Hi Gram,
I got up this morning and took my time because it was raining. Valerie told me that she’d leave some breakfast for me in the refrigerator at camp, so I walked down there once the rain stopped. Joe was sitting in the pavilion area when I got there, but I found that my breakfast wasn’t there. Joe and I chatted for a bit about how the camp was going for him, then decided to grab breakfast together. I reached out to my friend, Chris, to ask for some breakfast cafe suggestions. She was hungry too, and we all decided to try a newer place halfway between us. Joe’s only been here for a few days and hasn’t been to get a massage yet, which is the same place that does laundry. He had some laundry to drop off, so we headed over there. After I showed him where the massage and laundry place was, we caught a green truck/ bus. One had passed us when we were walking to drop off the laundry, so we had to wait longer than I’m used to, but like clockwork another one showed up and soon we were on our way.

We met Chris at Mitte Mitte, where I had one of the best yogurt parfaits ever. I also realized that I don’t like matcha latte, at least not when they serve it “low sweetness” which is how I’m trying to eat everything these days. The Thai people like to add sugar to everything, and I’m trying to cut back on sugar and sweets, so it takes a conscious effort to curb my sweet tooth. After breakfast, Joe and I walked down to Village Market. I wanted to show him where it was and I wanted to pick up some groceries. Once we got there, we parted ways to do our separate shopping, but it turned out that we met up again on my way out. I was done with what I needed and Joe needed his passport to get a SIM card so we were both headed back home. We rode the green truck back and I showed him what to look for when looking for our stop. Some of the busses have a window in front so you can see what’s ahead, but some don’t have that window. The bus is sometimes crowded or something is blocking the windows, so I’ve learned to recognize landmarks on the side or out the back of the bus. I stopped at my hotel and said goodbye to Joe, who continued on to the camp.

I headed up to the room to get some computer stuff done and had a productive afternoon. Around 4, my new friend Nuy picked me up and we headed to Village Market to sit and chat. We were going to go hike up and see the city, but it was raining so we opted to stay dry. We chatted for the next few hours about her fiancée, language barriers, her work and family, attitudes about relationships and children, and so many other topics. She complimented me, told me that I was kind like her boyfriend, and overall made me feel like I was a prince. It was a great conversation and I look forward to having a friend in town to show me around and help me navigate this foreign land. I was getting hungry and she had work in the morning, so we headed out. She dropped me at Tamarind market (my new friend has a car too!) so I could find some dinner and listen to music. I enjoyed some veggie and chicken skewers while a singer covered popular songs for some nice ambience. The music was good and I was reluctant to leave, but with my eyelids getting heavy, I knew it was nearing time for bed.