Reggaefest 2011 in Chiang Mai

So  Chiang Mai lived up to what I thought it was going to be and probably more.  I loved being where I was, a backpacker community where I seemed to instantly fall into friends and good people.  I found a set of friends that made it just feel so at home, we would talk to the wee hours of the morning in the courtyard of the hostel, and drink beers and play cards like it was a home.  I'd leave for a few days of a trek and come back to people saying they missed me and that they were happy to see me, definitely a nice feeling when travelling solo.  I met a buddy Brian at the hostel who I ended up hanging out with most of the time in Chiang Mai, whether at a park just relaxing and slacklining, or climbing up in at the crazy horse buttress, which was amazing and so beautiful.  I got a chance to do some sportclimbing, which i'm pretty new at, and Brian is a well seasoned climber, so it was awesome having him to guide me and show me the ropes.

So as a weird mix, I got into town and found out there was going to be a 3 dya reggae festival happening, so me and a few friends ended up deciding to go on the second day, where there was a band I actually knew on the ticket, the Easy Star All Stars, who do a pretty sick rendition of dark side of the moon by pink floyd, appropriately called dub side of the moon.  The concert was so fun and great, just a ton of friends, meeting new friends, running into friends made in town at random places, and tons of drinking.  We definitely took advantage of a deal we found at a local store for a 5th of some blend of thai whiskey and rum for about 7 bucks a bottle, 2 bottles of that between a few friends definitely made for a good time.  So after a late night/early morning of reggae, and a painful morning of climbing, i made me way out, and now am sitting in Laos, getting ready for the last big adventure of my trip, the gibbon experience.  Basically a nature conservation area where they set up tree houses 40 m above the ground, and ziplines to go from tree house to tree house to spot animals in the wild, and for use as lodging.  I'll be there for the next 3 days and 2 nights, just living in the wild and enjoying the lack of any civilization, something I'm definitely keen for at this point.  After that, few days back in another town in Northern Thailand, and then to Bangkok for the last weekend of my trip and back to reality.....so friends, i'll be home soon, a bit more experienced, a bit more tan, and a heaps more inspired to travel the world and see what the world has to offer me.  love you all.