Tonight I'm back in Chiang Mai after five days in Pai (the hippie capital of Thailand). It's a lovely place to visit (as shown, left) and you can meet people from all over the world there. But you either have to work there or pass through for a few days because there is nothing to do otherwise. I considered it a vacation from my vacation. I did walk up to the "Pagoda on a hill" one morning, though to be honest I primarily did so to counter the gigantic breakfast I'd had earlier. It was the pagoda or the pool and you aren't supposed to swim right after you eat. I'll appreciate it more once I find someone to translate the signs (I took pictures). The language barrier is still the biggest issue I have here - my Thai phrasebook is turning out to be the best $7.99 I've ever spent. I get very chatty when I meet someone from another English speaking nation. You can't really get to know someone if you can only reliably say "Hello," "Thank you" and "twenty-six" (people always want to know how old I am... not quite sure why). Hope all is well - Happy Holidays!