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Thailand and Europe
  • Pia Moll McCarthy

Thailand and Europe

Life invited me to quit my job, so I decided to follow life's lead ... The girls who visited me last year in the Phillippines had flights booked for Thailand this month, so I took it as a cue to go exploring again. Read more
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  • Trip start
    February 1, 2024
    Pia Moll McCarthyThailand and EuropeTraveler

    Arrival in Chiang Mai

    February 1, 2024 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    Heartsore and jet lagged I arrived in Chiang Mai late at night ready for sleep.

    The next morning I roamed the streets of Chiang Mai more lost in life than ever, bewildered at all the chaotic and confusing recent events, barely taking in my very asian surroundings.

    Considered the jewel of the north and with the highest density of buddhist temples in the country, this town boasts low humity, which I was very grateful for, considering the 33 degree temperature. A walk in the park compared to Mallorca!
    The asian character of mortobikes, tuctucs, taxis, bubble tea cafés, 7/11s, make me feel like I never left Asia last year. It feels like I am continuing last year's trip.

    It has been a crazy year for me, with so much change in all life areas: mental, spiritual, physical, professional, medical, home, love, family... It feels somewhat like life is throwing constant curveballs at me and I don't know how to fend them off.
    So, my main goal for this trip is more of an internal and spiritual exploration, than of external exploration. I am content to lay low in Chiang Mai for a while doing study and yoga for a few days before going into a temple to retreat into the buddhist meditation practice I have been introducing myself to over the last year.

    Regardless, I hit the ground running upon arrival. I walked into a women's ex-prison inmate massage parlour and got most of the pain and stress pushed out of my body by the hands, forearms, elbows and feet of a thai woman. She brought me back to life in a gentle and firm manner.

    I had lunch with a fellow traveller and did some joint therapy with a stranger. I love the use of fresh sprouts, nuts and citrus fruits in most dishes!

    Afterwards I joined Wally (a fellow Iyengar Yoga practitioner, fellow irish citizen, whom I met in Bali and who happens to be living here for the last 8 months) at a rather tough yoga class.
    I invited Wally to join me at the Chiang Mai flower festival where I had arranged to meet Marta, Jaume and Aleix. Marta was my neighbour and close friend for 4 years in Palma and I was overjoyed when I discovered we would be coinciding in Chiang Mai for a few days!

    Two years ago, I had the honour of discovering and informing Marta that she was pregnant with Aleix after she had a fainting incident and came to me for help at the doctor's center. And here we all are!

    Another funny coincidence is that what brought Marta and me together was our love and exchange of plants, notably orchids and bonsai trees. And there we are, meeting at a flower festival in Asia.    Read more

  • Pia Moll McCarthyThailand and EuropeTraveler

    ...

    February 2, 2024 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    After a nice sleep in, spending the morning studying and lunch in a cute organic café I caught a Grab to my next hostel. Grab is a fabulous app available in Asia where you can hitch a ride, order food as well as many other services. You choose your pick-up spot, your destination, mode of transport, and lo and behold you get efficiently and quickly transported from one place to another without any need for cash transaction. Quick, cheap and efficient!

    After a lovely heart to heart with Marta in the afternoon and an evening yoga class with Wally, I was shown the evening atmosphere of Nimman neighbourhood. How fabulous to see such a creative variety of modern asian-style bars, restaurants and shopping centers!! It felt like being in the beginning scenes of Spirited Away.    Read more

  • Pia Moll McCarthyThailand and EuropeTraveler

    Flower Festival!

    February 3, 2024 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Once a year, Chiang Mai hosts its renowned flower festival where the largest park gets decorated with thousands of colourful flowers of all varieties. There is also a parade where people dress up in traditional dresses and a display chariots decorated with flowers.
    What a fortunate coincidence to see it!    Read more

  • Pia Moll McCarthyThailand and EuropeTraveler

    Street Food 101

    February 3, 2024 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    The flower festival is on for 4 days and has taken over a good part of the old town, bringing along with it lots of streets decked in street food stalls. There is such a wide variety of stalls and all sorts of different foods available! Some edible, others not so much; insects included!! It's all so wonderfully new and interesting.Read more

  • Pia Moll McCarthyThailand and EuropeTraveler

    Wat Doi Suthep with Marta & Co.

