Before traveling to Thailand , I thought it was Bangkok and white sandy beaches. A mountain
region never crossed my mind. Tom moved from Bangkok to Chiang Mai after taking his
teaching class. We actually went to pick up his certificate while I was there!
Chiang Mai is a large University City
nestled in the Mountains of Thailand.
We took a night train leaving Bangkok around 7:30pm to
Chiang Mai. It was about a 14 hour train ride, but most of it through the
night, so not bad. Also, there were a lot of young travelers on the cart with
us, so we played card/ drinking games and swapped stories. I think our ticket
was like $40ish dollars. Chiang Mai is the big city in the mountains. We stayed
in the mountain region for almost a week then booked flights (about 3
days out) to the beaches. We flew from CM to Phuket (booked first class by
accident). Since we were there, I went ahead and booked my flight from Phuket
back to Bangkok
so I would not have to deal with it from the beach towns, and not knowing how
much internet access I would have. For the flight to from CM to Phuket and
Phuket to BKK was under $200 and one again, was first class.
The train was an older train,
but complete with seats that fold down into beds and restrooms. The train maid
comes and sets up shop for you with sheets, blankets and pillows. The views
from this train make you thankful for what you left at home and amazed by what
God created for us. I saw the poorest of poor villages and yet rode through
beautiful national forest that winded around hills and mountains. When I opened
my eyes from a rather well sleep, considering, I was anxious to get there. I could
tell from my current surroundings- outside the train, I was going to love CM.
Chiang Mai means “new city ”. This came from
being the new Capital that was founded in 1426. It is the largest city in the
northern region and one of the most cultural in the country. CM is the Capital
of the CM Provence. She rest 435 miles North of Bangkok. Four “wards” make up the
CMP and 1 million peeps reside within the four wards. Just this year it was
named by Trip Advisor as one of the “25 best destinations in the world”. That
alone is pretty darn impressive.
Once we got to CM we went to
Tom’s apartment ($115 a month for a loft style room with balcony and with
bathroom, toilet shower and hot water). From the train station there we took a
songthaew which is basically at small pick up truck with seats and a roof built
into the back bed. When we arrived at Tom’s apartment I could see why Tom loved
it so much here. It’s a big city, with a small town feel tucked up in the
mountains. The air is cool in the morning and evenings and the people are
young, hip and very nice. I unloaded my stuff and just sat down for a moment.
We sat on Tom’s balcony, had a beer and looked at the mountains, while we
discussed our next move. It was decided the next move would be to find Uncle
Buddy a hotel room. Right across the street was a hotel with a very impressive
lobby, free breakfast, maid service, large bed, hot water, and private bath all
for the bargain price of about $20.00 a night.
From there we head to grab some
lunch and book flight to the beach. We thought we might as well get that out of
the way. Cruising down the side walk we saw a tiny salad shop called The Salad
Concept. One of the best salads I’ve ever had! http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g293917-d1977921-Reviews-The_salad_concept-Chiang_Mai.html
. It was at that moment I was really surprised about the culture I was
visiting. Here I was in Thailand ,
a place many people could not even tell you where it was, sitting in the AC
eating a dank salad with cool artwork hanging around me.
After booking our flights we went to visit one of the most
famous Wats in the CM area, Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep. This was by far my most
favorite. We took a songthaew up to the entrance. The vibrant colored dragons
that line the entrance staircase, let me know that I was about to enter
something pretty spectacular. But I just had no idea how moving this place
would be. After climbing yet another 302 steps you can’t help but stop at the
top and take it all in. The beauty makes you speechless. Once more, I was
enamored by the detail, colors, history, meaning, respect and the people in
general. It’s no wonder that Thailand
is named the Land
of Smiles ! This saying
was specific to this country. They wanted to have a name that would be inviting
to tourist as, Thailand ’s
main source of income from the get go, was tourism. The older generation is
intriguing to look at. I wanted to sit and just listen to stories. Their
smiles, eyes, skin and mannerisms made you feel like all was well in the world.
From the very top, you can see all of the mountains and CM.
