Thai massage

In just two weeks in Thailand, I have walk passed more massage shops than I have in all my life. Getting a Thai massage was one of the things about Thailand, I was most looking forward to, but once I arrived, I felt overwhelmed by the countless number of massage shops, and unsure of which place to choose.

I finally opted for a Thai massage shop close to my apartment because it seemed to always be full of Thai people, but also had some signs with English words. As I hesitantly walked through the door, I was faced with an overflow of signs advertising the different packages ranging from 1 hour to 4 hours. I decided to go with the one-hour traditional Thai massage for $6.

Unsure what to expect, I followed the woman into a room where she gave me what seemed to be an extra-large pair of scrubs to change into. Once in my hospital attire, she led me to a bed and gestured for me to lie down. She rinsed my feet off with a warm cloth and went to work.

From that point on, what I experienced was a mix of extreme pain and pleasure, as she positioned me in a variety of yoga-like poses and went to work jabbing her elbow, forearm, feet and hands into every part of my body.

I learned that anything goes in Thai massage, from cracking my toe knuckles, massaging the top of my head, to straight up walking on my back.

I learned that parts of my quads are ticklish, that I have "computer shoulders," and that a tiny little Thai woman can use her entire body weight to give a surprisingly strong massage.

My first time in a Buddhist temple

There are temples scattered all throughout Chiang Mai. But, before Dan and I ventured into our first temple, I decided to do a bit of research about proper temple etiquette. Good thing I did, because I learned a lot.

Of course we learned the somewhat obvious-- shoes and hats should be removed before entering a temple; women should cover up both their shoulders and knees (which is difficult since it's still quite hot here). This was not surprising. But in addition, we learned that you should never turn your back to the Buddha statues, but rather back away slowly. And women may never touch a monk or his robes (even brushing up against a monk by accident requires the monk to perform a lengthy cleansing process).

We decided to visit Wat Chiang Man, the oldest temple in Chiang Mai. Buddhist temples in Thailand are located in temple compounds (otherwise known as 'wat') and consists of a number of buildings with different architecture, function and importance.

Almost immediately upon entering the temple, you see the main Buddha statue, front and center, painted in gold. Smaller Buddha statues surround you, along with extremely bright, intricate, showy artwork and sculptures.

To be honest, if I weren't actually in Thailand, I might have described the temple as "gaudy" or even, "fake looking" since most of the gold-painted sculptures were chipping away, and most of the decorations seemed like knick-knacks one might buy at a garage sale. But, at the same time, there was something decidedly beautiful and serene about it.

Thai people believe that Buddha spent 7 days following his enlightenment thinking of all the suffering of living creatures, and these seven days are represented in the temple with images of Buddha in different poses.

Thai people believe that the day of the week in which you were born is very important in shaping your personality. I don't exactly agree with my Wednesday morning description, but here goes:

Sunday: respectable, wise, loved by friends and family

Monday: serious with a good memory and a love of travel

Tuesday: serious, brave and active most probably in the services

Wednesday morning: polite, artistic and emotional

Wednesday evening: hard working and honest

Thursday: peaceful, calm and honest –likely to be a teacher or in the legal profession

Friday: fun loving, friendly and ambitious, probably an entertainer or public figure

Saturday: calm, logical and a bit of a recluse; very likely engaged in manual work of a skilled nature

I'm excited to continue to visit temples and learn more...

Learning a little more each day...

Images of the Thai King and Queen are everywhere.  Thai people have a deep admiration for the King and Queen and adhere to very strict laws that prohibit speaking badly about them.  Those unfortunate enough to be found guilty of such a crime can be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison!

In many parts of the world light skin equates with wealth and class.  The same holds true in Thailand.  Thai women don't want to be confused with laborers or street food sellers.  These groups work outside all day, and are often poor.  So Thai women often go to extremes in the way they dress and behave to avoid getting dark.

While browsing the drugstore for sunscreen, I noticed that all of the sunscreens have a whitening agent in them.  So, don't be surprised if I return from Thailand whiter than when I came!

Some noticeable differences...

An interesting breakfast
A few days ago I ordered a bowl of granola with milk and fruit for breakfast.  I was quite surprised when my bowl of granola arrived with random fruits floating around in the milk.  I guess I have seen people put bananas in cereal, but mangos and watermelon?  I was surprised, but it was better than expected.

Shower time
The bathrooms in Thailand are a little different than what I am used to.  First, the shower IS the bathroom, meaning the entire bathroom is one giant shower.  The shower head is mounted to the wall, which by default means that the sink and the toilet bowl are in the shower.  You can go to the bathroom while taking a shower-- talk about multi-tasking!

The bathroom experience
Next to every toilet bowl there is something that Dan and I call, "the butt sprayer."  Basically, it is a hand-held water sprayer that is used after you go to the bathroom to clean up.  At first I was surprised by this set-up, but after doing some research (perhaps I should delete my google search history) I've learned that this is used in many other countries as well (the Arab world, the Philippines and parts of Asia), and might in fact be a better method of cleaning up than toilet paper.

