Greetings from Chiang Mai!
I thought I would be polite and post a little something, since you haven't heard from us for a few days now. We successfully arrived back in Chiang Mai. Our poor rental car suffered tremendously for the time we drove it. Everyday we put some serious kilometers on it. When we returned it the entire car was red from dust. (It was originally silver) No dents or scratches though. We have checked into our new accommodation. We have a beautiful traditional Thai house. No pictures at the moment, but I will post some before we leave. What I mean by a traditional Thai house, is that it is on stilts, is completely wooden (with the exception of the hand made clay roof tiles), and consists of one large room. We are lucky to have been able to get the only house with a bathroom on the same floor as the bedroom. Most Thai traditional houses are too fragile to support the weight of plumbing. The only downside is that there is NO heat, insulation, or glass! Meaning the temperature outside is the temperature inside. No big deal right? We are in Thailand! But, the temperature here has been dropping down to the 12 Celsius range, which is quite a shock for our Bangkok adjusted bodies. (In hot weather there is a fan, and they spray water on the roof to keep the house cool). As I write I am wearing a sweatshirt, long pants, and a toque! (Winter hat for you Americans.) Fortunately during the day it warms up, and we have been practicing Thai massage, so we've been working hard.
Our massage class is fantastic! We are both enjoying it very much. Our class begins at 7:00 AM with Thai Yoga. Very easy movements that go along with the massage movements. Very beneficial. I can even touch my toes!! From there we eat breakfast, family style. Yogurt, "Musley," fresh fruit, coffee, eggs, and toast. Massage training is from 9-12, break for lunch, and then back to work from 1-4. Lunch is excellent Thai food, followed by fresh fruit. Usually lunch is a little lighter so we don't fall asleep during the massage.
Everyday one lucky student gets to be the model for demonstration. It feels so wonderful! We watch the demonstration of the positions first, and follow along making notes in our workbook. Then we get to work massaging our partner. Fortunately I brought my partner with me, so it is great fun. Christelia and I have managed to impress our teacher. Massage is hard work! By the end I am worn out and ready to lie down. Fortunately, that is exactly what happens.
Our evening routine is an herbal steam bath from 6:15-7, followed by a short sit by the fire, and finally dinner. After dinner we all sit and talk around the dinner table, and usually everyone calls it a night before 9 PM. Christelia and I usually head back up to our house, sit out on our porch sipping wine and playing Rummy.
Well, enough for tonight. It is late and yoga starts early in the morning. Good night, more to come.
Eduardo
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Christmas Day in Chiang Rai
Christmas day started with a delightful family breakfast on the porch. The same old favorites from the past few days with the addition of Christmas bread. Mmm mmm good. After finishing off my last cup of coffee, we headed off for the day. The plan was to visit the "White Temple," "Black House," and maybe the flower festival that opened today. First the temple and the house...
The White Temple and Black House are both creations of local Chiang Rai artisans. They are just as they sound. The White temple is, well, white. The Black house is, well, black. The story goes slightly deeper in that the creator of the White Temple is a devout Buddhist, whereas the artist of the black house is an atheist. The White temple is essentially just a gallery, whereas we found the black house to be the artists home, studio, and gallery in one. Quite cool. Both locations (which are located on opposite sides of the city as well...) were perfect for pictures. We spent quite some time wandering the grounds taking photos to our hearts content.
From the Black house we decided to check out the flower festival. On the way we discovered it was not what it was cracked up to be and opted for a short 130 km journey out the Phu Chi Fam where there was a "warm waterfall" for swimming. We came back to the homestay to pick up the necessities before heading out again. It was once again a race against time. With masterful skill, we managed to take a wrong turn, and missed the easy chance to get to the waterfall. Perhaps it worked out for the best though, as we were fortunate enough to enjoy yet another amazing sunset in the mountains of Northern Thailand.
Well, enjoy the pictures from the past few days. Tomorrow we travel back south to Chiang Mai for our massage class. Stay tuned for updates and painful stories!
Merry Christmas!
Eduardo and Christelia
Christmas Eve Day
It's Christmas eve. To celebrate, we are sitting outside in the crisp air drinking strawberry wine, eating Gouda, a fresh baguette, and delicious almond filled cookies from the Dutch bakery in Chiang Rai, while we listen to Christmas music. Here is a recap of our Christmas Eve day...
