Cave Lodge Mae Hong Son

My last day at school and I was incredibly moved - the teachers at Toong Kong Moo school put a special lunch to say goodbye. They ordered in a vat of meat stew for all of the children's lunch (and the teachers) but me being an awkward veggie they made me a fresh papaya salad that was absolutely delicious.

I taught my final ...

... heart two years earlier and simply could not believe it. As soon as I met Astra she made me hire a motorbike. So there I was back, my first time driving a motorbike, in pouring monsoon rain, when Astra looked at me and said 'Iona you are shining!’

I spent the next few days catching up with old friends and making new ones. I met Stephen The Branch Foundation volunteer, and together with a few others we built a play ground for the children at the ...

... there is a settlement of Big Ear Karen. Here we were again greeted and invited over. Tony took a few photos while I bought a scarf the woman had made. They also had a little bamboo church tucked in the back, in the most scenic little corner. We managed to find the school as well and were greeted by lots of inquisitive little faces shouting, "what's your name?" On the way back, we chatted with the driver. He told us that the ...

... swallows which filled the sky as far as I could see as they swooped and swirled and spiraled into the cave entrance right above me. Amazing. All this set along a peaceful river cutting right through a jungle where 4 monks had just disappeared downstream into the unknown. Tempering all this is that smoke from slash and burn agriculture fills the air and I fought a sore throat the whole day. I'll have to return here someday in or just after the wet season to do some kayaking and rafting.

... recommended in the guide book. At 11Am I was the first there, some local stragglers meandered in later. It was more touristy, expansive, clean and classy then expected. I was hoping for a little more gritty local flavor, yet the actual flavor still satisfied. Mok Hok, fried fish in curry, apparently a local Northern dish. Then to the caves. 7 KM over the roughest roads I've encountered in Thailand. Thai roads are surprisingly good for ...

... I took pics of him when we got our of the cave. ??????? Spirit dog of the forest, perhaps? :D After paying our guide and thanking him for a great adventure, we proceeded home, passing both military checkpoints with nothing but a smile. That night, we had another great dinner with Albert and Susannon and greeted a new guest to the house. We shared our story with them around a fire and went to bed early again.

... go to bed at 8 and wake around 5 then practice meditating all day. They have caves nearby you can go meditate in. The one had a bat flying around inside and another had a bunch of monkies living outside in the trees. On the third day, the abbot (the only English speaking monk) was leaving for Bangkok, so everybody was leaving. I got a ride back to Pai with James, a guy I met at the monastery.

... excellent restaurants and a funky night market that happens every day of the week. A lot of hippy types seem to hang around Pai for weeks on end just watching the days float by. Btw. - what ever happened to the days that hippies actually cared about social causes? All the hippies of Pai seem to do is hang about, strum on their guitars and drink. Pai is also the type of place that you hear a lot of ...

... Visa, Internet, Waescherei, Buecherladen usw.... Am naechsten Tag trafen wir uns mit Jens und Torsten, zwei deutsche Jungs die wir am Inle See kennen lernten, zu einem leckeren Sushi und anschliessendem Clubbing im angesagtem Bed Supper Club. Waehrend der folgenden Tage besuchten wir den obligaten Royal Palace sowie das dazugehoerige Teakwoodmansion, schlenderten ueber den Nachtmarkt und genossen den Blick ueber Bangkok "by night" von ...