Elephants Never Forget

So Alison arrived without incident, and thus far we have passed a pretty sweet week enjoying the delights of Bangkok and Chiang Mai. First, Bangkok, where the Queen's Birthday celebrations took place on the 12th, and accordingly we got a chance to see the place in a fairly festive environment. Took in the Grand Palace and the amazing Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho on day 1, followed by an hour ride on a "klong" boat through the back canals. Lots of waterways in the city and it was sweet to get to see the city and its residents from atypical angles. Finished off the night with some Thai Boxing show outdoors at sundown along with many locals, and of course the mandatory stroll down the chaos that is Khoa San Road.

On our second day, we toured Jim Thompson's Thai House in the morning, and I hit the world's second oldest Snake Farm for a show of cobras while Alison did some shopping in the afternoon. Got myself fitted for a suit as well (when in Thailand...) which I am excited (if a tad nervous) to pick up when we return to Bangkok tomorrow.

Chiang Mai has been great fun, as we have spent our days in various outdoor pursuits: white-water rafting, ziplining through the jungle, and taking in more temples and even the zoo. Randomly took a cab upon arrival that we ended up hiring for an absurdly cheap price for most of the first day, as the good-humored stories from 65-year old "Mr. Rasee" (with his handwritten, post-it note business cards) were too much to turn down. Plus each night, Al has been improving her haggling skills in Chiang Mai's famous Night Market, where happily I found an English pub to watch the English Premiership when I hit my shopping limit.

The highlight, though, was the day spent at an Elephant Camp with the mahouts, first feeding the beasts bananas and sugarcane and then learning how to ride them bareback with only a few commands. After lunch, we had the pleasure of hopping on board our remarkable elephant, Batong, for a slow 2 hour trek through the forest. A fitting sequel to the camel ride Alison and I took in the Giza desert near the Pyramids one dawn last November. Not soon forgotten. Cannot wait to upload those pictures sometime soon.

So all in all, a wonderful first half to Alison's Southeast Asia visit. Nice having a new traveling companion, and having the opportunity to once again expose the younger sister to the joys of the road and sharing the laughter and stories for future tellings that get created along the way.

It is a bit surprising to see, in Thailand, the orange-clad monks and the omnipresent Buddha images that are everywhichwhere. It is one thing to know of their prevalence here, but another to experience it directly in the travels. What I particularly like is how this always leads on to those silent reflections on grander philosophical ideas (and religion as inspiration for art, etc...) that are such a part of extended traveling. When on the road for this amount of time, there is space and occasion to step back and take in the bigger picture.

More to come, as we head back to Bangkok tonight and prepare for the arduous overland to Cambodia and the magnificence that is Angkor Wat. I have been waiting to arrive in Siem Reap since I first heard it highly touted back in 2001 in the basement of the beloved Domus Legis. Here's hoping it lives up to the praise - happily the schedule has been arranged so we'll have time enough to make sure we experience that gem of the world in all her glory.