Chiang Mai
Paradise. The name of our hotel that was our home-base for the remainder of our trip. The one word that defines the exact opposite of this place. A jail-like, concrete building located along a back alley of Chiang Mai. Scum coating the surface of the indoor pool, bird droppings on the breakfast tables, ants in the sinks, in our beds, and in our pants. Paradise.
Although we were far from paradise we happened to be right around the corner from a terrific local restaurant that I must say ranks #1 in the pad thai category!
Daytime in the area was spent hopping from food place to food place whether we were looking for a meal or trying to kill time. We also took our chances not knowing what to expect to get out of the five whole dollars we spent for an hour long Thai Massage. Oh man, having my body twisted in awkward positions and having my muscles kneaded by the hands, elbows, and feet of a little thai lady was just what I needed after sleeping in trains, planes and automobiles and not to mention bamboo "beds" throughout the course of our trip. That was the first and only massage I've ever gotten aaaaaand probably the last in a long time considering my low expectations of finding anywhere else offering such a service for anywhere near that price!
Nighttime in the area included wandering the stock-filled streets of the Night Bizaar where we spent more time and money than anyone can consider normal...
That is Thailand.
Sincerely,
THAI
Daytime in the area was spent hopping from food place to food place whether we were looking for a meal or trying to kill time. We also took our chances not knowing what to expect to get out of the five whole dollars we spent for an hour long Thai Massage. Oh man, having my body twisted in awkward positions and having my muscles kneaded by the hands, elbows, and feet of a little thai lady was just what I needed after sleeping in trains, planes and automobiles and not to mention bamboo "beds" throughout the course of our trip. That was the first and only massage I've ever gotten aaaaaand probably the last in a long time considering my low expectations of finding anywhere else offering such a service for anywhere near that price!
Nighttime in the area included wandering the stock-filled streets of the Night Bizaar where we spent more time and money than anyone can consider normal...
We really just wanted another chance to dress up in long thai skirts with pretty stitching and what other place to do such a thing than a Buddhist temple? So up Doi Suthep we went to see beautiful Wat Phra That sitting at the top. We wandered around there for a bit, but you can only spend so much time taking pictures of peaceful Buddhas when tigers are next in line. We went back down the mountain to Mae Rim where we got up close and personal with some ferocious felines at Tiger Kingdom. If the walk up the stairs to the temple didn't get my heart rate up... this sure did.
Doi Inthanon
Into the jungle we went. Three days and two nights in Doi Inthanon National Park. Bamboo rafting, hiking, waterfall bathing, tribal village dwelling, hiking, elephant riding, hiking... I can say with confidence that this was the best experience I had in this country! We were able to do so many neat activities and interact closely with the Karen tribe people who live in the jungle with their own language, villages, and sustainable way of life. They lived in small huts without doors and had minimal electricity other than a couple solar panels that they can benefit from when its not wet season. They used and reused everything they could, brewed their own alcohol, and had what could very well end up being their dinner running around the roads! We exchanged songs with the village children, were challenged with riddles by the cheif, and played takraw (think volleyball with no use of hands). When it came to sleeping we were under a roof, a mozi-net and on top of bamboo, and woke up to the roosters... which seemed to be a little confused, cock-a-doodle-doo-ing at 4:00 am... then again at 6:00...
That is Thailand.
Sincerely,
THAI
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