Lampang -Thailand

Suji offered Peter a bed at her place too so we all set off to her place. It was pure luxury being driven around and for the next few days we got very used to this. There was no need for maps, buses, haggling for fiar prices with tuk tuk drivers....we just got into the car and were taken to new and exciting experiences. We hadn't showered for two days so after a much awaited cold shower we were ready for some dinner. We went to pick up Suji's cousin and then we spent the evening tasting the local cousin at one of the local restaurants. We walked along the night markets and just exchanged gossip that had been long overdue. It was just the perfect way to end the day. And we were so happy to be here in Thailand. The next few days we experienced Thailand the way the Thai's experience it themselves. We spent the next morning at one of her cousin's graduation, taking photos and then the celebration lunch went on till late into the night. Bottles of whisky were emptied at an amazing pace and even the boys got on stage to sing and dance. We had a great time hanging out and celebrating the Thai way. With little sleep, the next morning we were exhausted but we were up early for Juan Mauels sports day. He was so excited, we had to go cheer him. But this was like no other sports day. There were children dressed in all sorts of beautiful and traditional dress and the whole thing began with a parade down the street to the sports ground. It was hot and the children had been up early and understandably with all the elaborate costumes and the layers of make up they were grumpy but they kept going. The parade was so formal and the children marched with one gloved hand behind on their back. At the sports ground there were speeches and then performances of Kung Fu and hula dancing...it was amazing how good the little girsl were at keeping the hula on their waists and then finally the relay race. Juan came forth but he ran like a champ. After lunch and a much needed haircut (my hair was down to my waist and now it's down to my shoulders and much easier to look after) we drove to Suji's grandmother's house. A small village outside town where she grew up and wher most of her family still lived as farmers. Everyone knew everyone and it was so small you just walked around for 20 minutes and you would have seen every house in the village. Surrounding it though were golden rice fields and we were meant to help harvest the rice and the mushrooms but we arrived too late and everyone was coming back home after a hard days work harvesting. We visited all the houses one by one and said hello to the aunts and uncles and grandparents that we had gotten to know the day before at the party. They were so warm and welcoming and being there watching the mist rise over the rice fileds as the sun set was just one of the best moments in these travels. Back at home we walked around the corner to the noodle stall and had some hot and fresh noodle soup for dinner. It had been a long but really nice day and we went to bed tired but happy. Sunday Anne drove us to a national park an hour away and we walked along a beautiful waterfalls and sat in cosy little housed pools with water in them from the hot springs nearby. It was a perfect way to end the weekend and we felt realxed and ready to move on again.Monday we got to the Mountains in Chiang Mai and managed to see some of the most famous sights in Chiang Mai. The queens winter residence, Wat Doi Suthep and the Hmong village. But the most interesting part was staying with Suji's aunt. Her place ws one of the rows of shops selling tourist gear opposite the royal palace. It was a shop selling traditional clothes, jewellery and food and drink. Behind the shop she had her kitchen and at the top in the small attic was where she and her sister lived. With so little space it was incredible that three quarters of the attic was turned into a big and beautiful shrine, not only for Buddha and Ganesh and other Buddhist important figures but also for the Royal family who here in Thailand are as revered as the gods themselves. She showed us photos that she was so proud of, of her meetings with various members of the roya family and then took us to one of the nearby stands for dinner. It was so strange, they had a community of their own here, lives that they had build here for many years and yet most tourists would only see the rows of shops selling all sorts of souveniers. As we sat there eating our freshly cooked noodles we listened to the local gossip, tried to learn a few phrases of Thai that they were so keen to teach us and just soaked in the friendly and hospitable nature of that little community of souvenier vendors. Next morning we took the tuk tuk and went down to central Chiang Mai and here we have spent the last two days sight seeing. I have been to see the various hill tribes and also some traditional thai long nail dancing. We've missed out on the elphant shows and the cookery schools....just seemed too touristic. And now we move on to Bangkok.