Maybe it was breathing in exceedingly fresh air, or the five hours riding through the Thai country side, looking out on to Burma (now known as Myanmar) in the back of a oversized pick up truck or the fact that the novelty of 'Thai green' just doesn't wear off, but Mae Sot went and exceeded everything I had hoped it would be.
Saturday was spent bouncing around in the back bed of a World Education pick up truck, weaving through the steep mountain roads of Thailand's expansive greenery, in search of commanding waterfalls and hidden temples in natural caves. We were greeted by seven headed serpents carved of wood, moss covered roads laid out like a royal forest carpet and monks clad in their Buddhist orange robes tilling the land.
At points on our trip I found myself alone, reading "An Open Heart" by the Dali Lama, looking out from my guest room, into leafy palms, florescent green patty fields, with the looming Burmese mountains emerging from a low, dense fog off in the distance. Mae Sot was quiet, there were few cars, and the people were beautiful and always smiling; faces marked with the traditional Burmese Thanaka, a yellowish-white paste, made from bark. While sitting on the bank of the river that separates Burma and Thailand, under the closed "Friendship Bridge" border crossing, I had a man stop in his tracks, stare, then ask me how I was. He was convinced he knew me and when I told him I was visiting from Bangkok, he sheepishly smiled, apologized and walked on. When I saw him again, later in town, I smiled and waved; now we were acquaintances. Children walked the market with large, clear plastic bags filled with even larger snakes, tied to the ends of the bamboo beam balanced across their still forming shoulder muscles. We perused the repeating stands, my favorite one selling hair driers, DVD players and oversized calculators, riddled with Engrish. We marveled at the antique stores, filled to the brim with old grandfather clocks, vintage cameras and assorted ancient knickknacks.
On Sunday, Ben, Amy and I were invited to the house of World Education's in country deputy director, Sarah's house. Sarah, a Mercy Centre alum, was hosting Kin, the director of World Ed in Burma, who happens to be an SIT alum, as well as Anuja, who works on development projects in SE Asia out of World Ed's Boston office. Here in this brightly colored living room, in northwestern Thailand, just minutes from the Burmese border, were the most interconnected group of people. Sarah, volunteered at Mercy over 10 years ago and used to live with the most adorable 13 and 14 year olds, Pui and Pung (my current, amazing roommates) and Kin and I were able to talk about our favorite professors at SIT, while Anuja spoke of her first winter in Boston. Kin made a delicious Burmese dish, while Amy cooked up a special Mexican recipe - all Alex safe - and we relaxed with glasses of lime soda in the heat of the Thai afternoon sun. As the afternoon winded down we all reflected on our favorite moment from the weekend. The temple, the waterfall, the multicultural meal, it was so difficult to choose.
In the back of the pick up truck on Saturday's outdoor adventure, Ben, Amy and I spoke of choices. We discussed the luxury of choice and how incredibly lucky we all were to be exactly where we were in that moment: covered in mud, sunburned and in Thailand. Perfection.
These truly are the days of miracle and wonder.
Thank you Amy for being the photographer this weekend:
Starting the day off in the back of the truck. P E A C E
No camera will ever do this view justice. Climbing hills.
Sarah, getting lost in the flowers.
Luke and I make it to the top of the waterfall.
The water's coming down a lot faster than you realize.
Ben continues the climb.
From below.
At the bottom of the falls is a lake, the local boys fill the tree and soon test the branches strength as they catapult themselves into the water.
The novelty never wears off.
Kin in the temple.
Moss covered streets.
Monks till the land on route to the temple.
Packed in the back of the truck, loving life.
A room with a view.
Take more pictures with your eyes and your heart.
ABA
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