    February 4, 2024 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    We took a bus out of town to the top of a hill overlooking the city where there's one of the most emblematic temples of the city.
    After climbing hundreds of steps to the temple we walked barefoot through the temple grounds admiring the decoration, the worshippers and playing the numerous bells and gongs around. Aleix had lots of fun making friends with kids and rejoicing in ringing the bells!Read more

  • Pia Moll McCarthyThailand and EuropeTraveler

    Yoga, temples, market...

    February 4, 2024 in Thailand ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

    Around every corner there is a different temple... It's fun to walk in, sit down, meditate and then observe life.

    It's quite a novelty to practice yoga among asians. They definitely have very different body builds, more slender, malleable and flexible. What a pleasure to see 50, 60 and 70 year old men in class!! (The asians looks 15 years younger!)

    One thing I love about travelling is making friends with fellow travellers and sharing life situations. Sometimes they are like kindred spirits you meet along the way, each person with their own process.

    The markets never cease to amaze ... All sorts of colourful foods and things. The little round pots are soap carvings!! No idea what the colourful sweets are made of...    Read more

  • Pia Moll McCarthyThailand and EuropeTraveler

    Wat Umong

    February 7, 2024 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    The temple where I chose to go meditate is a 14th century temple in the forest adjoining Chiang Mai which was built by the Lanna King for his favourite monk. This monk needed tunnels to hide in when he had fits of supposed mental "derrangement", which is why this temple is unique in comparison to all other temples in the country. H
    Tera Jan was apparently brilliantly intelligent and very liked by the monastic and lay communities.    Read more

  • Pia Moll McCarthyThailand and EuropeTraveler
    1

    Retreat lifestyle...

    February 8, 2024 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    There was nothing flash about this place. It was very run down, in a melancholy yet very original way. No one seems to care much about your presence, the monks seem lazy, even slothful, and tourists come and go visiting the temple. The monks live in houses around the lake and weren't often seen.

    The rules are simple: no killing of any beings (including mosquitoes), no stealing, minimal speaking, no intoxication, no sexual interaction, no use of devices, respect, etc.

    The timetable:
    - Meditation: 6-7am, 9-11am, 2-3pm
    - Pali Chanting 6-7pm
    - Meals (eaten in silent reflection; mindful eating): breakfast 7.30am, lunch 11am
    - Work/Sweeping/Cleaning (meditation in action): 7-7.30am, 4-5pm
    - The rest is free time, which I used for studying budhist texts.

    It is quite a relaxed monastery in that no one is looking over your shoulder telling you what to do. Meditation is not supervised. And speaking happens, although moderately.
    I was glad to land in a somewhat relaxed environment with mostly beginners.
    The food was delicious and healthy, just what the doctor ordered!    Read more

  • Pia Moll McCarthyThailand and EuropeTraveler

    Deep dive into self!

    February 9, 2024 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    It was quite the adventure being plunged into solitude and self-exploration. Also rather freeing in a way, to be rid of all external stimuli and influencing factors. Not knowing the people around me and so being free to ignore their existence and just concentrate on myself.

    I was confronted with solitude, pain (both physical and emotional), sticking to the meditation schedule despite aches in different body parts, while being led by the reading/study I was doing. Sleeping on a hard floor seemed like the mercy at the end of the day.

    While sitting I learnt to sit with the pain, develop discipline, renunciation and perseverance while at the same time being very kind, gentle and soft with myself. Remembering the basic fact that I had nothing to prove to anyone and that this is a purely individualistic experience. You are alone, and there is no one to prove yourself to and no one to save you either. As buddhism keeps reminding you, you are alone. You are born alone and die alone, and all in between are experiences of coming across what is not desirable and not being able to hold onto what is desirable.

    I explored the theory and practice of the four types of mindfulness, vipashyana awareness, glimpses of emptiness, sharpening of perception, dealing with renunciation, etc. All keeping in mind the basic facts of impermanence, egolessness and suffering.

    Particularly impactful was the in depth exploration of The Four Noble Truths, both in theory and in practice.
    1. The truth of suffering
    2. The origin of suffering
    3. Cessation of suffering
    4. The path

    I delved deep into my suffering while reading about all the types of suffering there is in life, according to buddhism. Karma was also quite the topic.

    All of this brough immense mental peace and quiet. I found myself doing everything at a very calm pace, while being very appreciative of my surroundings and the people around me. I was much less reactive and so much more permissive.

