Here I am at the airport waiting to pick up the girls, I read the itinirary wrong and thought they arrived at 9:10 but really that is when their plane left Taipei, so they get here at 11:50. No problem. I found a free computer at a tourist center so I thought I should use my time wisely and write.
The food is amazing! Great flavors and really similar to home at a thai resturant. Maybe a little simpler here and you can add your spice and stuff. Green Curry with vegetable is the number one so far.
I took an overnight bus from the Island of Koh Phanang to Bangkok. Was supposed to get in at 630am but it was on thai time..so we got here at 830. Thought I was going to be late so I came straight to the airport to get the girls. Strange that I have all my bags and stuff with me to pick them up. Oh well. The bus was nice they gave us a blanket and I could sleep a little.
Thomas is staying on the island for a few more days then continuing his trip onto Bali. It was fun to spend a little time with him and it was wonderful that he took me to his favorite place in the world. I met some of his good friends that he has made over the past 4 years going back there. What a great place, maybe I will go back with the girls.
One of Thomas' friends is named Big. He owns a shop called Big Magic Tattoo. He does traditional thai style bamboo tattooing. He really is a magical guy. So talented. We would just sit in his shop for hours and hang out and talk with him. There are many people from all over the world who go back to him to get tattooed. Many of them dont even know what they are going to get and they let him do whatever he feels. Its alot about the respect of the artist and what he thinks is best. Ive been thinking for a while of getting a lotus flower on my back, over my heart. Beautiful symbol of hope and enlightenment as a beautiful flower grows from dark murky waters. So I thought, why not, if I know I will get it sometime why not from Big? The night before I was scheduled to get mine thomas says why dont we just stop by and see if anyone is getting one done so at least you know what to expect. That is when we met kathryn getting a feather on her leg, reminder to be light. Great! We ended up staying for her whole tattoo and it was so fascinating to watch and be there while she was getting this done. I was excited. Me and big talked a bit about what I was thinking, a lotus with a compass is what i wanted, a reminder to follow your heart. I showed him a few drawings i had and he said he knew what he was going to do. :)
Ill give you the short version of the whole day..., talked, cooked eggs and rice for lunch in his kitchen and spent probably 10 hours there, drawing, talking, eating and tattooing.
The way they do the needle is amazing, He has a hard piece of bamboo, long and skinny and than he gets 8 or so just plain needles and makes them even and than wraps them around with plastic and burns it so it tightens really tight and sterilizes of course.
It hurt but not too bad, lots of breathing and trying to have and out of body experience pretending I was watching from above. Worked a little.
I ended up with a beautiful piece of art on my body and a memory that will last as well, a little bigger than I thought, but i guess they guys name is big so what did i expect?
There are many meanings in the thai buddhist symbols he used, protection, health, good luck, and love. and also a lotus and compass. i feel very blessed and protected.
We head down to phuket tomorrow! very excited to get out of the city again and back to the beach!
Thinking of you all and wish you were here! I keep thinking I will see a friend walking down the road. Maybe it is you in spirit :)