We rose earlier this morning than yesterday and enjoyed our breakfast at the homestay. Eggs, bacon, tomato and cucumber, coffee, French roll, and fresh fruit. Sounds like a lot doesn't it? It is. This morning we ate our breakfast with another Canadian couple here on vacation. Retired Air Canada pilot and stewardess. Nice chatting with friendly people...
We discussed our plans and decided to head off toward Mae Sai and the Golden Triangle (more later). Mae Sai is essentially the Northern most border crossing, so it meant a short drive North to the border. Getting out of the city here is much easier than in Bangkok. Here, 15 minutes. Bangkok, 1.5 hours and that is the Expressway. The Golden Triangle was first on the list. Taking the short cut route through Chiang Saen we traveled the secondary highway. The first stop we made was at the Opium Museum. For those who don't know, Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos were all heavily involved in the Opium trade. The museum was rather small but had an extensive collection of Opium weights, pipes, and legends. We learned Opium most likely came to Thailand from the Greeks, as the writings of Hippocrates told of its many benefits. We also had the chance to read about some Hill Tribe legends concerning the origins of Opium...
One tribe had two separate origins for Opium. The first told of a beautiful girl who had seven suitors. One day all seven asked for her hand in marriage. Not wanting to break any hearts, she decided to lay with all of them. The legend went on to say that when she had "had enough," she wanted death. On her grave grew a flower that was very beautiful, but would give both great pleasure and sadness.
The other origin was almost the opposite. Many years ago there was an ugly old lady whom no men wanted. She had never married. She said that when she died a beautiful flower would grow on her grave and they should take care of it, as it would give both great pleasure, and sadness.
Now the government has stepped in to turn the Opium plantations into coffee and tea plantations, which is just wonderful. All over the countryside we passed through plantations. Mostly tea, not sure about coffee, but we also saw a lot of tobacco.
From the opium museum we had a quick bite to eat along the river. Apparently we were at the Golden Triangle, the location where Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand meet. Unfortunately all I saw was a big river so I assumed we weren't there. We took no pictures. I think the area may more aptly be named the Golden Rectangle, as there was no clear triangle visible. Oh well, C'est la vie.
We took a side trip through a construction zone full of red clay (trying to get the rental car as dirty as possible...). On the way we encountered some cattle on the road. One had a very long leash, and had obviously escaped. The others blindly followed. It seemed a lot like school children in a way... Marcus did always tell me it was like training small animals. Trying to make up for the lack of pictures at the Golden Triangle, we took pictures of these.
Onward to Mae Sai! It seemed like this city was mostly only a border crossing, and a rather busy one at that! We decided it wasn't a good idea for us to head across the border and make more paperwork for ACT and turned around to find a different route to Mae Salong. We opted for Mae Salong to attempt to get some good photos of the sunset. It is supposed to be very beautiful at sunrise, so sunset would be the same right?
Along the way we made a few more detours. First to a waterfall which turned out to be a small stream, next was a hot spring which was nothing more than a big pool under construction, and lastly was another waterfall that truthfully involved too much walking if we were going to make it to Mae Salong for sunset. We got back into the car and continued along the way. Once again the beautiful mountain roads twisted all around and we had stellar views of the valleys below. Finally we arrived in the little village of Mae Salong.
Mae Salong is home to the descendants of Chinese nationalist soldiers, who fled and settled in Thailand in 1940. They were kicked out of China by Mao Tse Tung, escaped to Burma, were kicked out, and fled to Thailand where they stayed and aided the Thai government in the fight against communism for many years. Interesting influence in the village.
While in Mae Salong we found a little tea shop and factory where there were tea leaves being dried. We stopped in for a cup of local tea and ended up buying a small tea set and some of the local tea to go along with it. We enjoyed learning the proper technique for selecting tea, and enjoyed a few cups.
As we left the tea shop, the sun was going down. We hurried up the hill (walking... we can all stand to exercise a little.) and found that the road up was much longer than we anticipated. As I ran back down to the car, Christine was taking some pictures of the landscape. Two ladies from the local hill tribe who cultivate the tea plantation happened to be walking up the hill and took an interest in what Christelia was doing. (Darn Farang!) They happily obliged a few pictures in return. It was amazing to see real hill tribes, as most of them are really just for tourists. Please see the picture below.
