Motorscooter mania!

This week has been a blur of motorbikes, bazaars and food- it's been great! I can't tell you how nice it has been to be back with familiar faces that speak the language and know the surroundings. The biggest difference about this week has been my mode of transportation, namely the motorbike. Some Thais drive cars, but I'd say 80% of them seem to prefer to travel by motor bike (including my friends here). When I say motorbike, we're talking mostly scooters, with some dirt bikes and a few motorcycles. The funny thing about motor bikes is that they are much smaller then cars, and so they can do fun things like travel 3 wide in a lane, or drive between cars, or on sidewalks! And let me tell you- they do all of that and more! People seem to see motor bikes as basically akin to walking. In fact I've been told (and seen) that ONLY tourist walk anywhere, Thais take their motor bike. And because driving a bike is about the same thing as walking, you can basically drive your motor bike anywhere you would walk! They also seem to believe that because they are not really driving, they don't need to follow the rules made for cars! This "driving" style has been similar everywhere I've been, and has provided a good deal of entertainment as I rode along nice and secure in a taxi or tuk-tuk. But my friends here only have motor bikes, so everywhere we go is an adventure! Being on the motor bike is such a different experience because you are completely vulnerable, plus you are doing the crazy maneuvers, not just watching them. You basically feel like you are about to die a horrible death constantly. I am not sure I can actually express the shear insanity, it is like nothing we know in the US. If you actually worry about what is going on you would just start screaming. The only real option is to just put your trust in fate. Pretty quickly you attain this zen like state where your horror is replaced with a mild amusement. It's actually pretty peaceful, assuming nothing bad actually happens! I think everyone should try it at least once! And let me tell you, driving a motor bike here is 10 times more terrifying, partly because they drive on the left (or as i say 'wrong') side of the road! It's a wild ride!