Farther East.

Quite a lot has happened in the past few weeks, and unfortunately I lost the discipline to write about it as I go. I am currently in Saigon, Vietnam staying with a friend of mine after some shenanigans in central Vietnam. My lifestyle of the past couple months is slowly catching up to me and I'm feeling a bit under the weather so I am foregoing the glorious street food (who am I kidding. There are pho and banh mi stands right across the street) and wretched heat and spending the day writing and reading.

Before I left, I did go to a handful of the tourist sites in Jordan. Petra, of course, being the highlight. Seeing the rock-hewn structures up close was incredible. The site was much more Hellenistic(Greek-influenced) than I thought it was. I noticed a few bits that could have been call-backs to Egyptian and Assyrian design as well. The city was situated at a caravan-crossroads and was the capital of the Arab Nabaeteans. 

Leaving Amman was a sad day. I met many great people, and the NGO, 3rd Person, is doing very good things. I do feel like I will return- insha'Allah. My host family was an absolute blast. I always love seeing the everyday life of expat families. Completely gracious in taking me to places they've seen a thousand times before. Like-minded as well- it's always a comfort to find people with similar ideals and goals.  

The Monastery.  Similar structure to the Treasury.
http://kandelight.com/ 

I fell through a portal to Utah.
http://kandelight.com/

From Jordan, I went to Thailand. My official excuse is that there is an American family there that I have been friends with since I was in Utah. I spent a day in Bangkok, and it was chaotic as all get out. Jerusalem and Amman both have building height restrictions, not so in Asia! Skyscrapers everywhere- it was a touch intimidating. I did watch a demonstration for a while, nothing happened except people going polemical. 

I also came across a Syrian man selling shawarma, with whom I had a small conversation with what Arabic I knew.

My next stop was Lopburi, where my aforementioned friends are living while they learn the Thai language (Language learner solidarity!). I took a 3rd class train car which was great. The people watching was good, backpackers, local civilians and military personnel. One thing I have noticed, whether it's Israel, Jordan, or SE Asia, the military members are much more visible and entwined with everyday life. In the States military bases are usually separate entities and can be towns in and of themselves. The American military has quite a number of career members, whereas the countries I have visited have some form of mandatory service (2-3 years). I get the sense that the military is not a separate class like it is becoming in the States.

Lopburi is a pretty small town in central Thailand that was once the capital of the Ayutthaya Kingdom during the 17th century. It is here where I noticed the Thai people are very relaxed and very friendly. Hot weather culture! Many social mores are similar to what I experienced in Arab culture, such as removing one's shoes before entering a home.

I went to a Thai church as well, and not understanding what was being said did not ruin my experience. I absolutely love seeing the church outside the West, and the cross-cultural nature of what I believe in action. For the global church, there is an aspect that binds us together, a tie that should be stronger than nationalism. 

From Lopburi, I took a sleeper train to Chiang Mai. Let it be said, I have an overly-romanticized view of trains and I am not sorry. It was brilliant. I spent the evening talking to a semi-retired Irishman about politics, the global economy, and football. After a decent sleep, I saw a good part of Thailand.

Chiang Mai is a culturally significant city in Northern Thailand, and it is a major draw for foreigners. I was a little iffy going there since I prefer to avoid tourists, but I saw why it's so popular. Mild climate, beautiful countryside, good food and people. I stayed in a small, quiet hostel and met a quality Englishman just starting out on a year-long journey, and the first time out of his birth-country. I am part of the Couchsurfers social network, and the night I arrived there was an event where a number of travelers and expats met at a local restaurant. We went together, and again, quality people- a relief. I had a green curry which was absolutely amazing. I met a Canadian scientist (a bio-chemist, I believe. I'm probably wrong.) who was living in Chiang Mai while he finished a book, an American who is a former barista based out of Boston who was learning Thai massage, and a Frenchwoman who was tired of France and moved to Thailand. 

The day after, we took a tour of the countryside, along with the Frenchwoman. Riding out from the city was a little hairy, but once we escaped it was an excellent ride. The greenness continued to impress me, and it was pretty therapeutic for the eyes after the desert. 

We also visited Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, a Theravada Buddhist temple on the mountain of Doi Suthep. I noticed elements of Buddhism and Hinduism- unfortunately I am not well versed in far-eastern religions so I did not understand much of what I saw. 

All in all, I spent one week in Thailand. Not nearly enough time. I would definitely come back for a more in depth look. From Chiang Mai, I took a flight to Saigon, Vietnam. I'll wait to do another post before I even touch it. I am actually heading Stateside this Monday.

Until next time.