The girls spent quite a few hours being instructed on the principles and techniques of Thai Massage, starting with the head and neck, then the back and then out to the legs and arms. We were very relaxed at the end of it after practising on each other and I quite craftily made myself available for all of the demonstrations from the expert!
We then travelled into the centre of Chiang Mai where we sat and talked to a Buddhist Monk- a Monk Chat. The Monks of the temple make themselves available to chat to tourists for a couple of times a day to answer questions about Buddhist and Monk life. We had a wonderful young Monk talk to us and we were totally disarmed by his excellent knowledge of English and very funny sense of humour. He had a real spark in his eye and may I say with all respect due- he was a spunky Monk. From talking to him he seemed very devoted to being a Monk and the principles of Buddhist life, but he was also making the most of his excellent and free education where he gets to study any subject he likes, from Maths and Politics to English and Japanese. Becoming a Monk certainly allows him to have a far better education and future than many other people of his background and culture. The girls asked really thoughtful questions and were fascinated by his stories and way of life. An anecdote he shared on the reason Thai Monks shave their eyebrows is that around 400years ago Thailand was under attack from Burma. Burmese spies were infiltrating the city and were under the guise of a Monk. The King, hearing of this decreed that all Thai Monks shave their eyebrows that night. In the morning the Monks that still had eyebrows were revealed to be Burmese and were "dealt with".
We then went to the Sunday Night Walking Market which sprawls a few kilometres and is abundant with locally made products and craft. My friends and family will be happy to know I spent a fair amount of Baht (which is very little in Australian Dollars) and will be coming home with some prezzies. And to my surprise some clothes for myself. I was certain that there would be nothing to fit me here- being a fair bit bigger than your average small framed Thai woman, but I got some great tops and pants and a dress. I was well pleased with myself! The market quickly filled last night and by eight it was hard to move forward. The human traffic moves up one side of the stalls and in the opposite direction on the other side of the street and low and betide the person who goes against the grain! The girls had a fantastic time using their Thai language and bartering with the store owners. They made some great purchases and a few of them proved themselves to be canny hagglers. The girls also had a chance to eat some local produce and the spicy smells of cooking filled the streets and mingled with the damp air and bodies. Street buskers sang and danced; it really was a place tostimulate all of your senses. It was a great night for everyone.
No comments:
Post a Comment