At last we reached the top of the hill for pictures, once we got a few pictures it was time to head home (in the dark, back through the mountains...) We finished off the evening with dinner at the night bazaar of salted fish, hot and sour soup, and pork toast, before retiring back to the homestay for our wine, cheese, baguette, and blog.
Merry Christmas!
Eduardo (and Christelia)
Pictures posted this evening... Merry Christmas!
We rose earlier this morning than yesterday and enjoyed our breakfast at the homestay. Eggs, bacon, tomato and cucumber, coffee, French roll, and fresh fruit. Sounds like a lot doesn't it? It is. This morning we ate our breakfast with another Canadian couple here on vacation. Retired Air Canada pilot and stewardess. Nice chatting with friendly people...
We discussed our plans and decided to head off toward Mae Sai and the Golden Triangle (more later). Mae Sai is essentially the Northern most border crossing, so it meant a short drive North to the border. Getting out of the city here is much easier than in Bangkok. Here, 15 minutes. Bangkok, 1.5 hours and that is the Expressway. The Golden Triangle was first on the list. Taking the short cut route through Chiang Saen we traveled the secondary highway. The first stop we made was at the Opium Museum. For those who don't know, Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos were all heavily involved in the Opium trade. The museum was rather small but had an extensive collection of Opium weights, pipes, and legends. We learned Opium most likely came to Thailand from the Greeks, as the writings of Hippocrates told of its many benefits. We also had the chance to read about some Hill Tribe legends concerning the origins of Opium...
One tribe had two separate origins for Opium. The first told of a beautiful girl who had seven suitors. One day all seven asked for her hand in marriage. Not wanting to break any hearts, she decided to lay with all of them. The legend went on to say that when she had "had enough," she wanted death. On her grave grew a flower that was very beautiful, but would give both great pleasure and sadness.
The other origin was almost the opposite. Many years ago there was an ugly old lady whom no men wanted. She had never married. She said that when she died a beautiful flower would grow on her grave and they should take care of it, as it would give both great pleasure, and sadness.
Now the government has stepped in to turn the Opium plantations into coffee and tea plantations, which is just wonderful. All over the countryside we passed through plantations. Mostly tea, not sure about coffee, but we also saw a lot of tobacco.
From the opium museum we had a quick bite to eat along the river. Apparently we were at the Golden Triangle, the location where Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand meet. Unfortunately all I saw was a big river so I assumed we weren't there. We took no pictures. I think the area may more aptly be named the Golden Rectangle, as there was no clear triangle visible. Oh well, C'est la vie.
We took a side trip through a construction zone full of red clay (trying to get the rental car as dirty as possible...). On the way we encountered some cattle on the road. One had a very long leash, and had obviously escaped. The others blindly followed. It seemed a lot like school children in a way... Marcus did always tell me it was like training small animals. Trying to make up for the lack of pictures at the Golden Triangle, we took pictures of these.
Onward to Mae Sai! It seemed like this city was mostly only a border crossing, and a rather busy one at that! We decided it wasn't a good idea for us to head across the border and make more paperwork for ACT and turned around to find a different route to Mae Salong. We opted for Mae Salong to attempt to get some good photos of the sunset. It is supposed to be very beautiful at sunrise, so sunset would be the same right?
Along the way we made a few more detours. First to a waterfall which turned out to be a small stream, next was a hot spring which was nothing more than a big pool under construction, and lastly was another waterfall that truthfully involved too much walking if we were going to make it to Mae Salong for sunset. We got back into the car and continued along the way. Once again the beautiful mountain roads twisted all around and we had stellar views of the valleys below. Finally we arrived in the little village of Mae Salong.
Mae Salong is home to the descendants of Chinese nationalist soldiers, who fled and settled in Thailand in 1940. They were kicked out of China by Mao Tse Tung, escaped to Burma, were kicked out, and fled to Thailand where they stayed and aided the Thai government in the fight against communism for many years. Interesting influence in the village.