    All in all ... quite the experience...!    Read more

  • Pia Moll McCarthyThailand and EuropeTraveler
    1

    Retreat companions

    February 10, 2024 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    There were moments when it felt like being back in boarding school again. Dettached from society and my retreat companions as company. I didn't find the intermittent fasting difficult at all as it was a slightly longer version of what I usually do, and the routine, in the end of the day is just another routine once you adapt to it.
    As part of my duties I cleaned the dog posters, did sweeping of the grounds, cleaned the dorms, etc. It is meant as meditation in action, or post-meditative activity. The leaves were quite the experience of futility and impermanence as you would sweep and ten minutes later it would be full of leaves again.

    As to my companions, Sucheela, a 65 yo retired primary school teacher with a lazy eye, a limp and what seems like some sort of social inadequacy was my little source of happiness in the initial days of seriousness. Here tendency to photograph and video the most awkward of situations, and her apparent nonsensical of sweeping would bring a smile to my face, a living reminder of the touch of humour the buddha recommends to always keep in mind.
    Vanessa, a 28 yo german on tour. Yanira, who stepped out of finance in Spain to go learn english in Australia. Josh, an englishman turned american through the finance world who is now financially free at the young age of 38, based in Panama and exploring the world of wellness and alternative therapy in search of his Ikigai. Basil a refugee Palestinian camping out indefinitely on the temple grounds while doing digital nomad work and acting like he da boss of da place. Franco, an italian theater director in his 60s taking some time out in his beloved Thailand and temple hopping, which he has been doing since the 90s. Justin, a 31 yo buddhist in theory and practice, english teacher as profession, whom I thoroughly enjoyed debating and spending time with. Felipe, a 30 yo columbian flight attendant living in Spain. A chinese couple who seemed to be very adept at Qi Gong and very peaceful together. The thais and the chinese I unfortunately wasn't so able to interact with.    Read more

  • Pia Moll McCarthyThailand and EuropeTraveler

    The monastic community

    February 11, 2024 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    I was lucky to form a relationship with the nun (Meshi) who volunteers to do our Pali chanting in the evenings.

    She is a small person, half my size literally, very humble, shy and seems like she would rather disappear into space than call attention to herself. Her name is Meshi Vin.
    Being a nun in a very patriarchal society and monastic system, she isn't actually allowed to read too much about yhe dharman and her discussion of her little exploration is not allowed with the monks. So in me she saw an opportunity to both practice her english and talk about the dharma and interpretations of it.
    Interacting with her was a lesson in humility as she is probavly the most humble person I have come across in my life.

    She invited us to a monthly alms-giving ceremony held at the monastery where the locala bring their best prepared meals to share with the monks. After a ceremony and a very long sermon in thai everyone symbolically puts rice in the monks' and meshi's bowls and then everyone eats what the villagers brought. What a spread!    Read more

  • Pia Moll McCarthyThailand and EuropeTraveler

    Moving on up north

    February 14, 2024 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Having established I'm liking the retreat experience I was inspired by some of my companions to move on up north towards a Temple far up in the mountain forests of Mae Son Hong.

    After lots of sincere heartfelt farewells and exchange of contact details my inner peace and I went on our way.

    So I braved reconnecting with the outside world and, after a 4h bus ride up a very windy road, exposing myself to the little mountain town of Pai where there is a modern youthful hippy-style atmosphere.    Read more

  • Pia Moll McCarthyThailand and EuropeTraveler

    Pai randomness

    February 14, 2024 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    I roamed around the night market of Pai. The town is characterised for its laid-back and drug-friendly atmosphere. Lots of marijuana vendors and shroom themed t-shirts. Also many 20 year olds looking for some fun.

    Early morning rise to catch the bus to the next temple. It's 14 degrees, we're at 700m altitude, and I have all my long-sleeved clothes on!
    At a breakfast stall I had a western stop for alms giving with the locals. Breakfast was rice porridge, minced pork, egg, coriander, lemongrass and chilly.
    A group of locala is out for earlt morning exercise, all dressed in purple.

    I'm off to some more deep diving into self in an Ajahn Chah style forest monastery in beautiful Mae Hong Son.
    See you in a few days ...    Read more

  • Pia Moll McCarthyThailand and EuropeTraveler
    1

    Windy way up...

