The next day, we woke up early and made the trek up a nearby mountain to watch the sunrise from a very tall peak. The view was spectacular and fog was rolling over the nearby peaks constantly. We waited around at the top for the fog to dissipate, but had no such luck. Oh well; it was beautiful anyway. Tock stole the phone for a stealthy selfie at one point.

The rest of the day was spent chatting and playing with an adorable hostel kitten. We were throwing a crumpled piece of paper for him and he was attacking it, then growing bored. At one point, he learned if he brought the paper back to Grant, it would get thrown again. Success, we taught him fetch!

The next day, it was time to hop back on a bus and head further north for more trekking in a new city.

Until the next post!

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Our hostel (Mercy) was a big hostel with a chill vibe. Most big hostels are party hostels, but this one was laid back with pool tables, outside seating and a swimming pool. Everyone was friendly and the staff were helpful.

On the first day, we meet some people, reflected on our recent meditation retreat, went to the local night market, hit a few bars, and ate some 7-11 toasties. Pretty standard backpacker night.

The next day we got up early, grabbed a scooter and started adventuring. First stop was the White Temple. An insanely beautiful and intricate temple by a renowned Thai artist. Next to the temple was an exhibit with his artwork, which was equally interesting and stunning (half Buddhist and half psychedelic). This temple was still under development while we were there and the artist doesn't expect to finish until 2070 (using his successors).

After the White Temple, we went to a 70m waterfall and the Black House. The waterfall was tranquil and magnificent. The trees shaded us from the harsh sun perfectly as we enjoyed the scenery for twenty minutes before any other tourists showed up. The black house left more to be desired. Because of the scathing online reviews we read, we expected a dark, cult culture house with interesting and gorey exhibits. Instead it was a collection of one “artist's” weird stuff, and a few artistic pieces that were mostly a tribute to himself.

That night we visited a cat cafe and we treated ourselves to hot pot (finally!) with excellent results. Another treat we'll take home with us.

Grant and Danielle

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