Chiang Mai: July 2015
Thank you Ted and Teri
We were sad to be leaving Bangkok, but happy to be moving on to Chiang Mai to visit Teri and Ted! Teri used to work at Stanford with Javier before she retired. Once she did, she and her husband Ted, moved to Chiang Mai, where Ted is originally from. We arrived in the afternoon, and Teri and Ted were waiting for us. It was noticeably more humid in Chiang Mai. They drove us to their home, where Teri had prepared a room for us. Teri and Ted are such great hosts! They had slippers for us to wear while in the house, bottled water waiting for us- they even had toothbrushes and little dentals floss if we needed it. Our room was very comfortable, complete with air-conditioning. After we settled in and visited with one another, we made our way to the Chiang Mai cultural center for a night of dinner and traditional dancing.
Tourist time in Chiang Mai
We arrived, checked in, and checked our shoes before entering the building. We sat on cushions on the floor around two little tables and faced the stage. We had great seats. The food was traditional northern-style Thai food. There was a variety of food (mostly vegetables, rice, and chicken) served in small bowls. We were able to try a little bit of everything. Then the show started. They played traditional music with singing, and the women came out in traditional dress and danced. Javier and I were most impressed by how far back these women can bend their fingers. I especially liked the long pointy caps they put on their fingers. At one point in the program, they pulled people from the audience. Javier had eaten so much, he had undone his pants for comfort. When the girl came over and chose him to go up on stage he found himself trying to buckle up his pants before they fell down.
Tourist time in Chiang Mai
After the show and shoe collection, there was another area of the center that was displaying dances of the mountain people. We decided to have a look. We sat in a circle as people dressed in the clothing of the various mountain groups came out and danced to a drum and flute of some sort. Many of the performers were from the show we had just seen. At one point, a dancer dressed in a goat-looking animal came out and started harassing the crowd (in a good way). It was pretty funny to watch. It came up to our group and nudged our knees and arms. Apparently, you’re supposed to feed the goat money. We didn’t know… At the end of the night, Teri and Ted gave us a picture from the evening. This is something Javier and I would not have purchased for ourselves, but we were so happy to have it. Teri and Ted treated us to a really great time, and we are so grateful.
Tourist time in Chiang Mai
The next day, we drove up Doi Suthep mountain to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is a famous temple, and a sacred site for many Thai people. It was raining, and we quickly made our way up to the temple. As we were walking around, it started to pour. It was torrential rain and wind. Everyone was under the walkways waiting for the the downpour to pass. At one point, we heard a loud crash, and looked over to see a table of Buddha statues tumbled over. One of the workers came to pick them up, and some had broken. Oops. Once the rain was no longer coming down in buckets. Javier and I made our way around the temple. The whole area is open-air, with only the walkways, and specific rooms covered. Therefore, when you want to get from point A to B, there’s a good chance you have to go outside. The temple floor is made of stone. Rain+stone= an accident waiting to happen. Sure enough, as we were walking around, I almost slipped and cracked my head, not 10 seconds later, a man in front of us wasn’t so lucky and down he went. Thankfully, he wasn’t badly hurt, and even though he took a while to get up, was able to walk away with only bumps and bruises.
Tourist time in Chiang Mai
After we made it through the temple unscathed, we collected our shoes and went for lunch. Javier and I wanted to try some more local food, so Ted and Teri took us to the mall. Hmmm… When we arrived at the mall food court, it was nothing like what we were used to. It was all local food and mostly local people eating. They found a place for us to sit, and ordered us Khao Soi. It is a traditional soup from the north, and it was so good. So much so, that Javier and I went back for lunch a few days later, and looked for the soup as often as we could. Even now, I want a bowl. After lunch, we walked around and stopped to have an after-lunch coffee, or in our case, Thai tea.
Durian. Tastes like onions to me.
