated political alliances class elitism going on. But the bottom line is that everyone has been sated for the moment and the country is safe for the time being.

SOOO the bus. The first sign that my serenity was compromised: 1) Not a window seat but a MIRROR seat. Who wants to spend 9 hours looking at oneself while you're passing through an exotic and interesting countryside?? But it gets better...
2) The bus was full of.....RUSSIANS
3) Cockroaches were swarming in the tray table
4) My OCD plans to change into my pj's in the "toilet" and brush my teeth were foiled AND THIS WAS THE LAST STRAW-
5) Apparently there was not enough room for luggage underneath so it was all piled in the isle. My brain was swirling with fiery death scenes and being trapped in a bus dying. With Russians.

Okay enough negative Nancying...they pulled into another bus station and re-arranged the luggage. I got out and brushed my teeth and changed in the worlds funkiest outhouse, so I was a bit more calm. I decided I needed a real attitude change and got one when I pulled my meditation card for the night out...and the character defect of the day is: "I COME FIRST". Oh shit.

I actually calmed down and got a good nights' rest after all. About 6 this morning we pulled into Chiang Mai and I went on a pretty long walk that was really uninteresting (cuz I mostly stuck to highways and main roads not to get lost). Now I'm onto another bus for 3 hours to Chiang Rai and I'm VERY VERY excited to reunite with Juan who has been at the center for a few weeks now.

Ciao!