first day with pichest

Hello Friends!

So much to tell. First of all, sorry no pictures. I don't know how to load them in yet so until I can figure that out, you'll have to use your mind's eye. Paul and I are now in Chiang Mai and settling in at the guesthouse that I have been searching for for the past four times I have been here. I won't go into the details of this little bit of paradise, but suffice to say that we are comfortable. We saw Pichest for the first time today. On our way there, we made our way through Chiang Mai gate market, had a nice meal of some funny looking dried fish and rice and pumpkin curry. In the insanity of one of my favorite markets in the world, we gathered up our lotus flowers, candles, insence, fruit to make our offering. We hopped in the yellow songtao, braved half an hour of diesel fumes, and walked past the rice field to pichet's house where he greeted us with a smile and a wah (thai greeting of prayered hands). We gave him our gift of the chicago school of thai massage t-shirt and then sitting outside the studio, proceeded to peal back the pedals of the lotus flowers and loaded up our offering bowl. After prayers and a 2 hour talk by pichet, it was time for lunch. He did a little teaching in the afternoon and then Paul, David Weitzer and myself, spent the afternoon practicing. Back home again and just about bedtime. I'll check in tomorrow and hopefully have the pictures loaded up. Sawadee krap!