After a delicious home made curry dinner that night, we had a special treat. Ted brought out the durian. For those who don’t know what durian is, it’s a stinky fruit. It like the size of a rugby ball, and is covered in small hard spikes. Just about every hotel in Thailand has a sign by the elevator that forbids durian. It can stink up a room in no time. We had seen (and smelled) durian everywhere we went, but had yet to try it. It’s quite an intimidating fruit. Ted brought out two durian- one more ripe than the other. We could smell it right away, and Teri was already making faces (she doesn’t like durian). I made Javier try it first. He said it tasted like onion. I thought that was really weird. I could tell by his face that he didn’t like it, but he did a good job and swallowed his piece. Then it was my turn. I smelled it up close, and sure enough, it smelled like onion…well, I like onion! I wasn’t as daring as Javier, and only took a small bite. It had the consistency of a banana and while it did remind me of onion, it was also sweet. I was intrigued. I wasn’t sure if I liked it, or just didn’t hate it. I took another bite…I liked it. I tried the other, more ripe, durian, and didn’t like it as much. It was a little too much durian flavor for me. I was quite pleasantly surprised. I really didn’t think I would like it. It really tastes like nothing I’ve ever tried before (even though it reminded me of onion, it really has its own distinct flavor). While we were trying, Teri kept commenting on how much she hates it, while Ted had this big smile on his face saying how much he loves it. They’re so funny. I should mention that while Ted is Thai, Teri is originally from the Philippines. 🙂
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Tourist time in Chiang Mai
The next day in Chiang Mai, Teri and Ted dropped us off in the old town, and we set off on our own. The first thing on our agenda was to try and book an elephant experience. We had done lots of research while in Bangkok, and had found a company, Elephant Nature Park, that seemed like what we were looking for. They offered a week-long volunteer working with the eles, but when we tried to book online, everything was full. When we sent an email, they said they were fully booked. As a last ditch effort, we decided to go in person and try our luck. At first, it didn’t seem like it was going to happen. They took our information and said they had to call the rescue and talk to some people to see if they could make room. We agreed to return in a couple hours. We were a little sad that it may not happen for us, and were looking at other options, such as the day tour, but decided to just wait until we knew for sure if they could fit us in or not. After lunch and a little shopping, we made our way back to Elephant Nature Park headquarters. The guy had good news for us! He could fit us in for the following week. We were so excited to get in, we just took it. As we were talking with him, we started to get a little hesitant, because that meant we would have to stay in Chiang Mai for a week. Javier and I really didn’t discuss this out loud, but both of us were thinking it, so Javier asked the guy, “Would it be possible to start this week?” After all the work he’d done for us! But, it doesn’t hurt to ask, right? The guy got back on the phone, and before we knew it, we were scheduled for a week-long volunteer at ENP. We were so excited! This meant that we had a couple more days in Chiang Mai before leaving. We spent the rest of the day visiting Wat Chedi Luang and Wat Phra Singh. Wat Chedi Luang was originally a complex of three temples. The chedi (another name for stupa) is partially destroyed and the assembly hall, with its standing Buddha, is the place where the monks chant, and the people can visit. Wat Phra Singh is close by and contains an important statue of Buddha.
Wat Phra Singh
After our temple visits, we decided to cool down with some tea. It is fair to say that we were completely addicted to Thai tea at this point. By the time we were finished, it was time to meet Teri and Ted. They picked us up and and took us for seafood. The restaurant was huge and all outdoor. We talked about what to order, and they recommended the snake-head fish and crab fried rice. Let’s just say, it was a good recommendation. We ate and chatted about our day before heading home.
There was an art festival happening in the city. So, the next day, Javier and I decided to check it out. There wasn’t much to see during the day, as everything exciting started after the sun went down. We saw some of the photos that were on display, and instead of going to see more temples, we decided on blogging and a massage. We hadn’t yet partaken, and Javier had never had a massage, period.
Nice angle, Jackie!
When we first entered the massage place, we were hit with a blast of cold air. It felt so good!! They had us change into loose pants and a top before going to work. For being so small, those little ladies are strong! I looked over at one point, to see Javier being bent this way and that, all at the mercy of someone half his size. After our lovely massage, we walked to the mall, where we ordered a Thai tea, worked on our blog, and waited for Teri and Ted.
The next morning, we had a plethora of fruit with our eggs and toast, and have discovered our new favorite…mangosteen. Mangosteens are so cute. They look like plums with cute little greet leafy hats. They are absolutely delicious. Refreshing, sweet, but not too sweet. I only wish they sold them in the US.
For “church” Teri and Ted alternate between catholic church and Buddhist temple. We happened to fall on a Buddhist temple day. So to the temple we went!!
Tourist time in Chiang Mai
Church was held at Wat Phra That Doi Kham. Teri told us that people come here to pray and make supplication. When Buddha answers their prayers, they return with bundles of flowers to thank him. Buddha must be granting a lot of wishes, because there were thousands of flowers piled on the altar. We lit incense, prayed, and took pictures from the top of the mountain. It was a lovely way to spend the morning. Afterward, we drove to the hot springs. When I heard we were going, I thought…but I’m already melting. We went, and I have to say, it was very pleasant. I thought I was going to be uncomfortably hot, but surprisingly, I wasn’t. We ordered some iced coffee, sat on the side of the hot river, and soaked our feet and legs. You can actually buy a basket with eggs and cook them in the water. We were a little bit away from the source, and therefore weren’t as hot. Teri and Ted told us a story about a child who fell in the hottest part and died. Yikes! At the source of the hot water is a sign that tells you how long to cook your eggs- from soft boiled to hard. There were so many people out. The place is like a big park, perfect for families. After our legs were nice and red, we decided to return home.
Hot spring and an iced latte.
On the way home, we stopped by an umbrella-making place. Ted told us this was a legitimate place to buy handmade and painted umbrellas and fans. Everything was so beautiful. This was yet another instance where if we were vacationing and going home afterward, I definitely would have bought something, but it’s just not practical to backpack with a wooden umbrella for months on end.
That night, we relaxed and prepared ourselves for our week adventure with the eles. Teri and Ted let us keep our excess baggage at their home, dropped us off in the morning, and offered to pick us up on the return. We were so grateful, and excited for the week ahead. We had no idea we were in for such a treat!
To see more pictures of Chiang Mai, click HERE.