Sometimes there isn't a butt sprayer, but rather a bucket of water that will do the trick.

And oh yeah, this is a picture of a squat toilet.  According to research, humans are naturally designed to squat when going to the bathroom.

First impressions

First impressions can often be deceiving, but here is my first impression of Thailand...

One thing that I have learned about Dan from over four years of dating is that he is a man of extremes.  His friend once described him with the quote, "When I'm cold, I set myself on fire," and this could not have been more accurate.    When he doesn't like something, he not only fixes it, but he changes it completely.  Perhaps we have both subconsciously done this on our trip...

In Ecuador, both Dan and I thought the majority of food was bland and lacking on spices.  Here in Thailand, the food has yet to disappoint us.

On the other hand, the weather in Cuenca was beautiful-- 65 to 70 degrees every day with a bout of rain here and there (but not enough to put a damper on the day).  Here in Thailand it is rainy season with temperatures near 90s and humidity at about the same numbers.  Rainy season should be over soon, and according to online sources the temperature and humidity should slowly decrease.

Cuenca was a walking city.  Chiang Mai barely has any sidewalks.

Cuenca was easy to get around with good maps and readable street names.  Chiang Mai doesn't have a public transport system, and the streets have Thai names, or no names at all.  A lot of the streets are called "soi" which we have come to learn means, "a side street branching off a major street."

Most of the people drive around on motorbikes. Dan and I find these quite intimidating (although Thai woman seem perfectly comfortable riding around on them with their children on their laps).  But, I'm going to give one a try soon!

There are these red trucks here that basically act as multi-person taxis-- you tell the driver where you are going, and hop in if by chance, the people already in the truck are headed in that same direction.  The only problem, the drivers speak barely any English.

Cuencanos communicated in Spanish, a language that was easy to get by in.  Thai is quite the opposite.


Some other things I've learned:

Once again I am taller than almost every person in the city (males included).  While I had expected this, it is still strange to view an apartment with two Thai women who ask me to lie down in a bed to see if I can fit.

Almost every large house and business has a "spirit house" placed in an auspicious spot, most often in the front corner of the property.  A "spirit house" is basically a miniature model of a house that is mounted on a pillar.  The purpose is to provide shelter to the spirits who could cause problems if they are not happy.

Sa-was-de (Hello) Thailand!

A lot has happened since the last time I wrote.  Let's see, I returned from Ecuador, spent some time in the US, and now here I am in Thailand.

Dan and I left New York on Wednesday at 2pm, and after 3 flights, long layovers, and numerous failed attempts at sleeping, we arrived in Chiang Mai at 11am (local time) on Friday.  

In case you're wondering, yes, we managed to get some sushi on our layover in Tokyo...

Our goal was to find a hostel, check-in and relax for a bit while forcing ourselves to stay awake until a reasonable bedtime hour. However, an attempt at a one-hour nap quickly turned into five hours.  So much for beating the jet lag...It's Monday now, and I think I have finally adjusted to the time difference, but Dan is still struggling quite a bit.

So, we could live anywhere in the world (with good Internet), so why did we choose Chiang Mai?  Well, for one thing, neither of us had ever been to Asia, so now seemed like a good time. For another, who can deny the deliciousness of Thai food?  Not to mention the cheap cost of living, elephant rides and Thai massages...

Chiang Mai is the third biggest city in Thailand, and I think that for some odd reason, I like "third biggest" cities...They are big enough that the people speak English, but small enough to easily get around and not feel completely like a "farong" (Thai word for gringo).

This is the first time I have ever arrived in a place not knowing even one word.   I've had to remind myself at least twenty times already how to say "thank you," "yes" and "no."  Next week I'll try to master "hello" and "goodbye."  The Thai language is so foreign to my brain, and unfortunately nothing sticks (I wish the random song lyrics would move aside and make space for Thai words).  So, Dan and I have resorted to pointing at things and smiling, and for some odd reason, sometimes communicating in Spanish. 

It's quite surreal to be walking past temples that I had seen in images online and in books.  I don't think my brain has fully comprehended that I am actually here.  I feel as if I am still in the US, paying a visit to "Thai-town" (the Thai equivalent of Chinatown).

So far the food has lived up to expectations.  Dan and I went to a restaurant near our hostel last night for dinner-- I didn't have my camera with me, so I'll do my best to describe it.  Imagine a live band playing music in the corner, tables overlooking the river, lights hanging from the trees, Dan eating a pad thai dish with water and me a pork noodle soup with lemonade.  All for $8.  Is this real life?

I was looking for a place that was different than what I was used to; a place where I could learn something new every day; a place where traveling would once again become an adventure...and I'm pretty sure that I found it.