My energy for typing this blog is waning at the moment since I'm so relaxed after the massage Axel and I had this morning. We love Thai massage! Our masseuses weren't your average lay people. We went to the women's prison and were massaged by inmates. It's part of their reintegration program and a way for them to learn a trade they can use when they're finished their prison terms. What a great experience. We were given traditional Thai cotton clothes to put on and the ladies contorted us into various positions during our hour-long session. What a lovely way to start the day...
Chiang Mai is a wonderful place. We were instantly taken with its "laissez faire" culture, the winding, narrow streets of the inner square that comprise part of the town and our guest house, which, although it is basic, has a rooftop patio and is on a quiet street. The cooler temperatures in the evening here are much more tolerable than what we have been experiencing. It's a very welcome change.
Yesterday, we visited a few temples (Chiang Mai has a considerable number of them for its size). At one of them - Wat Phra Singh - we had the opportunity to sit and chat in English with several monks who live here. Learning about their daily lives, what they are studying, their plans for the future and proper etiquette for us as tourists when encountering monks was fascinating. These monks come every afternoon to the temple courtyard in the hopes of practicing English with tourists. We were just as eager as them to engage in conversation.
Looking forward to our next days here...
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