25th September
Sunday - Chiang Mai
More intense rain so the planned trip to meet tattoo artisan in the jungle to the south west of the city was by car not motorbikes. It was great to get out of the city, although I’ve loved walking around the ancient walls and feeling very held within the Old City. My friend Mark was unbelievably patient with the car hire guy and even though we kept being told there was no car available, he waited without getting stressed and a car was finally available. I would have walked away at the first no. So interesting to see the cultural differences - in Kenya yes is more common than no, but often means no.
The recent rain meant that once off the main roads, the winding roads into the hills were covered with mud or huge puddles. Roads are generally great in Thailand but some of these looked in danger of washing away. The road snaked alongside a river, the Mai Tian, which was brown and swollen. One more downfall like last nights and it looked like it would easily breech its banks.
Thick jungle either side of the road has made this an area popular for elephant sanctuaries and we passed about four or five on the road. I saw two elephants waiting patiently for something, so different from our Kenyan elephants, with their two domed heads.
The roads got narrower and the jungle gave way to paddy fields and bamboo houses on stilts: Hill Tribe area. One of a group of farmers clearly had the characteristic long neck, stretched by a lifetime of wearing brass coils around their necks. The area and people are known as Karen.
Ban Khagee is a simple house in an organic farm where Nate - a talented artist and artisan - does his thing. The first floor wooden floored studio could have been a pottery workshop or a meditation space with views of the surrounding mountains.
The whole process of getting a tattoo - something I’ve been thinking about for about 6 months - was interesting. After a period of loss and grief I wanted to find a visual representation of some of the lessons I’ve learnt on the hare and stoney grief road. This too shall pass, letting go of attachment and the truth that ends are beginnings may sound like self help fridge magnets. However, these ideas and unpacking and contemplating them have got me through tough times. My tattoo is about those ideas rather than just a pretty adornment. I am not a tattoo fan either so the decision to have one was made as a marker to myself perhaps of the way I have walked this past year. It is certainly not a ‘like or don’t like’ thing and it’s not a badge of any kind. I am happy with the outcome and no it wasn’t painful. I am really glad my Chiang Mai friend Mark came with me - having a friend along for the ride really helped.
I was exhausted when I got back to Chiang Mai - apparently its a post-tattoo thing. I spent the rest of the day packing, and clearing up and catching up with people before my retreat at Wat Phra Thart Doi Suthep tomorrow until Friday.
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