The Life I Lead

The last few days have been the happiest I've had since being here.  This is inherently because I decided I would do the things I needed for myself.  I gave myself the emotional and physical sustenance I needed through out the week and as a result the weekend and the work week have been awesome.  That doesn't mean I didn't get crabby.  This doesn't mean I was spectacularly loving and unselfish.  What it does mean is that I allowed myself to consciously choose to enjoy myself and enjoy my day and enjoy the people around in it. 

The weekend was uneventful as always.  A few meetings, relaxing by the pool and enjoying the presence of my friend Sandee who's joy with living is so completely enthralling that its catching. 

Sandee's joy is infectious and her unwillingness to put up with my crap is refreshing.  Laying buy her pool simply coexisting was delightful and meeting her teacher who prayed with me and allowed me to be open minded to change allowed a rebirth of sorts.  I shut the old doors and opened new ones. 

Monday proved to be highly eventful as well.  As a sub-project Divya and I have taken on "Warm Heart Tours" which we're hoping to be a subsidiary of Warm Heart that will provide sustainable income for the organization and well as boosting the local economy.  The tours will be marketed to tourists who are looking for a real cultural experience and want to enjoy the Thai countryside.  In order to plan out the tours we're seeking out the gems of the Phrao subdistrict.  As I'm sure you can imagine the adventures in this area are limitless.

Adventures are my new favorite.

For a woman such as me, who isn't a big fan of nature or direct sunlight you'd think adventures in the northern mountains of thailand would annoy me.  But for whatever reason this isn't the case.  In fact its quite the opposite.  We discovered a second waterfall, a few local businesses that would be great for tourists to see, a sugar factory and even a local bungalow/guesthouse who is giving us a cut of whatever rooms we book with them through the tours.  We got to see Aomdoi in detail (a local resort) and the coolest temple of all time.

The crew adventuring by the falls.

Sting Dolls made by local artisens... I purchased these two muay thai guys...

The sugar factory owner posing by his kubota machine

Sugar Cane sugar factory-- they've been making it this way for hundreds of years!

I know I know, you're thinking.. "Hannah, another temple? Seriously?" well, yes seriously.  This particular temple is situated on a mountain and under that mountain is a bat cave.  Atop it a HUGE reclining Buddha greets visitors.

This particular cave houses thousands upon thousands of bats and its vastness is only discovered when you get about halfway down the steps into the cave.  Before entering ancient slabs of rock that have been there since time began are on either side as you enter.  The slabs are engraved with ancient forms of Thai scripture.  The place is holy and its vastness is only equaled by the intense smell of bat guano which covers the steps into the cavern. 

Entrance to the cave.. sadly you can't see the bats because of my flash

These inscriptions aren't very old but the pink buddha on the bottom right is actually caved out of the stone and has been there for centuries.

At the bottom of cavern is an ancient Buddha where only the pious (and the crazy) come to worship.  Getting down there with out a flashlight and a breathing mask is nearly impossible but the adventure of it all? Totally stellar.  On the exterior of the mountain is a huge reclining buddha, elephant statues that are bigger than the real thing and steps that go up and up and up. 

At the top of of the mountain is tiled platform adorned with another buddha and bells.  The platform gives way to a view of the entire valley of Phrao.  The entire valley is set out before you and the green lushness of the place hits you, the smoke fires dwindle upward miles away, the dirt and paved roads wind around seemingly as ancient as the temple we're standing on. 

The view is breathtaking but its more than that.  Its as if I'm in another world and I must ask myself.  How did I deserve this? How did I get this job?  How in the world does a girl like me get to a place of beauty like this?! As I reached the top and saw the richness of it all laid before me I was brought to tears.  I felt completely unworthy of such beauty.  Regardless of how I felt I claimed it, owned it and embraced it.  This wasn't my home or my land but for the moment when tears blurred my vision it most certainly could have been.

Yes, I'm a dork.