All in a single day

Today was a rather exciting day. We spent the morning talking and lounging. There is something so nice about comfortably lounging with friends and finding a million ways to make each other laugh. Then it was time for the waterfall! Sham poo and her son picked us up and we head out to the waterfall with pb&j sandwiches, grapes, watermelon, water and Thai bugles (my latest discovery). On the drive into the countryside the car suddenly stops working. We coast over to the side of the road and Sham poo turns off the car and tries to restart it. A lovely square red button lights up and she asks us what it means. It was the battery light. So of course, the car refuses to start. Then I have the idea to turn off the air conditioning and the car starts. Like magic. We all agreed that getting stuck at the waterfall wouldn't be the worse thing in the world.

We arrive at the waterfall and it is not raining, thankfully. From first sight, I can tell this is not the same waterfall as before. All the rain this past week, especially last night, makes the waterfall I saw before seem like a garden hose. It was roaring so loud you had to scream or gesture. We climbed all the way to the top of the lower falls (which is still super high) and screamed like little children as we went under the falls. The water crashed down on us so hard that you could not keep your eyes open and we had a human chain going to keep us all upright. If someone fell they would be carried down to the next level and although I am pretty sure if someone fell down the 'slide' as I have nicknamed it in my mind, they would be okay, I was not willing to try it. Especially when the Thai children that skittered around like billy goats decided against it after much consideration. The water was so strong that it bordered on pain as it swarmed all around us it was so revitalizing. And the view of the jungle and the river.....breathtaking. Makes you really feel alive.

So after enjoying the water we camp out on the rocks and munch on our goodies and we lay out and dry our clothes a little bit while admiring the view. Then down, down, down we went. Grab here and just twist and throw your body this way. No alternative here but to jump. Making our way steadily to the bottom again. Passing the rope swing that we turned down simply because it dulls in comparison to the waterfall. Then we head back to town, take a few brief moments to rest and dress and then we are shuffled off to Sham poo's one year wedding anniversary dinner at Pasta. So at first we thought this experience would be super awkward since I have known Sham poo for two weeks and my fellow farang teachers only met her yesterday. But nope, it settled into and enjoyable friendly banter rather quickly. Sham poo's English husband has so many stories about Thailand and he was in a particularly humorous mood today. I cried. Multiple times. We stayed there long after Sham poo's family went home.

Now it is ten o'clock and we are exhausted. Fun, laughter, exercise, good food and activities that make you feel like strength has been poured into your body and soul. I am the last one awake, but I wanted to write this post tonight. Tomorrow afternoon my friends have to travel back, sadly. It has been a great few days and I have memories I will never forget. And both of them can now say my city correctly. Dolla, holla, Uttaradit. 5555. Goodnight beautiful world.