While in Mae Salong we found a little tea shop and factory where there were tea leaves being dried. We stopped in for a cup of local tea and ended up buying a small tea set and some of the local tea to go along with it. We enjoyed learning the proper technique for selecting tea, and enjoyed a few cups.
As we left the tea shop, the sun was going down. We hurried up the hill (walking... we can all stand to exercise a little.) and found that the road up was much longer than we anticipated. As I ran back down to the car, Christine was taking some pictures of the landscape. Two ladies from the local hill tribe who cultivate the tea plantation happened to be walking up the hill and took an interest in what Christelia was doing. (Darn Farang!) They happily obliged a few pictures in return. It was amazing to see real hill tribes, as most of them are really just for tourists. Please see the picture below.
At last we reached the top of the hill for pictures, once we got a few pictures it was time to head home (in the dark, back through the mountains...) We finished off the evening with dinner at the night bazaar of salted fish, hot and sour soup, and pork toast, before retiring back to the homestay for our wine, cheese, baguette, and blog.
Merry Christmas!
Eduardo (and Christelia)
Pictures posted this evening... Merry Christmas!
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Rural Chiang Rai
A lovely day in the country. After a delicious breakfast at the homestay, we headed out for the surrounding country. Our initial goal was the local hot spring, but we got sidetracked. On the way to the hot springs there were signs for "Toy Ngoon." We had no idea what this meant, only that on the blue sign was a white tree. Why not check it out?? We followed the signs are were quickly off the secondary highway onto the one lane local road. Up and down we went as the road twisted around the hills. In time we arrived at a small village. Here we decided to park our car and walk. Walking through the village was worse than a meat market; calls coming from left and right. Resisting the calls of the chickens we continued along the path. As we got to the edge of the village, there it was... the giant tree. It was HUGE! We took some pictures and wandered around the tree. See the pictures below.
On the way to the tree, I saw a sign for a waterfall. When we left the gigantic tree we decided to check it out. More local roads barely wide enough for one car, but very beautiful countryside. We passed through tea fields and mountains before coming through another small village. At the far end was the waterfall as well as a hill tribe village. First we hiked up to the top of the waterfall. Wonderful green mossy boulders, red clay, and very tall bamboo. When we arrived at the top there was a rickety old bamboo walkway over the rocks leading to a large boulder in the middle. We paused for a breather and also some time for some pictures.
The trek down lead us back out to the main road and a sign that read "Hill tribe house 150m." What the sign neglected to say was it was 150m upward. It was a very steep hill that lead to the hill tribe house. It turned out to be a small village, guest house, and satellite dish complete with farm animals. Hiking back down was just as difficult as the trip up... very, very steep. Maybe flip flops weren't the best decision???
Back to the car and out on the road. We stopped for some Som Tam (Papaya Salad, nice and spicy) at the village. We ate noodles, som tam, and had a nice bottle of water all for 50 Baht. There were only two roads leading out of the village... one had a sign placed in the middle. I asked for the best way to get to the hot springs from the village. The lady from our lunch stop told us to o up the road with the sign and turn left at the T. Why not?? If she says we can do it we might as well, right?? WRONG! We made our way up the mountain on a road with no shoulder. One side was mountain and the other was jungle after a small drop off. We got up about 1 km before we ran into construction. They had just poured the concrete for one lane, the other was only sand after a 6" drop off. Needless to say our Toyota Vios (like a 4dr Yaris) wasn't going to make it. What could we do?? The road wasn't wide enough to turn around and I couldn't go straight. I decided the back up... all the way back down the mountain to where we started. It must have been quite a sight for the construction workers and local children seeing two white people backing up down the mountain road... I managed to impress my wife with my driving. Mission accomplished.
We back tracked our way back to our original highway route. Made it to the hot spring and were a little disappointed. We had hoped to swim, but the pool was empty. No problem though, we soaked our feet and headed back to Chiang Rai. There are still more hot springs throughout Northern Thailand, so we will try to find another one in a few days.
Next stop was the white temple. After a few U-Turns and stops to check the map we found it. You need to understand the street signs are all in Thai... not easy when you can only remember a few characters. The White temple is just that... a white temple. We are going back tomorrow morning for pictures, as the sun was making it rather difficult to take good pictures.
