My six week break became a 7 week break as of last Friday (unbeknownst) to me. The kindergarten children all went home while I was in Phuket and the rest of the children are in the middle of exams this week so I won't be teaching at the primary school or with the other children here at Yaowawit.
While this may sound wonderful... and it is ... I am bored!!! So I will probably head south to some beaches and either learn how to scuba dive or just take a tour and then potentially decide to combine it with the 10 day meditation retreat at the monastery (or skip the monastery). I'm not sure I can do 10 days of silence, or 10 days of sleeping on concrete, or 10 days of meditating every other hour, or 10 days of no phone or e-mail, or 10 days of arguing with my thoughts! Or... or... or... So then that leads to the part of me that really enjoys a challenge. Ah, it would be hard to do! Let's do it!!! Hmm that reminds me of a certain honeymoon hike... did I ever tell you about the 17 mile backpacking trip that had to be completed in less than 44 hours with heavy packs and no experience and no training? hah! And think, Washington coast where you have to climb up ropes and "ladder" type contraptions to get up and over headlands and forge small rivers and climb over boulders and logs on beaches... bloody crazy idea. And yes, Buster you were a good sport!
But anyways, back to the 10 days of meditation, the good news for me is that you can't book this in advance. If you want to go, you merely show up the day before. So I can decide last minute if I'm going. I'll let you know if I'm going to disappear off the map for a few though!
Anyways, the time off is a nice dilemma to have. My sister and brother-in-law arrive around the 11th and I am very much looking forward to seeing them and enjoying Thailand with them. They are a couple of my favorite people to so that makes it extra fun!
They leave on the 20th. I am looking at flying out that same day for Nepal for a trek. If it's not cost effective I'll skip it but it's also a lifetime opportunity (hell all of this is) so I'll probably go anyways. My plan is to fly into Kathmandu and then find a guest house with a lot of trekkers. I'll chat them up (and for a certain someone I am using this in a completely different context from what you thought I was doing to you... heh heh heh!) and find out where they buy their stuff (sleeping bags and socks and warm clothes, etc.) hire a shirpa and maybe an English speaking guide, and hit the trail. (The benefit of the English speaking guide is mostly for problems like getting altitude sickness and understanding what I need to do as well as recognizing the symptoms).
The Annapurna Circuit is a 20 - 22 day trek. I would be doing it "alone" but not alone. There are other people doing this as well (as well as the shirpa and the guide I hire). The best window of time to go is October to November from what I hear (could be wrong but I think this is it). Anyways, this really excites me so I'm pretty sure I'll find a way to make this happen. Can you imagine, me getting to see Mt. Everest?? YAY!!!
So... back to the beach plan though... I could go to Phang Nga and enjoy some fun kayak trips or visit islands, etc. Depends on how much I want to pay. Even just getting away for a little bit is fun. This is a little bit like living at work - you never leave. :-) Ah... and that gets us back to one of the favorite Thai karaoke songs... Hotel California.
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