Waterfall Playing and Balloon Popping

12- 22 -09

The day before yesterday I discovered my favorite place in Chiang Mai. It isjust up the street from our apartments (about a 40 munite walk, or a not too long Rot Dang Ride). Im starting to think my Chur Len (Nick name) in Thai should just be Nam (water) because I am so fascinatedand enthralled with all things water on this trip. Water falls, snorkeling, kayaking, fountains, rivers, but really… mostly waterfalls. This is the Huey Gaow waterfall (we live at Huey Gaow place on Huey Gaow Road).

We got off the Rot dang and there were tons of little food stalls, and we walked up the path towards the falls. It turns out the falls are a tumbling river running over rocks, in little pools, little falls, running rivelts you can slide down like a waterslide. The whole park, on a hill side, is nesteled among trees with grassy nooks, and little stone brides over the water. We climbed up along the river/falls and there was a view out over the Chiang Mai Valley, the high rises emerging out of the green trees and haze. Tons of Thai families picnicked next to the water, or splashed their feet in it.

Near what we originally thought was the top, three thai boys about our age were sitting, dancing and splashing in the falls – one giggled and shrieked in a voice Ihigher pitched than I though it was possible for any guy to make. They splashed around in tiny underwear, and a large older Farang man sat on the rock next to them watching (Sex tourism much?).

We ate tiny hard boiled quail eggs and soy sauce next to the falls and climbed on. Past a really steep waterfall like spot we found a pool swimmable deep and overlooking the city. It was so cold! I forgot what it feels like to get into the water and be barly able to swim because you muscles are cramping up! It was almost like lake mi in august!!! Haha.

Up and up the woodland “trail” we went, crossing the waterfall here and there over rocks. And far far up, after navigating some brush and briary spots.

Wow.

We came out into a secrete garden of a dream tean hangout area. A few groups of young thai friends chilled next to a glorious stony sweap of water slides. A group had started a campfire on the rocks next to the water. A boy was playing the guitar. A twisted figtree watched down over the spot. Boys were zooming down the slipper rocks into pools. One maybe 6-8 foot fall rushed down into a tiny but very deep pool (next to the guitar players), which we soon learned was a natural waterslide and dunk pool! We made friends a bit with the Thai kids there and they told us how was best to slide of the waterfall….

It was so awesome.

The rock was slippery, and the water just wisked us off free fall and splash! Into the deep freezing water. The Khon Thai (Thai people ) laughed when we went off ‘Now mai?” they asked. “Cold?” It was over our heads deep, and toes barely touched bottom, before we popped up again. There were rocks (so close it seemed) but they stayed well out of the way. I don’t think you could possibly design anything more fun. The Thai boys showed us up by summersalting and flipping off the jump. The whole place was so romantic and gorgeous. And exciting. I can’t wait to go back.

The only catch was the littering / circle of concern thing I talked about earlier. There was trash and broken glass scattered all around and we had to be very careful of that. When we left I filled a trashbag with bottles and loads of broken glass but there was still much more. When the guitarplayers group left they left their food wrappers, bottles, plastic bags, and they left the camp fire still burning.

Philip and I each got a little glass bite on our hands and Erin bruised her heal. But, I’m kind of surprised we escaped the spot with as few injuries as we did considering all the glass, and going off waterfalls, and sliding down slippery rocks into pools…

Our time there was cut short a bit because I was getting picked up to go home to my host family. I spent the last two days there. It was so great to see them again, and it made me miss home much less. That night Rew and Leap taught me a great game where we tie a balloon to our ankle and then put our other foot touching in the center, count to three, and go! Try to stomp-pop the other peoples balloons> it was insanely hilarious. We went nuts, screaming and jumping and tussling. Three kids and many balloons = very loud and very happy. We had the hot pot for dinner where you add tons of stuff to boiling soup.

Nawng May seems to be living with them now. She is 17 and I think she quit school. She has a shy, beautiful smile. She helped Bah May Pen at her restaurant, but now she cleans house for us. It’s a little awkward for me because I want to help her clean but she says oh no no I can do it myself. She doesn’t eat with Rew and Leap and Me....

Yesterday I went to work with Mae. I also came down with a cold and I could barely focus. As an aside for what good care the host families take of us, I had a sore throat so my host mom sent her staff out to get me medicine, which ended up being amoxycillan (can’t spell). Then I awkwardly had to explain why I wouldn’t take it…. Um that’s way too strong, I have only a little sick. That’s antibacterial and this is a virus.” But then her doctors friend stopped by so he could explain better.

Anyway, I got to go to work with Mae. I felt really bad because after a bit Mae said “you look like you not enjoy being here”. Really I was super happy to be there, but I felt very awkward. I wasn’t dressed nice (baggy boy pants and a yello t shirt, flip flops) and everyone was dressed so nice. Also I didn’t realize exactly what it meant to be the director of such a big foundation in Thai culture. Everyone stood and wai-ed to us when she went anywhere, and stooped down to walk by her, and she just carried herself with such poise and grace. Then we ran into her boss and I got all tongue tied again. Oh. She delivered me to the big open sided warehouse room where they make the prosthetic legs, so I could see how it was done. I was so shy at first, and I just watched and didn’t say anthing because I couldn’t think of questions that didn’t involve complex vocab, but eventually I got talking a bit and made friends with the workers and felt much much better. Pi Boon and Pi La both dropped by for lunch and seeing them was great. Pi Churn (new, met him there) let me help add the plaster to a prosthetic leg!!! It was so cool!!

It was so interesting to be in such an international space. The visitied people from Africa were going back tomorrow (they are ready to start their own clinic there) but one guy was in there trying to respray paint his prosthetic hand (it was too dark) but kept making it look worse and worse (patchy pale and dark) and the Pi Churn was poking fun at him. Also Mrs. Idon’trememberhername next door neighbor from Japan was popping around talking with everyone an dhelping (they both speak English and some Thai). Then I was there, and all the Thai workers… it was just really really neat. I hope to go back when I am less exhausted and without sore throat to make a better impression. We all had lunch together out back from a long table with stick rice and lots of dishes.

After than I went home and slept the rest of the afternoon and into the evening. We ate dinenr together (they bought a pizza for a snack and it was great comfort food) then Paw and the boys and Nawng May and I watched a movie (day after tomorrow) in Thai and Paw and I talked about it as it went along and he taught me a few more Thai words, ant the boys played balloons in front of the TV and paw went to bed and Rew started another movie about “gangs” of boys who have park wars and it looked like the dream childhood (the main character was three years old but the size a of 17 year old because he ate mushrooms as a baby, that had a chemical in them explained Rew) and he wached with his head resting on my legs so although I was tired I didn’t have the heart to go to bed. And when it was done he kept trying to wake up Nawng (his Pi) May to tell her to turn off the lights, and I kept trying to keep him from watking her/knocking on the door. (fun)

and I clean up and we went upstairs and crawled in bed and did our ritural of him trying to tickle me while I’m trying to fall asleep, which melted me heart, then he fell asleep with our bodies curled up like two spirals facing eachother, my hand on his shoulder, and I couldn’t fall asleep for a long time and just lay there thinking about life and feeling fortunate, and alive, and trying not to cough because it might wake him up, and loving basically everything and everyone I know.