Matt’s stomach rumbles. In a good way. In a way that says ‘feed me some delicious Thai food.’ He’s just changed rooms in his bug-infested hotel and is happy to put some distance between himself and that nightmare engine.

The wanderer explores the eastern part of Chiang Mai, outside of the walls that define The Old City district that makes up the town center. He smiles at the juxtaposition there, given that ‘chiang mai’ in Thai actually means ‘new city’. The name sounds almost like New York City, his hometown. He looks into the distance. It’s late September and autumn should just be starting back home…

The air and presence of a motorbike blowing uncomfortably close jolts him back to the midday swelter of the northern province. Matt ducks into a shaded soi.

He doesn’t walk far before he comes upon a tarp-covered lean-to. Inside, two teenage girls and a twenty-something young man are watching TV and chopping papaya with a machete.

Matt inches closer to watch.

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“Tell me you have a boyfriend, don’t waste my entire night!” Alex the Chilean complains to the truck at large, lamenting the outcome of the previous evening’s events.

Nico, his partner in crime nods, but not too vigorously. Sudden movements would exacerbate the hangovers the South Americans woke up with. Or rather, were woken up to. Joh, their tour guide, had to almost batter their door down to get them up while the rest of the trekking crew waited in the pick-up truck.

“Oh my buddha!” Joh had wailed in mock anguish as he brought the shambling Chileans to join the rest of the group. His Thai spin on the Western phrase of ‘Oh my god’ was one of his favorite catchphrases to use with his trekking groups. “These two, very hurt. Too much beer, too much ladyboys! Oh my buddha!” He laughs as he closes the truck’s rear lip behind the final two travelers.

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