All good things...

Hello folks (yes it is rather optimistic of me to use the plural)... Sorry this will be a whirlwind post. I have a catch a bus back up to the monastery where I will spend my last few days here in Thailand. Then it's back to my comfy desk job in the states...

After the orphans. I returned to the city and found out that my broken finger was healing alright (yay). Then I split up with my father and did the touristy thing taking the boat ride down the Mekok river to Chiang Rai on a Songtail boat...

From Chiang Rai I caught a bus up to the border and crossed into Burma just for the day. I had a very interesting time wading through the black markets there. More people are apt to speak English there than in Thailand as it is a former British colony. I met a very friendly young Burmese guy and we chatted and had tea for a few hours and he told me about how bad the government was (something he would be imprisoned for saying if anyone heard) and showed me his 1969 Reader's which he read to practice his English. I had to give him some money to buy another book. Then I bought a couple of black market watches and it was time to leave.

Unfortunately I began to feel sicker and sicker and barely made it back through Thai customs before I was puking my guts out. So I spent the next couple of days recuoperating from whatever it was before returning to Chiang Mai.

Today, I'll head back up to the Monastery for a few days of meditation zoom back to the city and get on a plane for the states... I'm picking one up for Zoe so if anyone wants Thai child for a manservant now would be the time to let me know. Also, I can get you genuine , 100% authentic Rolexes for only $20... Here's some pictures:

Riding the boat to Chiang Rai...

Feeding the elephants... I feel like such a tourist...

Following the young monks across the bridge that seperates Burma from Thailand...

Oh yeah, there's been a lot of flooding all over the country. Here's a flooded out town...