Yes I did ride an elephant today!

Hellloooo friends!

It's been quite a day travel wise. I got around by foot, motorbike...and even, elephant!

To celebrate my seventh day here in Thailand, I splurged ($15!) for an hour long trip a top this incredible creature.

Yup, this is me riding Tam Tam (or some shit), an 18-year old female elephant. It was quite the experience!

She's big, super big, and to get up on her they had me climb up her trunk and pull myself up by her massive bulging brain. I knew this would be a good ride given the "Just go for it!" start. So un-American in its lack of regulations.

Anywho, Tam Tam rode me down the street (and perilously close to tree branches and 220 volt electrical wires), and then into a river where she sprayed me with so much water and then dunked me. Oh it was fun, if a bit unnerving. I'm not sure how much she weighs, but enough to crush me that's for sure.

A word about riding elephants: dumbo may look soft, but real elephants are quite brittle. If you're gonna do it, wear long pants for God's sake!

After riding Tam Tam and thoroughly chaffing my inner thighs (TMI!), I rode my motorbike to a local hot spring for some much needed R & R. Then I visited a limestone canyon, and after that, an incredible waterfall carving it's way through limestone. Wow.

I'm experiencing more of rural Thailand, and it is beautiful. Riding through little villages, rice fields, hills and windy roads. Past school kids and old men tending crops and mothers carrying babies on motorbikes.

I continue to be struck by the beauty and peaceful nature of the people here. I'm probably romanticizing some, but I think there's something to what I'm sensing.

And the place I chose to stay at...yes! Here's a pic. I slept so peacefully there last night. Earlier in the evening Tee, the 26-year old Thai co-owner made me and him a delicious dinner. Cauliflower has rarely tasted that good...and you know of my penchant for preparing le chouz fluer! (That's cauliflower in French, peeps. Probably going to Laos, so gotta brush up.)

I'm the only one staying on the property. This morning I woke to the sound of hundreds of song birds, and also a bastard rooster who wouldn't stop screeching all night.

After my mostly restful sleep, I woke and meditated by the stream that flows through the property. I felt very at peace.

Remarkably, I have only 38 Bhat left in my pocket right now (I splurged on dinenr as well - 5 bucks for delicious fried fish, pork curry, brown rice and a coconut shake!), so I need to stop writing now.

I've been here a week. It's been quite rich. I'm feeling some homesickeness, and mainly just going with the flow.

Thoughts of, "What am I doing here?" keep arising. What is the point of this? To rest? To enjoy? To adventure? To challenge myself?"

All of the above, perhaps. I'm telling myself, "Go with it. Give yourself to it. You may not see it but there is purpose to all this too."

Much love to all of you,
Roni
- Pai, Northern Thailand