Tomorrow I leave Chiang Mai. I meant to stay only about a week or so, but it’s been almost a month. The peace and harmony existing here is astounding and refreshing at the same time. Men and women go about their daily tasks with an air of flexibility and understanding I’ve rarely seen in the world. An experience I had yesterday displays some of the qualities quite well.

I parked my motorbike down town and left it for the afternoon to go traveling with some friends. I remembered partway into the evening while sitting miles away watching trained monkeys pick coconuts that the Sunday walking market gets set up on exactly the street I parked my bike on! Horrible thoughts ran through my mind of it getting impounded or stolen by someone who figured if they were ever caught they could write it off as “moving it for the good of all.” But really, there was nothing I could do, so I let the thought go.

Upon returning in the evening I approached the market with some trepidation, and a large dose of curiosity. I walked along the market and scanned the sidewalks and alleys for my motorbike, but didn’t see anything. As I came to where I had parked my bike I saw that the shops had all been set up, and there was no room for a bike on the side of the street; however, there it was! It sat right in the middle of the street, with people flowing along and around with no real extra effort.

I sent a thankful thought to the world and these gracious people for making room for a forgetful foreigner. I knew that if everyone’s bike had been parked in the middle of the street it would have caused serious problems for the shoppers. But the market accommodated a single forgetful act quite gracefully.

Again, life seems to be providing when things are needed. I was playing ultimate on Saturday and was landed on by a rough an inexperienced player. His arm came down on my head and really tweaked my neck. I couldn’t comfortably look right for the rest of the day (which makes merging extra difficult on a motorbike). I was in pain for a day, and then Kazaaam!, Uaaaalaaa!, Pop!, Bingo!, whateveryouwanttocallit, happened and I met a Aussie chiropractor the next day who gave me an adjustment in his hotel. We spent the afternoon doing some tourist things with my friend Michele from Frisbee, and I introduced him to market food and large beers.

I’ve slowed down, some of you who haven’t seen this side of me might wonder, but, yes, I sleep a normal amount of time each night, and have spent full days reading and writing, walking, thinking, or not thinking. My life doesn’t contain the words hurry, stress, busy, or late.

I go now to the Burmese border by bus to renew my Visa, and then I fly from Chiang Rai to Bangkok and on through to Krabi which I’ve heard is a climbing Mecca island paradise with a multitude of limestone caves, cliffs, beaches and small islands. The journey continues, and I’m enjoying all moments along the way, as well as the thought of all the moments to come.

I learned last week that instead of a tooth fairy, Thaïs have a tradition of throwing lost teeth on the roof. Strange I admit, but really, is it any stranger than our tooth fairy tradition?

My friends and family, I send this with a hug (which I’m not getting enough of here…) and a wai which I’m getting altogether plenty of.

Here are a couple more of my favorite pictures from the past couple weeks.