Ko "It Waited Until My Last Four Days In Thailand To Rain"

I never thought that at any point while in Thailand I would wish for sun, but we arrived at Ko Chang yesterday for our last days and haven't seen the sun since. I was hoping to step off the plane in (I can't believe it) four days and be jet lagged, dirty, delirious, and gloriously sun-bronzed. My super-tan of July faded long ago and I wanted the chance to gain a little of it back, just enough to last me through October. But I'm worn out from traveling and tanning regrets aside, can't be too disappointed about the rain. As long as I have a book thick enough to last me (and I think the one I have will last all the way to the States) I have no real complaints. If given the choice, though, I would have switched the weather in Chiang Mai and Ko Chang.

Chiang Mai was hot. You would think I'd be used to it but apparently four days in the mountains in Pai were all it took for me to adjust back to normal temperatures (normal being 80 degrees). Unwilling to expose our tired, travel-worn selves to more discomfort, we kept our activities low-key during the first day (reading in the park, napping, Starbucks) and then re-energized for our Thai cooking class. It turns out I have found my cooking niche. I don't have the patience, inclination, or attention span for the usual stuff, but apparently I have a knack for Thai food. I realized that while I could get various people to cook my favorite foods for me at home there was no one who could make Thai food for me. So I stuck out my chin, donned my apron and headscarf, and got to it. I learned all of my favorites (my green curry in particular was excellent), impressed our teacher by making everything Thai-level spicy, and finally found out which is the mortar and which is the pestle (one of my top five questions about Thailand).

One morning was devoted to The Flight of the Gibbon, which is the attraction in Chiang Mai (as seen on Amazing Race). A gibbon is a monkey that swings from tree to tree and almost never touches the ground and The Flight is a series of zip-lines through the rainforest where they live. Our guides enjoyed sending us off the platforms before we were ready and, at one time, "missing" someone in my group at the other end so he slid back to the middle. Oh, North and Chit, they were a couple of jokesters. In our group was an Israeli family and they were so awesome that, in two hours, they made me want to convert to Judaism and move to Israel. I still haven't completely dismissed it.

There were more animal related events, including the Night Safari where I held a baby white tiger (it was ferocious), realized that the bird house is frightening in the dark, and got cut off by a roaming giraffe while riding the tram. Our last day was spent at the zoo, where we had to stop every twenty minutes to rest because it was hot and we are getting on in years. But I got to feed a giraffe (a different one) and see what an ostrich looks when it's molted (answer: ewww).

I also went to some markets and spent an upsetting amount of money (baht or no baht, I am on a teacher's salary). Mostly it was upsetting for my back, which now has to carry everything I bought. It also might be upsetting for my suitcase when I get my things out of storage and pack for the plane, but I remain hopeful.

But that is three days away, so I won't worry about it. For now, it's still raining but I'm getting restless and so I think I will go swimming anyway. Thanks to a tropical climate, the water is always warm. Well done, Thailand.