Dinner was Hamburgers at "World Famous Burgers." Delicious. I know it sounds like we only eat western food, but you need to understand we basically only eat Thai food in Bangkok. Maybe once a week we indulge in Western fare. So, yes we eat western food, but it is usually things we can't find in Bangkok. Dessert at the same coffee shop as yesterday after a short walk around the Night Bazaar. Just as we finished our dessert a group of children came by and serenaded us with some Christmas carols... what a great way to find some holiday spirit.
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.
Eduardo (and Christelia)
On the way to the tree, I saw a sign for a waterfall. When we left the gigantic tree we decided to check it out. More local roads barely wide enough for one car, but very beautiful countryside. We passed through tea fields and mountains before coming through another small village. At the far end was the waterfall as well as a hill tribe village. First we hiked up to the top of the waterfall. Wonderful green mossy boulders, red clay, and very tall bamboo. When we arrived at the top there was a rickety old bamboo walkway over the rocks leading to a large boulder in the middle. We paused for a breather and also some time for some pictures.
The trek down lead us back out to the main road and a sign that read "Hill tribe house 150m." What the sign neglected to say was it was 150m upward. It was a very steep hill that lead to the hill tribe house. It turned out to be a small village, guest house, and satellite dish complete with farm animals. Hiking back down was just as difficult as the trip up... very, very steep. Maybe flip flops weren't the best decision???
Back to the car and out on the road. We stopped for some Som Tam (Papaya Salad, nice and spicy) at the village. We ate noodles, som tam, and had a nice bottle of water all for 50 Baht. There were only two roads leading out of the village... one had a sign placed in the middle. I asked for the best way to get to the hot springs from the village. The lady from our lunch stop told us to o up the road with the sign and turn left at the T. Why not?? If she says we can do it we might as well, right?? WRONG! We made our way up the mountain on a road with no shoulder. One side was mountain and the other was jungle after a small drop off. We got up about 1 km before we ran into construction. They had just poured the concrete for one lane, the other was only sand after a 6" drop off. Needless to say our Toyota Vios (like a 4dr Yaris) wasn't going to make it. What could we do?? The road wasn't wide enough to turn around and I couldn't go straight. I decided the back up... all the way back down the mountain to where we started. It must have been quite a sight for the construction workers and local children seeing two white people backing up down the mountain road... I managed to impress my wife with my driving. Mission accomplished.
We back tracked our way back to our original highway route. Made it to the hot spring and were a little disappointed. We had hoped to swim, but the pool was empty. No problem though, we soaked our feet and headed back to Chiang Rai. There are still more hot springs throughout Northern Thailand, so we will try to find another one in a few days.
Next stop was the white temple. After a few U-Turns and stops to check the map we found it. You need to understand the street signs are all in Thai... not easy when you can only remember a few characters. The White temple is just that... a white temple. We are going back tomorrow morning for pictures, as the sun was making it rather difficult to take good pictures.
Dinner was Hamburgers at "World Famous Burgers." Delicious. I know it sounds like we only eat western food, but you need to understand we basically only eat Thai food in Bangkok. Maybe once a week we indulge in Western fare. So, yes we eat western food, but it is usually things we can't find in Bangkok. Dessert at the same coffee shop as yesterday after a short walk around the Night Bazaar. Just as we finished our dessert a group of children came by and serenaded us with some Christmas carols... what a great way to find some holiday spirit.
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.
Eduardo (and Christelia)
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai
We did it, we left Chiang Mai. To get out of town we rented a little Toyota Vios. Every good road trip starts with a chili dog. If you are ever in Chiang Mai, eat at "Mike's Original" for the best (and possibly only?!) chili dog in South East Asia.
The first part of our journey took us south to Doi Inthanon, the highest point in Thailand. Driving up the mountain side we stopped at a few waterfalls where Eduardo tried to master the art of shutter speed. We stopped at three waterfalls, each more beautiful than the last. FInally we reached the top for a great view point of the valleys below. The temperature began to drop as we perused the gardens and pagodas. As the sun was setting we began our journey north to Chiang Rai.
