Christmas with a Buddha

Trip Start Aug 14, 2003
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Trip End Jan 15, 2004


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Friday, December 26, 2003

My bus from Chiang Mai landed me in Sukothai at around 1am on Christmas Eve. I explained to a tuk-tuk driver that I wanted to go to 'the new hostel that was being run by the Swedes' and after some confusion, he suddenly said 'YES YES I know where you mean!!!' and started the engine excitedly. I was dubious but after a long time of chugging around streets and losing my sense of direction, we stopped outside a lit up establishment where people dressed in not a lot of red santa gear and white fluffy stuff were spilling onto the street. I knew I'd found the right place! Am and Maya were inside to my delight and though we were the only ones there to not celebrate Christmas on the 24th, we certainly approved of the European's efforts! After talking to the whole family celebrating Christmas at home earlier that night, it was good to have such fine company!!!

I have NEVER been hung over on Christmas Day, but I was certainly happy to spend this Christmas nursing my sore head on a sunny balcony with some friends Am and her husband!
Am and her husband!
 . I figured I should go do something spiritual, seeing as it was Christmas, but all I could find was a cool Buddha statue near the hostel, so I meditated there for a while. Then it was back to the party. We'd decided to do a traditional Christmas dinner for everyone at the hostel, so the afternoon was spent cooking masses of food that sort of resembled Western food. By the time 10pm rolled around and we were barely done with the vegies, it was decided that roast chicken would be abandoned, and fried chicken was bought from down the road instead! It was a fairly patchy, but very satisfying meal (it was the first time I'd cooked in months!) and definitely a Christmas not to be forgotten easily!

Sukothai is famous for its large collection of ancient temples (around the same time as Angkor I think) so I spent a day checking them out. Maya and Am decided they were templed out, so didn't come, and though the temples were impressive, I realised I was a bit templed out too and was just looking forward to getting to Bangkok to meet Anninka from home...
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