After enjoying our first experience on the rickety Thai train system during the 14 hour overnight jaunt from Bangkok, we arrived at the "Rose of the North," a more-than-fitting nickname for the northern city of Chiang Mai. Comprising a population of just under 200K, Chiang Mai provided an immediate welcoming reprieve from the chaos and commotion of our prior destination. With coffee shops, cafes and the obligatory fruit shake vendors lining every which road (mango smoothies have become our own crave-inducing version of crack), our days were spent at a slower "clip" (as Julie enjoys saying during our nautically-inspired conversations), at a rate of 1-2 sights/day.
Without further ado, onto the highlights:
Wat Phra That Doi Suthep - Despite being known for an absurdly high number of wats (i.e. Buddhist temples), we only managed to visit a handful of the over 300 Buddha-adorned shrines within Chiang Mai's limits. Comprising a standard formula of barefoot tourists + monks + gold-spray-painted-everything + Buddha(s) (typically in seated or, the more comfortable, reclining position), it is very easy to find oneself suffering from the ailments of "wat-overdose" after experiencing just a few days within the premises of these religious sanctuaries. Nonetheless, after hearing all the rave reviews regarding one of Chiang Mai's most sacred temples, we decided what better excuse than to to give our motobike-riding skills their first windy/hilly test.
Pronounced however you wish (it will probably be incorrect as we have discovered time and time again with any word/phrase in the Thai language), the temple of Wat Phra That Doi Suthep (#WPTDS for those twitterers in the group) sits high above Chiang Mai in the refreshingly cool-yet-still-not-that-cool hills of the Northern Thai countryside. With a breathtaking view over the city below (if breath still is to be had after the surprisingly tiring walk up all 309 steps), one is able to enjoy a true moment of serenity and solitude (that is, if you ignore the hundreds of selfie-stick-holding-tourists within arm's reach).
Sunday Night Market - In a region where the hours between 8AM and 6PM are characterized by heat, humidity and a helpless sense of exhaustion, it is no surprise that life truly picks up during the hours after the sun has set beyond the horizon (poetic, I know). Chiang Mai is no exception, as the city comes alive as darkness overtakes its confines (even more poetic, go me!). And what better way to celebrate the temporary break from the onslaught of mother nature than by setting up thousands of stands, selling everything and anything one can imagine (matchboxes from the 60s were our pick-of-the-litter).
With multiple night markets throughout the city, the one held every Sunday evening, conveniently located a stone's throw from our guesthouse, proved most impressive. The main thoroughfare of Chiang Mai's old city is converted into a pedestrian-only walkway, with roadside stands lining the streets for miles (yes, miles) as well as every open-area Wat along its path turned into a temporary locale for a wide variety of delicious Thai food stands. With crowds only dispersing much later in the evening, it is no surprise that Monday in Chiang Mai, is usually everyone's day off.
Massages with Convicts - "Hello, massage?" It is almost impossible to walk down any street in Thailand, as a tourist at least, and not hear those two sing-songy words uttered in your direction. With prior requests falling upon deaf ears, we finally decided, after several painfully-spent days upon our motobike to and from Pai (more on this to come later), that a good deep tissue rub down was in order. However, as to ensure such an experience would not only provide relaxation and rejuvenation, but also a solid story to boot, we decided to seek out the most "unique" massage shop in Chiang Mai. And that, of course, is how we wandered upon the growing trend of "massages with convicts."
For the all-encompassing sum of $10, one is treated to the muscle-soothing relief from the well worn hands of an incarcerated female convict. Yup, we shit you not. Unfortunately for us however, with all the "cons" being booked up for the day, and only a few hours left on our watches prior to our flight to Laos (hypothetical watches of course, aka phones), we resorted to the 2nd best option -- Ex-cons. Thus, while still experiencing an hour of relief at the hands of Thailand's most notorious (aka probably not-so-notorious), at least with these special ladies, they had already paid their debt to society.
Baan JaJa Guesthouse - Good idea = Finding a guesthouse for less than $10/night. Bad idea = Said guesthouse lacking the good-nights-sleep-accompanying presence of air conditioning. 3 sleepless/90 degree nights later, valuable lesson learned.
Onto the pics:
| Embarking on our 14-hour night train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai -- Apparently a backpacker was a bit too "overserved" back in the day, so now all alcohol is banned on trains in Thailand. Thanks guy. |
| Wat Pha Sing - One of probably a dozen Wats within a 5 block radius |
| Julie in her finest Wat-attire |
| Young children of the monkhood enjoying a nice lunch while dozens of tourists take photographs of them in the background (not myself of course, I fall more into the "amateur/aspiring blogger" category) |
| Artsy bell shot (that is all) |
| Khao Soi - This dish just made it to the top of our "how the hell do we recreate this back home" list |
| Making our way up the steps to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep |
| Tribal girls welcoming guests to the Wat (and damn you lady in white dress for being impossible to photoshop out) |
| It only took about 20 minutes to get this shot without a selfie stick poking its way into my viewfinder |
| A very common sight outside the entrance to wats |
| The view over Chiang Mai - "I'll take sunny/non-hazy photogenic days for $200 Alex, thank you" |
| Julie exhibiting the 1st stage of "wat overdose" |
| Sunday Walking Market - Quite appropriately named if you ask me (i.e. occurs on Sunday, involves walking, is a market) |
| We scoured these stands of change purses (yes, there were multiple) looking for Kerby, to no avail unfortunately |
| I just enjoy the fact that someone not only created this fine piece of art, but also took the time to ensure the elephant's expression was "fitting of the moment" |
| Match Boxes from the 60s - Coming to a bathroom near you any day now |
| Yup, that's how we roll |
| Catching the 5:30PM prayer session |
| Consolidated Translation = "Please call ahead, and no taking photos of inmates while moaning under a tree branch?" |
| $10/night steamy pad of luxury |
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