On paper the trip from Chiang Mai and Doi Inthanon is just a short 182 Km. Not too long of a drive, just enough to make your ass go numb. However, "on paper" does not account for the twisting, winding roads through the mountains. We overlooked that fact during our planning. The trip which should have taken a mere two hours, took six. What better way to enjoy your vacation than a "leisurely" nighttime drive over the mountain roads of northern Thailand??? The road was barely wide enough for two cars, frequently had hairpin turns, was up and down constantly, and had the added pressure of needing to arrive to get into our hotel. Add to that the lack of road signs, and when there were road signs they were only in Thai. Quite an interesting drive to say the least. At times it felt as though we weren't making any headway, and other times we felt completely lost. Nothing is more disconcerting than arriving at a place you thought you had passed to find out you weren't even there yet. WHAT?!?
As we came up the road to the town of Fang in Northern Thailand, we were supposed to have turned just 14 km earlier. Not knowing how we missed the turn or really where we were, I pulled into a 7-11. Fortunately for us, there was a group of three drunk, young Thai men, eager to give us directions. Speaking in broken English/Thai we managed to communicate enough to discover that we were in Fang, but the place we wanted to turn was in fact further into town, not outside of town as the map suggested. Politely refusing to take the beer they offered me for my drive to Chiang Rai, I hopped back in the car and we drove the last hour and a half into Chiang Rai.
Earlier in the day we had called "Homestay Chiang Rai," and made a reservation. It is owned by a Dutchman and his Thai wife. If you are ever in Chiang Rai, stay here, it is wonderful. We were in frequent communication with Tony about our arrival. The plan was he would meet up with us and we would follow him to the homestay just outside of Chiang Rai. We finally met up with him at 11:30. After a six hour drive through the mountains we collapsed into bed and fell asleep.
We slept in. After brunch we decided to go for a walk into town and ended up at the Mae Fah Luang Art and Cultural Park. It was originally opened by the Princess Mother and featured a collection of Teak wood artifacts. Unfortunately, photography was not allowed in the main exhibit. The building was a beautiful Lanna style wooden structure with a 17th century teak wood Buddha in the middle. Words cannot do it justice, as the architecture was just amazing. We wandered around the park and took some pictures, before heading back to our homestay for some dinner. This evening we headed back into town for dessert (Coffee and cake) down by the clock tower. An enjoyable day.
Chiang Rai is very laid back and not as centered on Western tourists. It is a little more like our local village at Assumption, but with MUCH less pollution. Well, off to bed... tomorrow will be a busy day of Hot Springs, Waterfalls, and the White Temple.
Good night!
Eduardo and Christelia
The first part of our journey took us south to Doi Inthanon, the highest point in Thailand. Driving up the mountain side we stopped at a few waterfalls where Eduardo tried to master the art of shutter speed. We stopped at three waterfalls, each more beautiful than the last. FInally we reached the top for a great view point of the valleys below. The temperature began to drop as we perused the gardens and pagodas. As the sun was setting we began our journey north to Chiang Rai.
On paper the trip from Chiang Mai and Doi Inthanon is just a short 182 Km. Not too long of a drive, just enough to make your ass go numb. However, "on paper" does not account for the twisting, winding roads through the mountains. We overlooked that fact during our planning. The trip which should have taken a mere two hours, took six. What better way to enjoy your vacation than a "leisurely" nighttime drive over the mountain roads of northern Thailand??? The road was barely wide enough for two cars, frequently had hairpin turns, was up and down constantly, and had the added pressure of needing to arrive to get into our hotel. Add to that the lack of road signs, and when there were road signs they were only in Thai. Quite an interesting drive to say the least. At times it felt as though we weren't making any headway, and other times we felt completely lost. Nothing is more disconcerting than arriving at a place you thought you had passed to find out you weren't even there yet. WHAT?!?
As we came up the road to the town of Fang in Northern Thailand, we were supposed to have turned just 14 km earlier. Not knowing how we missed the turn or really where we were, I pulled into a 7-11. Fortunately for us, there was a group of three drunk, young Thai men, eager to give us directions. Speaking in broken English/Thai we managed to communicate enough to discover that we were in Fang, but the place we wanted to turn was in fact further into town, not outside of town as the map suggested. Politely refusing to take the beer they offered me for my drive to Chiang Rai, I hopped back in the car and we drove the last hour and a half into Chiang Rai.
