Nakhon Si Thammarat & Koh Phangan: Buddhas & Beaches

Omar put me up and showed me around his city of Nakhon Si Thammarat. And he lent me his sweet motor bike to cruise around "the Khon." Omar is currently the computer teacher at a private Christian school where we spent some evenings playing excellent games of soccer and ultimate frisbee with other Westerner teachers. At the gate of Omar's school is the large inscription, "The Fear of the Lord is the First Step to Wisdom."

We ventured outside the city to explore a sweet giant limestone cave with a river running through it that we swam and walked through.

Wat Phra Mahathat is the most important temple in the Khon and the biggest in southern Thailand.

Island Ferry

Long tail boat for transport to beaches

Haad Yuan, the beach where Omar brought me for an fun weekend with some of his friends.

Chiang Mai: Wheatgrass and Buddhas

From the wheatgrass alone, you should be able to tell that I really liked Chiang Mai. With only about 160,000 residents, it contains as many temples as Bangkok (9 million humans strong). And although it is Thailand's second biggest city, many of its small side streets exude a very laid back, chill atmosphere. Some areas with small streets feel like the countryside or small villages, with funky restaurants and bars with large yards and patios tucked away throughout the city.

Awesome Tuesday night jam at the North Gate Jazz Co-op

funky iberry business

bicycle was the perfect mode of transportation

Many temples...

And lotsa Buddhas...