Nomadism 101: 120 Hours*

Other ways to experience this journey: Enjoy Lizzy's perspectives and Eric and Alyssa's angles

Day 1: Bangkok
There is always a shortness of breath, a tightening of my rib cage whenever I enter Bangkok. The beginning of any journey, however short or long, is always like stepping off a diving board, a momentary reluctance, and then the plunge into something that is all at once familiar and unknown.
Lizzy and I see Eric H. and Alyssa S. as we head down the stairs of the Skytrain station and into the noise and heat of Sukhumvhit street. A few minutes and several soi's (streets) later, we are at Rasayana waiting for our meal and doing the delicate dance of exploring experiences that we humans tend to do when meeting others for the first time.
After lunch, we head to the Chao Praya river, someplace I haven't spent much time since the early 90s. There is something relaxing about traveling through water, no matter how filthy, and by sunset, I decide I like the other bank of the river, with its warm street lights dancing across the broad cobblestones with a comforting orange glow. We narrowly escape being locked in at the Wat Arun temple and manage to get back across the river. We pass luxury dinner yachts serving their guests what appears to be high cuisine. We pass riverfront hotels, their opulence even more obvious at night, and I am again amazed at the extremes of poverty and wealth in Asia.

Day 2: Phitsanulok and Sukothai
We pass the night in a third class train rattling it's way north. Sleep is tantalizing and elusive. We arrive in the city of Phitsanulok early in the morning and find what appears to be a bus station to sleep in. We are back on the road at 7:30. We're playing the trip by ear, and there is a wonderful immediacy to everything that happens. Our plan includes heading to Myanmar (Burma) for a day trip at some point, but right now we head to Sukothai, one of the ancient (though the more appropriate term is pretty dang old) Thai capitals.
Asian ruins have been a part of my life for a long time; and sometimes it's not really the places the effect me so much as the people with whom I travel. It's been a long time since I've been able to travel with a group of people that help inspire me. The textures in the ruins of Old Sukothai are alluring and I spend about a 24 frames of film on trying to capture some of their magic.
The advantage of journeying with travellers versus tourists is that a traveller is always interested in actually connecting with the culture in which they wander; and combined with a lot of curiosity, you can stumble on a lot of neat little things, like the strangely Islamic-like chants of monks blessing new initiates; their newly shorn heads glistening and their beautiful white ceremonial robes isolating them in the crush of the crowd.

Day 3:

WILL
~ by Marcia Falk

Three generations back
my family had only

to light a candle
and the world parted.

Today, Friday afternoon,
I disconnect clocks and phones.

When night fills my house
with passages,

I begin saving
my life.

(borrowed from Samir S.)

Today we wake early, and I feel like I've actually gotten some rest after my first real night in a bed. A deviation: If any of you are ever in Sukothai, I recommend TR's Guest House in New Sukothai. We are joined by Andy, a British traveller who has been exploring Thailand for the last few months, as we continue our journey to Chiang Mai. I had first noticed him as we ate at the night market Friday night. His dreads, neatly tied back, his exotic features, and his flowing Thai clothes had caught my attention. We stand for part of the trip as a result of being the last people on the bus, and dive into seats vacated during the trips while trying to stay close enough to keep up our conversation that spans religion, politics, and Farsi. There is something slightly wonderful about the ability of strangers traveling to join forces. A symbiotic occurrence and a little like cellular synthesis with bonds a easily divided again as mitosis...but with friendships that may last for years after.
We spend the day together, finding a guest house, food, and perusing the night market. We wander into a temple complex (Wat) on the way to the market, attracted by the sounds of the monks' evening chants. We enter one of the buildings in the complex and spend some time marveling at the art. A monk glides in, his robe shifting to show the runes of protection tattooed on his left arm. He sits with us, and we trade questions; he is curious about where we are from, we are intrigued about the life of a monk and the paintings on the ceiling above. He tells us the story of the Buddha's life and as the buildings begin to close for the night, gently escorts us out.
Chiang Mai is a city in which I can relax a bit. While heavily influenced by tourism, there is something charming about it's fusion of east and west. The coffee shops and numerous used book stores carrying mostly western titles across from the walls of the old city. The pace here isn't the frenetic, hyperventilating heartbeat that drives Bangkok.
We explore the night market, relax in an Irish beer garden, and return to the semi-quiet of our guesthouse where Alyssa and Eric read us to sleep (The Places In Between by Rory Stewart .)

Day 4:
Our plans for Myanmar have almost completely disappeared. Eric has spent the last few days trying to get in touch with the Myanmar Embassy in Bangkok and guesthouses across the border with no success. The buses that leave for the Thai border town of Mae Sai seem to be few and far between. We're all ready for a little bit of rest, so spending the day in Chiang Mai isn't too much of a disappointment.
We travel to the Wat at Doi Suthep, one of the mountains surrounding the city, and spend a few hours exploring what is considered to be one of the most holy places in Thailand. Another deviation: If you end up visiting the Wat, check out the museum on the premises...it features currency from all over the world. Definitely good for a few moments of entertaining investigation.
We return to the city and decide to wander through the University of Chiang Mai. Our journey back to the city takes us through the more Thai section of Chiang Mai and we find ourselves in the middle of a festival. I wish we could blend in more, we are some of the only farangs around and it's fun to be in the center of something for Thais and by Thais.
I feel torn between enjoying the chaos and wanting to curl up in a quiet corner. Noise assaults us from every direction and tipsy Thais dance and wave at us and try to start conversations.
I should note that if you end up doing some contortion in the temple courtyard, the monks will enjoy the fun, but eventually a Thai woman will become offended enough to start yelling. I wonder when humans got all confused and forgot that holiness should include fun. Maybe some boundary was crossed...something we as ignorant farangs didn't understand, but I'm a big fan of gentleness; however, I can't completely discount the anger that farangs can incite. We in the West have a lot to answer for with our ham-handedness. Whatever the case, I hope one day, we can remember to find the joy in holiness again.
Lizzy and I plan to catch a night bus back to Bangkok, but our reluctance to leave Alyssa and Eric and Chiang Mai result in us staying one more night. With only one guest house room open, all four of us squeeze onto two single beds. I sleep fitfully...

Day 5:
We wake up, get cleaned up, and slip out, leaving Alyssa and Eric asleep. I forget that I have been planning to leave a few things behind for them. The joys of early morning exits. The bus ride takes a good part of the day, and we sleep off and on, amused by the amount of food and drink the bus stewardess offers the passengers. We politely decline on most of the food, but i enjoy an orange and the banana muffins.
We arrive in Bangkok at 5:30 and decide to ride the subway for kicks and giggles. Neither of us have been and it seems like the thing to do. Sadly, though the trains are sleek and hi-tech, the ride is just as exciting as, well...uh, riding a train without windows. We pick up some groceries and salads at the Siam Paragon mall, Bangkok's latest Wat of indulgence. Many people find comfort in luxury, but after the simplicity of the last few days, it feels treacly.
The van ride back to Muak Lek and the college is relaxing. I wind down, and enjoy the moments of quiet conversation. The fact that I'm leaving Thailand in a week begins to set in, the sweetness of a mangosteen rudely erased by the bitterness of the rind.