millipede in hong nom

subtitle: return from internet-less.

things happen very fast. ok so...
i left udon thani,
went to chiang rai for four days, went trekking through the jungle (trekking=climbing like my life depended on it which it really sort of did, staying with the lahu, a hill-tribe, accidently getting pushed down a waterfall/creek but im fine)
said bye to everyone except felipe and emily
got to chaing mai.

its like chiang mai:thailand what chapel hill:north carolina, new york city:new york, chicago:illinois, new orleans:louisiana etc. otherwise, its not the capital but it probably should be because its definitely the coolest city in the land.

its also interesting because there are travelers here; in udon thani and chiang rai it was still exciting and weird to see any non-thai person, but this is backpacker land. there are hostels everywhere, and travel agencies and english words(!).
one strange thing is that, unlike the states, where you hail taxis when you need to go somewhere, in thailand, the taxis hail you. as if youre going to inexplicably realize that you actually do need to go to the tiger sanctuary, or the elephant camp, walking down the street is a constant barrage of:

YOU YOU WHERE YOU NEED TO GO? I TAKE YOU TO SEE ALL OF CHIANG MAI! DON SUTHEP TEMPLE! RIDE ELEPHANTS! ONE HOUR 50 BAHT!
-nooo sorry man i dont need to go anywhere (continuing to walk down the street)
OK OK FOR YOU 10 BAHT YOU SEE ALL CHIANG MAI! YOU HAVE A BOYFRIEND? IF YOU HAVE NO BOYFRIEND I TAKE YOU EVERYWHERE FOR FREE! ALL OF CHIANG MAI!


that said, its very fun to speak english and hang out with people without the language barrier. we've met some irish med students, who we have been trading travel stories, book suggestions, and pieces of rotee with (rotee= a sort-of crepe, with egg and banana in the middle, covered in chocolate or evaporated milk or honey).

logistics: i have skype now! like everything, the name is jaki.bradley. and my phone works for real now!
the plan is to stay in chiang mai for a couple days, say bye to felipe, travel with emily (schaffer) up to pai, a little town of 3000, for a bit, come back, mayyybe go stay in a monastary for a week (!) then meet emily (anderson) in chiang mai for the high-velocity adventure.

i am going to try to put pictures up soon because it is so beautiful here and things aretoomuchtoofast to possibly explain.
i really love and miss you all.
lovejaki