Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai where nice places to visit. They are definitely a lot more calm than Bangkok. My night in Chiang Mai was an interesting one. I went out with some of my travelmates looking for Mui Thai Boxing. We stumbled upon the "entertainment zone" which consisted of lots of small bars with a boxing ring in the middle. Upon seeing the boxing ring, I asked the first person I could find if there were going to be any matches going on that evening. The "girl" I spoke with said there were and asked us to have a seat at the bar for a ring side view. After sitting down, I looked around and then realized I was at a bar full of lady boys. I'm not one to judge anyone for their personal lifestyle nor am I homophobic so I saw no need to get up and go somewhere else. I had a great seat plus the beers were cheap. I was really excited about the match that was about to start. Both men were wearing traditional Thai boxing costumes and began their traditional dance before beginning the fight. They took turns taking shots at each other and it seemed very exciting. The match went on for about 15 minutes before it was over. It ended with the referee deciding the victor. It wasn't until afterwards that I found out the fights are staged in that ring and they aren't really in there to hurt themselves. Our server who also happened to be a ladyboy explained that the real fights are held at other locations on different nights. Unfortunately, the night we going to be in Chiang Mai, there was no fight to be held. I spoke to our server about Thailand, Thai boxing, and the lifestyle he chose to live just because I was curious to know about it. It was just a typical conversation I would have with anyone else I would have met in Thailand. In this case it just happened to be with someone that did not look like a typical person. It was a very interesting conversation that has given me a new perspective on another aspect of Thai culture.
Chiang Rai is a very small town a couple of hours away from Chiang Mai. The main attraction is a temple up in the hills where you can visit and be blessed by a Buddhist monk. It is a very large temple with gold plated buddhas everywhere...very typical for most buddhist temples. I was very excited to be blessed with postive energy. I'm not a very religious person but I do believe in Karma. The monk sprinkled holy water on me and tied string around my right wrist which I am to wear for 9 days before I remove it. It was a very interesting experience even though I'm not Buddhist.
Over the last couple of days, my travelmates and I have been cruising on the Mekong River. We left Thailand yesterday on a boat and entered Laos. Although Thailand and Laos border each other and share similar cultures, you could never confuse one country for the other. Where Thailand is much more advanced financially with more modern cities and a more western lifestyle, Laos is still very traditional and sparcely populated. I've spent a night so far here in Laos and I can see how people here live a much more simple life compared to Thailand. The majority of people living along the Mekong River make a living by fishing. Their homes consist of simple building materials typically with no access to electricity or running water. Even without all the technology and comforts we are used to having, Lao people never seem to stop smiling. They genuinely seem very happy. They are happy with living the simple life. My trek through the Mekong River lasted 2 days. They happen to be the most relaxing days I can remember having in recent years. Words cannot describe how majestic the river is. I could probably travel it for days on end and would enjoy every second of it. To think at one point this river reaked of death. Now, it's provided me with great inspiration.
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