When we got back in the city, we showered and headed out for
a night on the town. Tom took us to a wonderful eatery– ha, it was Italian, but
still very good. From here Uncle Buddy wandered around and Tom and I went out!
We started off with the Saturday night bazaar, the Wualai Market in CM’s Old
City District. There were hundreds of vendors lined up along the closed blocks
that bordered the moat and walls of the Old City . There were plays, magic shows, fire shows,
food, crafts, clothes, art work and beyond. The market is each Saturday from
4pm to 11pm.
There are times in your life where you look back and think
“mmm, maybe that was not the smartest thing I’ve ever done”, but I believe in
humanity and the general good in people. I choose to believe no one would hurt
me- just because. However, I’m acutely aware of this flaw. On the flip side, I
desire to live my life and not be afraid to take chances. I have never been a
fan of the “what if” game. That game will ruin you…. And unquestionably shelter
you. My fondest memories, experiences,
lessons and ‘ahhhh-haaaa’ moments have partly come from doing things that were
not planned or ‘smart’. Things that I “should not” have been doing. I will not
stress my mother out with all the stories & details. Hitching rides with
Khwan and Kikkok was one of those moments- It’s almost hard to describe the
feeling of zipping through streets full of people, cars, music, night markets,
with someone you just met- but knowing you where in good hands. It really
allows you to see the culture and city from a perspective. Even if Tom and I
had rented motor-bikes, which you very well can do, it would not have been the
same. Tom and I arrived safely with wind
blown hair, huge smiles and several new friends. After dancing for hours, we
parted ways and Tom and I retreat back to his apartment. Elephant Day was
drawing very near.
To our surprise, a friend Spence Martin was traveling SE Asia with his girlfriend, Sara Bott. Tom and I knew
Spence from home. We knew they were up in Laos
and were hoping to meet up with him on their way back into Thailand . With several emails
behind us, we were sharing Elephant Day with them as well! We all met at Tom’s
apartment and from there took a Songthaew that was going to take us to Maesa
Elephant Camp http://www.maesaelephantcamp.com/
, in the mountains of Chiang Mai. Round trip to the Camp and back was about
1500 baht, so about $46 round trip for each of us. It was about a two hour ride
and the last hour we were deep in the mountains. Once there, we bought tickets
and started down the guided path where Thai children were encouraging you to
purchase bananas and pure stick of sugar cane. Apparently, elephants like
bananas and sugar cane. Actually, they love it. After a feeding session, off to
watch bath time! Probably 10 or so elephants of all ages and sizes are in the
river with their Mahout http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahout
or care giver. They are being washed, teeth brushed, sprouting out water,
rolling around and talking! Every last one of them was putting on quiet the
show. From here we head to the arena where we watch- true story- elephants play
soccer, stack logs and the most mind blowing… painting. Yes painting, with a
paint brush, paint, easel, and canvas. These pieces of art were available for
2,000 baht- about $57 dollars. Finally,
we get to ride them. There were baskets on the elephants back. Their Mahout sat
right above the neck. We boarded buy climbing stairs with a platform that was
the height of the elephants. Uncle Buddy has is own, Tom and I on one and
Spence and Sara behind us. We took about a hour tour through the camp habitat,
woods and mountains.
It is in Thailand
where I feel in love with Elephants. They are beautiful, kind, smart creatures.
Thai people believe they are a symbol of good luck, and now so do I.