    February 15, 2024 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    2.5h of local bus riding around many bends with boxes and food stuff between our legs. We had a mishap on the way and lost some boxes which we had to retrieve.
    We stopped at some markets to leave off some packages. And finally, we are here!Read more

  • Pia Moll McCarthyThailand and EuropeTraveler
    1

    Wat Pa Tam Wua

    February 15, 2024 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    First day, first impressions... Nestled between mountains in Mae Hong Son in a river valley, this temple seems more of a resort than a temple. Much bigger and busier than the previous temple. Around 100 retreat attendees.

    The routine caters for a more beginner type of meditator, with more emphasis on forest walking meditation than sitting meditation. The days are longer, with less free time for oneself.
    Sleeping on the floor is something it seems I must get used to these weeks. This time, no individual prison-style cell, but more of a community sleeping style arrangement. I counted... There were like 50 of us in a room!    Read more

  • Pia Moll McCarthyThailand and EuropeTraveler

    Walking meditation

    February 16, 2024 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    So we had 2 walking meditation sessions of aprox 1h, each day. Into the forest, up the mountain side, past caves. We followed the monks up and down the path, practicing mindfulness on our feet and breath. It's quite the mesmerising experience to be part of a group of 100+ people all walking in nature, in absolute silence, barefoot. The symphony of birds among the trees and bamboo were such a treat to walk to, while being submerged in the glistening sunrays amongst the trees.Read more

  • Pia Moll McCarthyThailand and EuropeTraveler

    Rituals...

    February 18, 2024 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    I soon learned that Wat Tam Wua attracts quite a lot of foreign spiritual tourists, which made the experience rather busy and loud compared to the previous temple I was at. I didn't have the chance to go so deep into myself and my practice as at the other place.

    There were quite a few rituals throughout the day. Offering of food to the monks, who following the 227 precepts, they can't serve themselves. Guided meditations, with all the mamdatory postrations (buddhism is the national belief system, and it is all rather culturally ritualised with lots of rules of respect to the buddha - but funnily not so much real practicing). Anyhow... It was different.

    Regardless, everything has its good side, and adjusting, learnt to apply mindfulness more outside of sitting practice.
    I also met some lovely people.

    My little israeli roomie got us beds in the downstairs dorm. Wooden beds, with no mattresses. The only advantage was less people, and more space.    Read more

  • Pia Moll McCarthyThailand and EuropeTraveler

    On the move again...

    February 19, 2024 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    So I decided to skip the temple earlier than expected. I've had enough of sleeping on the floor, dealing with spiritual tourists, obligatory rituals and too many people around me, not being able to really properly practice. I did however get lots of reading in and some masters study.

    We got a going away present from the abbott. On the way back the bus was so full that Jesse and I had to ride on the back of the bus. What a lovely experience to see the views with the fresh air in our faces while on the back of a little bus going along the windy Mae Hong Son road. 2.5h gave for lots of interesting conversation on spirituality, buddhism and the like.

    Once in Chiang Mai, I had a bed to sleep in, in my own room!! Thank the universe for little pleasures of life. So much we take for granted! It was like sleeping in a cloud!    Read more

  • Pia Moll McCarthyThailand and EuropeTraveler

    Chiang Mai

    February 20, 2024 in Thailand ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    So I decided to enroll in a 2 day beginner's thai massage course, in the hopes that I might bring some happiness to those around me by practicing my newfound skills.

    I booked myself into a nice hotel, which makes me feel like a proper lady. Quite the change from the last 3 weeks of backpacking!Read more

  • Pia Moll McCarthyThailand and EuropeTraveler
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    Thai Massage lessons!

    February 21, 2024 in Thailand ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    After a night at a proper hotel, I feel like my beautiful self again!

    I was lucky to get one on one lessons and sponged the teacher for lots of poses and moves. Fabulous to get massaged all day long while being explained the workings of it and practicing.

    Loving the "lazy yoga"! It's actually really nice to give this sort of massage as you play with your body weight and your breath, with slow and measured movements. The pauses in between are just as important as movements. There's even a mantra meditation one does before giving the massage, as it's imperative to slow oneself down before giving it. Through the contact you transmit your unrest to the person you are touching. Quite the mindfulness and vipassana follow-up after so much meditation. I'm curious to see if I can do it once I get back to the first world inertia.

    I'm still cramming in my yoga classes almost daily. All that sendentarism and white rice diet at the temples have me rather unfit!    Read more

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