Well I didn't find pumpkin pie, but I did have some awesome Thanksgiving chocolate cake in Pai...I'll take that!
Since the drive back south from Pai to Chiang Mai, it seems like so much has already happened. First, I had to say goodbye to Arati, which was a little rough. However, then I was cheered up quickly as I made my way to Spicythai Backpackers, which is an awesome hostel, and one of the few "true" hostels I've stayed in. It's a converted governor's mansion in a secluded little neighborhood area near Chiang Mai University. I say it's a "true" hostel because, besides the fact that it's a house, I had to do things like check-out a breakfast set, linens, etc. and read the house "rules" before signing in. The ambience here is great - big, airy bedrooms have been converted into dorms, and there is an actual dining room to eat breakfast in, a really comfy living room with a big TV and lots of movies, and hammocks in the yard to relax in. Not to mention there are awesome people who work here and some really friendly young travelers staying here to hang out with. It was nice to have good company on my first evening without my travel buddy!
This place also kind of reminds me of the movie L'auberge espagnole...which I love.
Then, this morning, there was a huge ceremony (only held once or twice each year here) to give Alms to 10,000 Monks. It was something I had heard about during our visit last week to Chiang Mai, and I chose this hostel partly for its location right near by. I'm so glad I got to experience the whole thing - it was definitely memorable.
Last night, after I had settled in, the hostel leaders took a big group of us to the grocery store to "stock up" on packaged goods (like ramen, cookies, crackers, etc.) to hand out to the monks. Then, this morning, we all set our alarms for 6am, ate some bananas, and walked as a group to the main street that had been shut down especially for the event.
There were red carpets running the length of the street for a few miles, and, after (several) blessings in Thai were given over the loudspeaker, monks of all ages in their orange robes (hence the "sea of orange") walked through the crowds lining the street to collect the alms offerings in their personal bowls. The Thai people brought everything from canned salmon to milk or juice boxes to chocolate wafers to lotus flowers to money...and the monks collected it all. As their bowls filled, they transferred the goods to large black garbage bags, which were set up along the way. After the ceremony, the food and goods will be distributed to monasteries all over the country as well as to places like orphanages.
It was really fortunate that I went with the group from my hostel because one of the leaders (like an RA for the place) is from here, and he was able to explain a lot to me about both this particular ceremony and about monasticism in Thailand in general.
Some interesting facts about monks:
- In Thailand, being a monk is always voluntary/never compulsory
- Most monks join because their family is very poor and the monastery can provide for them (monks collect food every day from the neighborhoods around their temple) as well as provide them with a good education
- In the past, there were some monks who joined to evade the law if they had committed a crime (because previously monks could not be arrested!). Now, monks can be "arrested" by the monk authorities first and then formally detained by the police after being forced or convinced to leave the monastery
- Most monks join around high school age or older, but there are some very young monks as well
- Monks can eat meat because they cannot control what is offered to them, so if someone gives them meat, it is better for them to eat it than to waste it (but they cannot themselves kill other living creatures)
So, after we all handed out the food we had purchased and took lots of pictures (okay, that was mostly just me), it was still only breakfast time, and I was so happy for the free breakfast and coffee and some good conversation with my hostel mates, i.e. a German traveler from Singapore, an American guy and anthropology major from Seattle who just came from Europe, and an Australian from Sydney who had just arrived from Bangkok...lots of fun to start the day.
I did get a little antsy after that, and set out to try and arrange my tickets for the next part of this journey. Since I couldn't book things by myself online because of my foreign credit card, I had to find a travel agent - boo! HOWEVER, while the travel agent proved to be pretty useless, I definitely believe that there was definitely a reason that I ended up in that particular office.
After about 20 minutes of circular conversation with Noi (the very friendly, just not helpful Thai agent), 2 American men walked in and we got to talking. They are visiting from Saudi Arabia where they teach, and they were trying to help me out with my own ticket booking dilemmas. I mentioned that I wanted to volunteer wherever I ended up next (probably the Philippines), and Richard informed me that he was going to meet with a woman in 20 minutes from an orphanage for Burmese (Karen) refugees about related things and that I was more than welcome to join him...can we say fate?!
Long story short, if everything works out, I will be going back up north this week to volunteer in a woman named Te Te's village. I will hopefully be involved in setting up the Christmas celebration that they have each year there a few weeks in advance of the actual holiday. I can't wait for the experience and some holiday cheer!
Soooo, no plane tickets were purchased, BUT I am pretty excited for the upcoming week nonetheless. Things seem to work out if you let them. Patience, patience.
After the eventful morning, I spent the rest of the day just walking around lots and lots to get some energy out and see some of the parks and university grounds, etc. I also got a banana leaf with sticky rice and sweet potato mixed together on the street as well as a coffee banana milkshake, which might have been 2 of the best purchases I've made in Thailand!
Tomorrow I'm hoping to rent a bike and do some more exploring beyond my walking limits. Stay in touch, I miss you all!!
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