Sawadee Ka Spontaneity!

Or "hello spontaneity!"

I just completed the last of 762 curves on my motorbike between Pai and Chiang Mai, and I'm finally "home." Yipeee! Damn, it's good to be back. I can't say that Pai is heaven on Earth, but the open road adventures surely made it all worth while. Looking back, that is... Now I'm writing from a cozy garden restaurant in my favorite place in Thailand, watching lanterns float above Chiang Mai city in preparation for the famous Loi Krathong festival. I can giggle and sigh as I daydream about my wild and crazy adventures from the refuge of what's familiar and safe... 

One week ago, I put a Buddhist flower garland around my motorbike handlebars and set off into the mountains. Wow... Open road, wind in my hair, sunshine... all things beautiful and free. This dream of "freedom to be" finally coming true! I must say, I felt so empowered, adventurous and prepared. I enjoyed leisurely exploring each and every waterfall and hot spring I came across, playing with new friends that I collected along the way. First stop was Mok Fa Waterfall; truly amazing and for sure one of those experiences that usually doesn't evolve into much more than just a dream. I hiked about 15 minutes through the jungle until I reached a massive opening with sheer rock walls, and of course, a GORGEOUS pounding waterfall, descending among lush green vines and colorful birds into a sandy celadon pool. Best part, I was the only one in sight... and of course I just had to skinny dip! I also sobbed with happiness as I stood under the pounding water thinking, "how did I get so lucky!" Absolute magic.

After the waterfall, about 2 minutes went by on the road before my wet clothes started to feel cooler than comfortable... Oh wait, is that a hot spring? Yep! Pong Duet Hot Springs just a few kilometers away, down a long gravel road. A geyser that continuously erupts like a collection of natural fountains in the jungle, sending steamy water into a series of riverside pools of varying temperatures. I got pretty comfortable in one of them and watched the sun go down and the stars come out... Three Thai women showed up with smiles for a little bathing session. A blissful evening, indeed. But then, the reality of time... "OH SHIT, ARE THOSE STARS? It's dark out! And I'm only half way there!"

Ahhh, the moment when spontaneity came back and bit me right in the ass! I guess it was only a matter of time. Certainly a moment I'll never forget and a reality I hoped would never prove itself. I mean, this has been my "mantra" for years and I've thoroughly enjoyed it! But even I know that driving a motorbike over an unfamiliar mountain pass after dark isn't smart... So, a kind Thai guy offered to drive me and my bike back to the main road, but then I was on my own... literally. Accept for the herds of cattle of course, which I had to dodge throughout the remaining two hours of my completely sketchy road trip. And the men with machine guns strangely standing at the divide check point! Freezing, low on petrol and hungry as hell I continued on. Even in my misery I couldn't help but laugh a little when I thought of the way I felt hours earlier. I indeed progressed through a full range of emotions during the course of the trip as my invincibility dissolved into feeling pitiful, frozen and afraid. I explored various levels of bliss, fear, excitement and anger during those two hours in the dark. I even did some howling at the moon... really! Under truly the brightest starry sky I've ever seen. And I highly recommend it! I think I unloaded a decade of built up frustration and threw it RIGHT over the ridge. Ahhh, if only I had a picture of me cruising down the road howling at the moon, I'd insert it <here>! :)

Luckily, when I finally DID arrive in Pai, I was in one very cool little adobe mountain bungalow. Which made me feel like I was in New Mexico, home country! There were recycled glass bottles in the mud walls along with an open air hot shower. Breakfast included in my $8/night rate and I could even hook up to FAST wifi, which is a real luxury in Southeast Asia. As an added bonus, they threw in a few geckos which would crawl around on the ceiling feasting upon any obnoxious moth that decided to drop by. This was the place!

And it's a good thing because I wasn't too crazy about Pai's Western culture... It's truly impossible to sit at a cafe without overhearing one husky voice or another talk about how "awesome their mushroom trip was last night... duuude." Or seeing a gang of dread lock hippies roaming the streets barefoot with jingling gypsy anklets. (Sorry for the incredible stereotype!) Nevertheless, Pai probably does have some really wonderful people. It's a backpacker's paradise and mecca for adventurous travelers. You can't avoid meeting people in this tiny place. Best of all, it's home for many of what I like to call "alternative Thai" peeps - tattoos, rebellious women and interracial families, all of which might be frowned upon in neighboring towns (and countries). Pai is a place where truly, "everything goes," and with a smile! Not to mention the gorgeous mountain scenery.

If nothing else, going to Pai JUST for the raw carrot cake at Om Garden Cafe makes the trip worth while. Seriously! This is one of the best restaurants I've ever been to. Organic breakfast, smoothies, green juice, the list goes on. Best of all, young owner Anon who's a very talented Thai chef made me feel like a regular on day two, which of course only kept me coming back for more! He would handle the floor, the kitchen AND the register, making periodic trips to the market when more fresh fruit was needed. Now THAT'S how you run a restaurant.

