Life in..paradise?

Dear world,

I just spent the past few days enjoying a lovely water-rafting trip down the Pai river that involved alot of paddling, being dunked in the water by tour guides, sleeping and eating in dense jungle, and bathing in mud and hot springs to keep up my quickly dying youth ( just kidding). It was alot of fun to experience, and really pushed out the obviousness of how spoiled alot of the world is. I mean, I am sure thAt every once in a while it would be cool to sleep in a bamboo hut with nothing but a blanket seperating ulu and the insects of the wild, no pillow, and the sounds of huge bugs soothing you to sleep. But every day of my life would be a bit excessive I think.

Before that, I spent quite a bit of time in a little town just off the border of laos called Nong Khai. I could literally sit at a coffee shop an look across the river and see little Laos children playing in the water. It was nice and quiet and not too touristy, so nice to get away from the really pushy tuk-tuks and people selling things. The market Actually felt like a mall because I wasn't being hassled every five seconds by the people selling things. And things weren't way over priced, so I didn't feel the need to haggle the day away trying to get myself a new pair of shoes. It was there that I met my young thai tour guide (Od) who spoke very little English and so ended up being the one who taught me most of the Thai I now know how to say. We spent most of the days I was there feeding the biggest catfish I have ever seen in my life, biking around the city seeing temples and dining on boat restaurants watching the sunset and being taught how to say things like fried rice with chicken and mountain and big fish! Not the best conversation starters, but a starter none the less.

The north of Thailand is so much more peaceful than the bustling south. It's quieter, the people are much more relaxed, and it's quite a bit cooler as well. I am now residing in a town called Pai that is probably the most touristy place I have gone in the north. The people here dress like they live at the folk festival, even the Thais, and the westerners just eat it up. I am legitimately in a city filled with hippies!! D
I wouldn't say it's the coolest place I have been, but the best place I have been for a simple night life.

I have been struggling with loneliness the past week. Though I do meet random companions for the bit of time I am in an area, I have yet to meet anyone going the same way as myself, or wanting to do so. And so I truck on alone. It's getting a bit difficult, but I guess it's a part of traveling alone. I just have to learn the phrase "it's alright to be alone". I almost feel like I have this idea that I have to be with someone else to enjoy myself. I just have to keep a positive attitude and go with the flow, stop looking for someone to be with and just enjoy my time. Of course, everything is easier said than done.

I am off to a little hilltribe homestay in a village called Lisu. I feel like most of the tours that go to these villages are intruding on the lives of the people who live there, but this program really seems like it's meant to help the village. The money that you pay to be there goes directly to the family and the people of the village that you stay with, and the people who organize it say that the money allows the villager to continue to live the lives they wish. Apparantly the government here pushes things like electricity and regular (non-bamboo) built homes on village, when really they would rather stay the way they are and life how they are used to living. So I am hoping to see how it really works, how they live, etc. while I am there.

Here's to hoping for a good experience.

Oh, ps. People in Thai legitimately say "oh my Buddha". Swank.