Chiang Mai is a funky city that has spilled over the moat of the old walls of the sleepy ancient city it once was. A mountain range rises from the West of the city… and it constantly jazzes me, that those are where the Himalayas start.
Sunday, I grabbed a meeting, stopped in for breakfast a a local garden restaurant, and on my way home, decided to drive my little rented motor scooter up into those foothills of the Himalayas. I passed several Buddhist shrines, small parks, and water falls before arriving at Wat Doi Suthep… a large temple filled with pagodas, statues, bells and shrines and other aspects drawn from both Buddhism and Hinduism.
I find it amazing that LIFE is so available to anyone of us. I have to admit, I also found it a bit sad that I didn’t see another black person during that entire exhilarating trip. It was so easy! I did it on a moped. I implore, beseech, beg, and encourage more people of African descent to explore the surprises of the world. Forget Europe. Africa and Asia are currently the most exciting places on the planet. South America and the Caribbean hold more cultural interests to us than worn out, emotionally constipated, often bigoted Europe. Remember, where you select to spend your dollars is extremely political. What’s the payoff of giving those hard-earned dollars to people who feel it’s their birth-right to look down on you and treat you less than the Divine Being you are?
Besides… World Traveler… your Asia travel is exactly how this part of the world was settled. Black men and women walking through land bridges and rowing boats across the Pacific. Come, and feel the spirits of YOUR ancestors welcoming you.
Black Traveler 