Dinner time had approached by the time we got back into the
city. After showering and a quick freshen up, Tom suggest we go for nice
authentic Thai meal. It was one of his favorites, Khun Churn, http://vegetariankhunchurn.blogspot.com/
. The five of us sat there for 3 hours, as if we were locals, taking our time
devouring each item that was ordered and placed in front of us, as if it were
our last meal. We must have ordered 10 or 12 dishes and shared them all. We had
adult spirits to quench our thirst and incredible company. Uncle Buddy was
determined to pick up the bill, so us four youngsters, let him… I for one still
had a few days left in CM and then 5 days at the beaches! Astonishingly, the
bill was around $45.00 dollars. After dinner, Uncle Buddy went to get a massage
and we stopped by The Drunken Flower to finish our bottle of Sang Som then we
all decided it was time to pass out. I had yet to get a massage and I decided
it was time to change that! I walked across the street to the massage parlor
from Tom’s apartment and asked for a Traditional Thai massage; I think it was
45 or 50 baht- so $2 or $3! One of the best massage schools in Thailand is at the University of Chiang Mai ,
so I just knew this would be one of the best $3 I ever spent. Welp, let me tell
you. I am NOT a fan of the Traditional Thai Massage. It was rather painful. I
was a little concerned when I was asked to lie on the floor and keep all my
clothes on. I could not help but think how this is was going to work!? I was
actually. In. Pain. Several times she asked if I was ok. I was indeed ok, but
it was not pleasant. Embarrassed and not sure what to do, I pushed through for 45
minutes. I was pulled and pressed all over my body with her knees, elbows and
knuckles. When I walked out of there, I laughed and told Tom what I had just
been through. He said what I really wanted was a hot oil Thai massage. Just the
title of that sounded better than what I had just experienced. Since we were
white water rafting the next day, I figured I’d go back for round two after getting
tormented by the aqua.
One thing you must prepare yourself for are early mornings,
if you want excursions. We were to leave at 8 am. The Songthaew was full with
just Uncle Buddy, Tom and I along with a couple other locals. An hour or so along the way, we stopped at
some tiny village and were told to grab food and use the restroom, as it would
be a while before we were able to either again. We got off and scattered. We
had 30 to do whatever we needed to do. After paying 1baht to use the restroom,
we walked across the street to the market. This was a market unlike what we had
seen yet. There was hanging meat (keep in mind it is at least 90 out) with
flies everywhere, colorful fruits, people cooking on hot tops, live stock,
etc...
The last hour of the ride was rough- very bumpy and on very
authentic dirt roads. We saw roaming elephants on the sides of hills, just
hanging out. It was hard to believe this was a legit tour place once we
arrived. Siam Adventure Tours rest in the middle of a mountain within a village
on a calm river. Once we arrived, they had fresh pineapple and juice for us!
Lunch was also included. It was a pumpkin curry chicken with veggies and rice.
After our snack, we were given the run down. We had about an hour to kill once
we got there. The guides were now cooks. They cooked up a meal for all 20 of
us. While they slaved in the kitchen we walked around the village. There was an
old wooden bridge that looked like something from Indiana Jones, but being the
dare devils we are, we walked across. At this point I felt like I was more in Vietnam that Thailand . The only colors around
were the brown river, wooden bridges and houses, blue skies and green trees.
The vibrancy had disappeared. Granted there were splotches of color here and
there, within the homes and tiny gardens or the wild chickens wandering down
the dirt paths, but overall- a totally different feel! I, at the point, felt
like I was in a 3rd world country. No big buildings. No cars. No
noise, other than nature. No busy streets. No pavement. No electricity. This
tiny village of maybe 50 people lived and worked here daily. Probably knew no
different and they were or at my sight, completely content. I was intrigued and
grateful all over again.
After we ate it was time to board our boat. Our boat was just
Tom, Uncle Buddy, our guide and I. We rafted down the river in about 2hours. It
was Uncle Buddy’s first time. To our surprise there were some actual white
water areas! We managed through with no accidents. Another boat was not so lucky,
they flipped coming into a sharp turn!! The family members were all ok though.
By the end of the day I was worn out and day dreaming about that hot oil
massage. Once back in the city, we stopped and got some yum yum from a few
street vendors, and then I headed off to get my massage. Let me tell you, a hot
oil Thai massage, is what it is alllllll about. And it is $4.00. Yes, $4.00. I
gave her $10- just because I felt like I was ripping her off! After we all
relaxed a bit, we headed off to a late dinner, I wish I could recall the name
but it was delightful. The food was fresh and delicious. We had a booth in the whimsical
outdoor seating area.
This was our last night in CM and we had an early morning
flight. The three of us walked the night market and took the long scenic route
home after supper and called it a night.
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