#smallstories

He and she were sitting comfortably in arm-chairs in a half-empty cafe and enjoyed morning reading. That was their island of tranquility, especially in the early morning hours, while everyone was sleeping peacefully in their beds. In the city, which stuck in an endless construction noise, it was almost an unknown pleasure.

A lump of tears and bitterness stuck in a throat. In that very same moment, everyday life rushed outside the window: someone hurried to work, someone drank tea and smoked cigarettes, a family with a baby crossed the road, and dogs, many dogs raced right in front of the cafe. Everyone was going somewhere, talking about something, doing and planning something. Life went on in rhythm with piano.

Driving down the highway the tension took hold of me. And at one point, we got a flat tire. "But we haven’t passed even a halfway. Maybe we should go back and forget about the mountains? No, in no way, it's time to escape from paws of madness."

Mountains, untouched nature, birds singing, fresh air and overwhelming silence. I can breathe again, I can contemplate and feel. Each cell in my body is filling with joy and energy. To be in harmony with myself and the world - this is what mama Nature teaches me, this is what she gives me every single time.

That day we met lots of monks walking barefoot on the streets here and there. Covered with the orange fabric, they added bright colors to a grey and green city. That was a kind of ritual: locals stopped monks, gave them food and money, got on the knees in front of monks and prayed.

We love to explore hidden tiny streets and districts and that morning we did the same. People were just waking up and doing their everyday stuff, that was real Thai life. The air started filling with tasty flavors of breakfasts, fresh tea, and fruits. 

We grabbed some coffee in a cafe near the river and sat in silence on a terrace. All around was filled with birdsong. We didn’t want to say even a word and only listened to the sounds of nature. Such cities as Chiang Mai they teach us to appreciate every minute of our life, to listen and perceive. That was a perfect weekend morning.