Last Day in Chiang Mai....!

Tuesday March 22, 2011

9:55pm

I am blogging tonight but unfortunately won’t be able to post until tomorrow after a full day’s adventure (7:15am-8:30pm) heading further up north to Chiang Rai and the “Golden Triangle”.

The day started with a pick up at my guesthouse and we ended up having only 7 people in our group which I guess was lucky since I saw other groups packed to the maximum 13 people in their mini vans. The highlight of the whole day was probably our tour guide named “Star”. She was born and raised on a rice paddy field/farm just outside of Chiang Mai and she still helps her family farm during the wet season when tourists are not around. She was so knowledgeable and personable to each and every one of us along with added humor. She really was a SUPER STAR and probably one of the best guides I have ever added in all my travels. She helped me learn some Thai as well so I could blend in more since so many people again today asked if I was ThaiJ

So our drive began with about an hour’s drive up to the Chiang Rai Hot Springs. It was like a minature “Old Faithful” for those who have been to Yellowstone National Park. I thought it was so funny because people sold chicken and quail eggs with a mini basket that you could dip into the hot springs and cook to eat. It was already quite hot so I skipped dipping my feet in. Yesterday and today was 38 degrees Celsius and sorry I don’t know what that is in Farenheit. But the heat here up north is a dry type of heat as opposed to humid type-great for drying clothes outside!

After the hot springs we headed further up north to the famous “White Temple” designed and constructed by a famous Thai painter whose paintings sell for tens and thousands of dollars. While reading up on him in the gallery, I learned he is a devout Buddhist and funded the construction of the temple with his own money for all to appreciate for free. Construction continues as he designs and builds on a day to day basis making the sight ever changing. It was indeed beautiful and a little morbid in parts with these hands reaching out from under the ground to the sky at the bridge entrance; I guess to symbolize people’s yearning to reach the highest state of mind? In the main part where a Buddha statue was placed for worship, the was painted with X-Men, Batman and other superhero characters…I was a little confused at this point and read that this was to symbolize that the superheros are heros but Buddha himself is the one hero?

The female toilets were the best free squatting toilets I’ve seen and used in my life. It was a massive gold building with little gold cubicles that had some shoes that you wore inside. They were spotlessly clean and it was just pretty cool.

We headed further up north to the famous GOLDEN TRIANGLE that borders the countries of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar (Burma). This is the place where the opium trade and exchange occurred back in the day. We got on a small boat to go up and down the Mekong River (which I learned is 3^rd largest in the world behind China…if you can recall I got to travel on the Mekong in Vietnam too!). There are casinos built by the Chinese along the river on both the Burma and Laos sides! We got off at the riverside border of Laos to a town called Don Xao, where there was some fake shopping little stalls and children asking for money. So I got to be in Laos for about 30 minutes today but didn’t need my passport for this short time. There is definite poverty in both Burma and Laos with Thailand being the most developed of the three countries. We headed to a buffet lunch after this and then to the border of Myanmar/Burma.

Myanmar was the former name of the country but is now formally known as Burma. There is very cheap shopping to be done at this border town of Mae Sai, even for Thai people. Also, many people take care of their immigration needs like extending visas and such. We went to a hillside temple where we could see the two countries from above. A river is what simply separates the two borders. Thailand does not charge anything for the Burmese to cross the border but the Burmese charge the Thai people about $17. Historically, the Burmese and Thai have had conflict over this river and the Burmese actually took over parts of Northern Thailand back in the day. Border patrol is intense here especially near the river since the Burmese people like I said are quite poverty stricken and see Thailand as a better way of life for them and their families.

We then visited some hilltribe village people from the Akha and “Long Neck” Tribes. We had the opportunity to buy ice cream for the local kids who jumped at the chance from such foreigners and I had a field day taking photos of the native kids enjoying their ice creams!

A four hour back to Chiang Mai found me pretty tired…I have packed my bag tonight as I bought an overnight bus ticket back to Bangkok tomorrow afternoon. My plans of wanting to go meet a friend down in one of the southern Thailand beaches fell through. Unfortunately, the flights and costs just didn’t match up and its just so hard for me to justify paying so much for what luckily awaits me back home on the Big Island….

So, Bangkok here I come again. I get in at 6am and am just going to stay for the night and try to find a flight online tomorrow to fly from Bangkok to Penang (Malaysia) for Friday.

As I walked back from my local “7 Eleven” around the corner where I got my ice cream after the ride home late, and then said “Swadeeka” (hello) to the sweetest elderly couple who run the Roti (Indian pancake) cart on my guesthouse’s side street (delicious as well since I got one last night for 20 cents), then was greeted with clean laundry and my room key by the night man on duty who has the warmest smile and minimal English which hand gestures have helped us communicate over these last 5 days!....I know I am going to miss Chiang Mai!

Wednesday March 23, 2011

10:22am

Back at my regular coffee shop with wifi this morning and woke up early to a mosquito buzzing at 6am so I just got up and decided to go for a run around the old city walls. Its one big square with a river like a mote that bounds it and it took me about 35-40 minutes. I think if I moved here I would start the Chiang Mai Running ClubJ The whole place is great to run in and the morning temperatures is beautiful…not many women (ok none!) or men too running around so it was some interesting looks that I got from people passing by.

It was just what I needed after such a long day yesterday in the mini van up north.

I then walked down to the 24 hour market…yes 24 hours…flowers, food, clothes…sooo big…to get some breakfast..well a shake!

The beaches and south of Thailand including Bangkok is heavy rain so my decision to skip those beaches I think is a good one, except I’ll miss connecting up with a friend I met in Vietnam. So back on the overnight bus I go to Bangkok tonight at 6pm. I’m hoping I can check into a somewhat nice place when I get in around 6am and then sleep, explore some more of Bangkok and hopefully even get to meet up with some HPA students that live there too.

So one last day in Chiang Mai….another Thai massage I think since Bangkok is more expensive too!