So during my relatively organized journey home, taking those 762 famously rugged curves in daylight I asked myself, "did you learn anything Emily?" Honestly, I don't know that I did. I mean, I'm not going to stop being spontaneous, and I probably won't stop driving my motorbike after dark either. Maybe the message is quite the opposite... Get out there, live!

After all, it's what we DON'T do that we regret.

Smart or stupid, I'll remember this trip for the rest of my life!

Elephant Enlightenment

So I moved into a mountain sanctuary near Chiang Mai about a week ago to help rescued elephants. It has been the most challenging and enlightening experience imaginable! Arriving, you'd think you'd reached paradise. Elephants wander around a secluded open-air restaurant surrounded by pink vines, lush majestic mountains and a rushing river. Trees with trunks the size of vehicles stand nearby. Even puppies can be found sleeping on the table tops (yes, paradise for me anyway). But before I can set down my bag or process the beauty before me, I'm unloading a 4 ton truck of watermelons, and then bananas! It's a good thing they bring in the sweetest Thai massueses from a local village for the evening hours. They charge $5 for a 60 minute massage AND a dutch crown braid for the ladies, included upon request! So after a few watermelon hours, I'm reclined with hot oil on my shoulders thinking, "oh yes, this IS paradise."

The next morning, I'm out in a bamboo field with a machete and a couple of Thai guys, panting, sweating and even bleeding as I cut down grass for the elephants, gather and wrap it, haul it on my shoulder across the field to a truck, and yes, load it. 280 bales. So much for the massage! I can't help it, I'm thinking, what the fuck have I gotten myself into? And I'm PAYING for this? But then I'm humbly reminded that these men do this every single day. And so I feel grateful, and inspired again by the mountain breeze, the smile on a Thai workers face, the sound of the elephants eating the bamboo right outside my my totally cool treehouse accommodation. Obviously, I fell asleep that night thanking god for the John Deere tractors and plows which can easily be found on farms in the U.S. And I smile as I remember what my fairy godmother said to me...
This is "the real thing." This is life. Enjoy every minute!

So I do. I soak up all the coolness involved in the epic experience of working directly with an old Thai man on a welding project. He speaks no English, and since I don't speak Thai, the ability to communicate verbally is completely unavailable. So we take another route; body language. And what a cultural learning experience this poses! It took no time at all to flow right into the groove of things, and we were moving quite efficiently, passing each other tools as needed and lending a hand for carrying heavy equipment under enormous umbrella leaves which cast decorative shadows on the gravel land. We spent the afternoon constructing rebar columns to discourage the elephants from crossing the river and wandering into private farming land at night. The experience was a solid reminder of what I'm here for; culture, to interact with the natives and to be showered with the natural beauty of this environment. After the job was done, it was time for swimming and bathing elephants in the river. Nice!

But of course, the next morning it's shoveling poo, followed by more shoveling of poo, and then wheeling of poo barrels to the poo pile. Evil thoughts begin to enter my mind. I say to myself as I'm musceling around elephant shit, "you know what, after all that unloading of watermelons, I deserve to take a few for myself. I'm going back after dark." and even worse, "damn, these elephants are so spoiled! I can't believe we wash the fruit for them. My horses never got that kind of treatment." for a moment I almost feel resentful when my intention was to offer my skills and help them. And then as if the Universe can hear my thoughts, I'm surprised when I look up and directly into the eyes of an elephant named Medo. She reaches her trunk towards me and hobbles over with a broken hip. She was injured in a lodging accident in the 60's, then lost part of her foot when she stepped into a land mine. As if that isn't enough, she was purposely blinded in one eye by her owner for "not listening." I touch her aged skin and I melt. She's so old and wise. I think to myself as I look to her, "I know nothing compared to you." Medo is in her 80's and has been through the kind of hell I can't even begin to imagine. The least she deserves at this point is PERFECTLY washed fruit, hand fed to her throughout the day whenever she likes. And that's exactly what she'll get from me.

In the evening, workers gather by the river and surround a campfire while mahots play their guitars and we all sing. Passing a bottle of authentic Thai rice whiskey around a circle of world travelers isn't a bad way to end a hard day's work. I'm even receiving German lessons from a new friend, and one phrase in particular has been literally and sarcastically applied to various situations throughout the week;
"geile scheisse!" or "great shit!"

Well, so far I haven't gone back to steal any watermelons after dark, and I haven't lost my leg to a machete. Instead, I'm bonding with elephants and building some muscle while I'm at it!
Yep, this is paradise.