Talk about colorful characters...Sometimes you meet people who live in Technicolor, no hints of Grey or taupe, full out rainbow people. Mariel, from Norway, is one of those people.

I met Mariel at my Guest house, can't remember howwe met, but we decided to go Gallery hopping the next day to look at high art and some great Thai couture. I desperately was needing some culture after the bitter taste the sex trade had left in my mouth - I was starting to dislike Chiang Mai without really giving it much of a chance. The taste was so bitter I had my teeth cleaned and some trays made by a brand new dentist and that made me happy - Thai Dentistry is renowned and paying full Thai prices are even cheaper than my deductible. What's up with that? If you need a lot of work - come for a vacation and get two for one, probably less than the local dentist bill alone. They had machines we will probaly not see for years.

Mariel, who had just finished two months at yoga camp on a southern Thai island, and I did the Gallery thing for a few hours in the blistering heat and on the way back to our place came across a wild, loud, dance marathon at the Three Kings Monument. Like the weird party Jan and I found on KO Libong, this one had similar elements. Large festive tents had been erected at the monument, hundreds of older Thais were dancing up a storm, dressed in traditional costumes, to 2 very large orchestras were playing wild loud music and there was some apparent weirdness going on that was hard to grasp as an outsider.

In between the two big dance floors was a couple, dressed completely in white silk, receiving people individually. Individuals lined up to have a few minutes with the special couple and the king and queen put their hands on them and many of the recipients went into wild trances, talking in tongues and flinging body parts around.

Obviously we had lucked out and come across a public, senior dance marathon/exorcism festival. How lucky can one person be in a month here in Thailand??? First the Hindu go-go sex show and now a dance - athon -exorcism. And....I was there with Mariel a Norwegian dancing machine!!!! She is a therapist who uses art and dance in therapy and has traveled the world looking for places to dance wildly. If there was a nirvana for her, this was it...and she had just bought a Cat in the Hat, Hat at one of the galleries and was dressed in a wild dress with her new hat. It wasn't a Thai silk traditional outfit, but it was quite the getup just the same..

I stood back to observe as I was concerned it was a religious ceremony and foreigners might not be welcome - we were the only non-Thais there. I was wrong because some of the old ladies grabbed her and were very happy to dance with her. They doing beautiful Thai exotic dancing, Mariel doing combo Rave-Belly - Indian dancing so it was quite a sight. I was drawn to watching the exorcisms and blessings and the wide variety of reactions people had when they received the spirit through the hands of the royal couple.

You know it - eventually Mariel got in line for her blessing/exorcism and after hers, the Queen insisted I come over and have her 'do me'.......what did she see????

She had me stare into her third eye (dot on her for head) while she held my hands and chanted over me then made circling motions over my head and told the evil to come out of me. I am thinking I am pretty good right now as I didn't feel much of a rush out so maybe I had less to come out than did the ones flinging about like freshly caught fish.

Just before 5 pm the band started a new song and everyone stood up at attention and sang through what I believe was a tribute to the real King. Very nice. Then a few people got up onto the monument and handed out the massive amounts of food and gifts that had been given to the Buddha earlier. A bit of a free for all.

There had been a fair bit of drinking to accompany the extreme dancing - non stop dancing in 110 degree heat is really pushing the body. As we left the gala, a few lady-boys insisted we do some whiskey shots with them as to replenish lost fluids. So thoughtful.

If I could get over the sex tourism thing, Thailand has to be up there for a great place to retire - the nicest people and the best variety of great stuff in a country - best beaches, mountains, hot and cool places, fabulous infrastructure, cheap great public transportation and so much beauty. Without tourists - this place might be nirvana...oh yeah, and without that constant red shirt/yellow shirt thing going on. For Mariel, she brings nirvana with her in her joyfulness - great fun to be with.

I really do feel lucky for having had the chance to take in so many intimate cultural moments this trip. It is by having the time to just be in the streets that you can see a different side of a city/community. Very cool.