Happy New Year! (edited)

And happy birthday Brother Chris!! Not sure if I'll be able to call you tomorrow since I'll be on a plane for most of it, but if I don't get to talk to you until your b-day has passed, hope it's awesome.

Well, after my last post, I went and got that Thai massage. For those of you who have never hade one, get one! Oh my god, best thing ever. There's definitely a lot of being twisted into a prezel and then kneeded with elbows/feet/etc., but it's awesome. I've been sore all day between all my walking around town and three days of stitting still on boats/busses, but I walked out feeling like a million bucks.

Then I went out to explore Khao San Road. Yup. Just as nuts as they say it is. Tourist heaven. I feel like I've been dropped on another planet... (this is where my computer timed me out and I couldn't finish the post). Anyway, yeah, Khao San Road is like Bourbon Street with shopping. Crazy. Neon lights, loud music, a bunch of backpakers wandering around looking for a party...it's definitely a scene, and now I can say I saw it, but all I can say is I'm really, really glad I didn't get a hotel there. Yuck. My neighborhood was only about a block away, but it was way quieter and less full of places with signs like "Cocktails in a bucket! Cheap!"

I don't think we're in Laos anymore, Toto...

But the one good thing about Khao San Road was what I stumbled upon while scavenging for decent street food (ugh. Pad Thai, fruit shakes, and chicken on a stick...how unoriginal. And felafel, of all things! One guy did have a cart with fried bugs, but I wasn't up for doing it alone). I wandered up and suddenly hear all this traditional sounding music coming from behind this temporary bandstand. I get around to the front side, and it's Thai dancing! Yay! Scenes from the Ramayana. The dancing was way, way better than the stuff I saw in Laos, and I hope I got some good pictures. Yay free New Year's festivities! Thai dancing is just so elegant. It's very contained motion. Not a lot of waving your arms around and flashy acrobatics. But it's mesmerising. So much revolves around the hands. After my experience with my own flippers-for-hands in kathak dancing back in India, I have a huge appreciation for it. And their fingers! Most of us, when we extend our fingers fully, will have a flat surface from palm to fingertip. Not these guys. Their fingers curve back in this unbelievable arc. It must take years of stretching. So when they put their hands palm to palm, their hands look like an X. It's gorgeous. And the constumes are amazing. Headdresses that sparkle in the light, elaborately painted masks for all the animal and monster characters, and embroidered outfits covered in sequins and other shiny things (I'm like a raven, I love that stuff). I sat around for half an hour or so watching, until it was time for a new act...a more modern band with a drag queen on drums. I took that as my cue to depart.

And that was that. 36 hours in Thailand. Mission accomplished. Off to China!