First stop in Thailand was Chiang Rai. Enjoyed it for a few days and then opted for smaller destinations (I can hardly imagine how quickly I'll want to get out of Chiang Mai and Bangkok after arrival). Went to a little hill town called Mae Salong, which has a history of being founded by Kuomintan (ROC) soldiers pushed out of Yunnan during the Chinese civil war. Many tea shops and terraces dot the area, and I ended up speaking more Chinese than English here. Next was a small river town call Tha Ton, which had quite an amazing complex of Buddhist temples, pagodas, and statues in the hills up river. On my way out, I asked the hotel owner how do I get to the city Fang. He said give me five minutes, I'm going that way and will take you. Surprised but happy, I jumped in the car and was soon on my way. He apparently used to work for Procter and Gamble before moving out to the peaceful countryside. We stopped in the hills outside Fang so my new friend could drop off a crate of his farm's papaya to a (Buddhist) monastery. He said he was going to chat for a few minutes and suggested taking a walk around. Elated, I walked into the central pagoda and was rewarded with a gorgeous sight: A circular room with levels slowly descending to the middle where a huge emerald green edifice stood, glistening with jewels, light, and beautiful decoration stood. It pointed up at a domed ceiling, which was further adorned with more crystal and golden designs. My friend joined me in the pagoda with a lady in monks attire and shaved head. Explaining a few bits of the temples history, he said everything was made from an extremely generous donation several years ago and they always accept students at no cost. I imagine partially joking he said I should reside here sometime. In earnest, I asked how can I contact the faculty after I leave. He asked the lady in Thai if I could stay now, she must've said yes, and then he invited me to stay. Realizing I didn't have any rigid plans for the next few days, I agreed.
They gave me some simple light-purple clothes and a mat and blankets for bedding. I got to stay for 2 days and 2 nights; and then further south I went!
I stayed in Chiang Mai for one day, which was a poor choice; it might be one of my favorite cities I've ever seen. Skipping much of the country I took an overnight train to Bangkok, it was very inexpensive but a long and tiring ride. I stayed in Bangkok for a few days and then left last night and arrived in a small island in the Gulf of Thailand called Koh Tao this morning. It's hot and humid, but when the sun gets a little lower, I'm going to go for a nice swim.
