This is why I came to Thailand

In the last 24 hours, I have undergone two of the most unbelievable experiences of my life, and easily the most amazing of this trip so far. Not only that, but we are finally eating well, as the dining options we have chosen in the past two days have all been top notch. I am officially a chicken pad thai fan (but the chicken club and fries I got from 'John's Place' were pretty decent too).

Okay, first things first. Having read about a 'monk chat' offered from 5-7pm every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at Wat Suan Dok Suthep at the Buddhist University of Chiang Mai just outside the city, we decided to check it out so as to learn more about Buddhism and its culture. In the end, it is safe to say that all four of us we're blown away by the experience. Obviously the monks were extremely welcoming and friendly, but I feel naive in retrospect for not realizing how human they are. They were merely students, just like us, looking to get an education so that they can get good-paying jobs back in Cambodia when they graduate (though there are Thai students at the nearly 1000-person university as well, the Cambodians lead the chats so that they can practice their English). Vas and I sat in a circle with 4 or 5 monks, while Ben and Anthony sat in another. One of them, Ti, spoke very good English and did most of the talking, though it was still often difficult to understand him. For more than two hours we discussed the history, teachings, and principles of Buddhism, which I find extremely fascinating. Vas and I were completely taken aback when another monk, Kai, told us that he was actually Christian and quoted John 3:16 (which, honestly, I couldn't even repeat to you). Buddhism, which is more of a way of life than anything else, accepts all faiths and believes that all religions are good religions.

After all of the heavy stuff, we talked about several different topics ranging from sports to politics to pop culture. A few Manchester United fans, and one Chelsea fan, but no Arsenal supporters unfortunately. Apparently, when they find time away from their studies, the monks go off into the mountains, where nobody can see them, so that they can play soccer (it's generally not smiled upon for monks to play apparently). We were again caught off guard when Ti and Kai told us that they had to go put together a PowerPoint presentation on abortion for their class the next morning. PowerPoint! Monks use PowerPoint! In the end, we exchanged e-mail addresses and phone numbers, but failed to take a picture... Damn! I think we all had such a great time though and made such good friends that we are considering going back before we leave. I really can't describe the experience in such a way that would give justice to it. You'll just have to try for yourselves...

On to today's adventure. Surprisingly advocated almost entirely by Benny, he, Anthony, and I did a day trip to go rappelling down the side of a 50 meter (165 foot) waterfall. Unreal. Though the 2500 baht fee (about $70) seems pricey, it is worth every penny, and I strongly recommend this trip for anyone planning on traveling to Thailand. Brian and Monica - I'm looking at you. Make sure you use Peak Adventure Tours. Okay, good plug. Anyway, our guides, Nai and Fati, picked us up at our guesthouse around 8:30 this morning and drove us about an hour and half outside of Chiang Mai to Doi (Mountain) Ithanon National Park. After about 2 and a half minutes of training, we drove to this unbelievably gorgeous waterfall in the middle of the forest. We went down twice - first with Nai, who took pictures of us the whole way, and then by ourselves, as Nai took pictures and videos from the bottom (she literally took over 100). Naturally, I was the one who was literally drowning himself in the waterfall. EXTREME!! Again, no words or pictures will do it justice.

After that, we had a quick lunch of rice and chicken, and drove another 30 minutes to the top of Doi Ithanon. At 2,142 meters, it is the highest point in Thailand. In fact, we were so high that we could hardly see anything because we were literally in the clouds! Constructed 20 and 15 years ago, respectively, the King and Queen Pagodas there to commemorate the 60th birthdays of the royal couple. At 80 years old, the king of Thailand has reigned for 60 years, making him the longest-reigning current monarch in the world.

Back at the guest house now, attempting to upload my first 400 pictures and videos onto Picassa. Once I figure out how to share them all with you, I'll post the URL. Headed to Riverside Bar and Cafe tonight for some grub and drinks. Tomorrow we're using the same tour company for our 2-day, 1-night jungle trek, which includes elephant riding, white water rafting, and a night in one of the hillside tribal villages. So pumped. Later!

Okay, here are the pictures: http://picasaweb.google.se/Kyle.Burr/FromSpruceToKoSamui02?authkey=Gv1sRgCIOriY2XH4Y-vwAE#

Somebody let me know if that doesn't work for whatever reason.