Day 7 : Songkran

While at breakfast in the morning I picked up some brochures from the front desk of spa's in the area. I was feeling stiff and I thought it might be a good idea. I settled on one,  planning to spend my morning there and then check out the Elephant Project in the afternoon. The Elephant project is an NGO that uses art to raise money to support elephants with in asia. 

I checked out of my room and left may bags with the front desk, I would be transferring to a hostel that afternoon. I gathered my things that I needed, put the important stuff in ziplock backs to prepare for Songkran and headed out. Luckily it was early and most of the water throwers were still asleep. I got to the spa around 10, and it was beautiful, small paths lead along little rivers and fountains where flowers were artful arranged on the surface. I was greeted with tea, and taken to a private villa where I enjoyed three hours of massages and relaxation and herbal baths. It was wonderful. As left the spa feeling so much better and that it was no longer painful to walk I was received by the full chaos of Songkran which was a pick up truck with about 7 guys in the back which all through buckets of water on me. Then immediately after there were two british guys with water guns. "HAPPY SONGKRAN! WHOHOO!" I spent the rest of the day trying to get the water out of my ear. 

I wandered to the street market for lunch getting a good a mount of water on me as I went. I spent I went back to the hotel to get some dry clothes when I discovered that the city was shut down, there was no way to get to the elephant project or to get to my new hostel. After much frustration I sat by the pool and waited until it was 7 and then things would be accessible.  

I arrived at my new hostel just after 7, was greeted by a tall older Thai woman whose face was painted white with red lips holding a large glass of wine. Her name she told me was Stella and she said that she would make me friends. She took me up to my room for the night where there were 3 other travellers who took me out to one of night markets for dinner. Then out for drinks, then out for dancing. And before I knew it we were making our way back to hostel around 4am. I being the only sober one in the group and having just arrived at the hostel that night was not sure where it was located in the old city exactly. And the rest of the group, slightly inebriated weren't much help despite them having been there several days. There was a shop that was just starting to open up and the two guys helped give us directions back. Turns out we were only a street over. So just before 5am we strolled into our hostel. I had 3 hours before I was going to be picked up that day for the elephant sanctuary.