Favorite Destinations
There have been some amazing places I've traveled to; Costa Rica, Maldives, Dubai, Vietnam, Spain, Italy, Morocco, Egypt to name a few but one that I think most fondly of would have to be Thailand. For about two weeks I've traveled to different parts of the country, trying to take in as much of their beautiful culture as possible, while enjoying the outstanding Thai hospitality. I found myself in a charming city called Chiang Mai exactly at the time they were celebrating Loi Krathong, which is one of their annual celebrations taking place on the night of the full moon, usually in November. Wherever you go the chanting of monks can be heard throughout the city, the sky is lit up by the thousands of lanterns that are being released by locals and tourists alike, and the river is overflown with beautiful flower boats. I happened to stumble into a Buddhist temple and witness one of the most beautiful ceremonies I've ever seen...A group of 100 monks, chanting and praying, their faces illuminated only by the multitude of candle lights that surrounded their carefully crafted altar...I couldn't understand what they were saying, singing, but I was overwhelmed by emotions. The night ended with everyone releasing a lantern together, each annotated with a wish or a message to someone special. It was such a spiritual experience, in a far away country, surrounded by strangers from all over the world, not understanding the language, yet sharing something so special, it made everyone feel connected and for a few minutes it made the world seem like such a tiny place. It was a wonderful night, one of those unique ones I could never forget.