Earlier in the day we had called "Homestay Chiang Rai," and made a reservation. It is owned by a Dutchman and his Thai wife. If you are ever in Chiang Rai, stay here, it is wonderful. We were in frequent communication with Tony about our arrival. The plan was he would meet up with us and we would follow him to the homestay just outside of Chiang Rai. We finally met up with him at 11:30. After a six hour drive through the mountains we collapsed into bed and fell asleep.
We slept in. After brunch we decided to go for a walk into town and ended up at the Mae Fah Luang Art and Cultural Park. It was originally opened by the Princess Mother and featured a collection of Teak wood artifacts. Unfortunately, photography was not allowed in the main exhibit. The building was a beautiful Lanna style wooden structure with a 17th century teak wood Buddha in the middle. Words cannot do it justice, as the architecture was just amazing. We wandered around the park and took some pictures, before heading back to our homestay for some dinner. This evening we headed back into town for dessert (Coffee and cake) down by the clock tower. An enjoyable day.
Chiang Rai is very laid back and not as centered on Western tourists. It is a little more like our local village at Assumption, but with MUCH less pollution. Well, off to bed... tomorrow will be a busy day of Hot Springs, Waterfalls, and the White Temple.
Good night!
Eduardo and Christelia
Monday, December 20, 2010
Chiang Mai #2
Day two of our vacation in Chiang Mai.
Tourist traps, Chiang Mai is full of them. I suppose it is not all bad, but what should have been a wonderful day, turned out to be a mediocre one. We spent some time on the Mae Ping river, and had a good meal with entertainment. This evening we walked the "Night Bazaar" and found our way home. Tomorrow morning we are off to Chiang Rai.. on the way we plan to visit the highest point in Thailand, as well as take some beautiful pictures. See you tomorrow!
Eduardo
Tourist traps, Chiang Mai is full of them. I suppose it is not all bad, but what should have been a wonderful day, turned out to be a mediocre one. We spent some time on the Mae Ping river, and had a good meal with entertainment. This evening we walked the "Night Bazaar" and found our way home. Tomorrow morning we are off to Chiang Rai.. on the way we plan to visit the highest point in Thailand, as well as take some beautiful pictures. See you tomorrow!
Eduardo
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Words of Wisdom
While exploring a Wat in Chiang Mai today, we came across an area full of signs with words of wisdom.. take a look.
Eduardo
Eduardo
Chiang Mai #1
This is it! Our vacation has started. Last night we boarded the train for Chiang Mai. Not too bad of a trip. We had been fortunate to book a first class sleeper cabin, well worth the extra few hundred Baht. Of course, it could have just as well been called a first class insomnia cabin! Both of us woke up with each train stop. Still, the bed was comfortable...
We arrived in Chiang Mai at about 10:30 AM. Nice "cool" weather here. Not quite as big and dirty of a city as Bangkok, which is refreshing. It is quite nice to see a strong Hill Tribe presence and influence at the markets, etc. We found and checked into a great little guest house. Our room is cozy and at a great price too... only 450 Baht a night. It is a family run business with everyone pitching in.
After a short little rest and a shower, we were out on the streets of Chiang Mai. We wandered around for a bit until finally talking with a Tuk Tuk driver and arranging a tour of some Wat's. After our Wat tour he dropped us off at the Sunday Market.
What a wonderful influence of Hill Tribe culture! Such a nice change from our local Bangkok Market and MBK. Still some very touristy wares, but still some more unique items as well. There was plenty of art available for purchase. We found a great "Line Thai" piece done in black ink. We also bought a great Hill Tribe style embroidered blanket. Very colorful.
Once our feet were sufficiently tired from walking up and down the market, we decided to head for home. A short walk later we arrived. Whew! What a day. Enjoy the pictures. Until tomorrow...
Eduardo
We arrived in Chiang Mai at about 10:30 AM. Nice "cool" weather here. Not quite as big and dirty of a city as Bangkok, which is refreshing. It is quite nice to see a strong Hill Tribe presence and influence at the markets, etc. We found and checked into a great little guest house. Our room is cozy and at a great price too... only 450 Baht a night. It is a family run business with everyone pitching in.
After a short little rest and a shower, we were out on the streets of Chiang Mai. We wandered around for a bit until finally talking with a Tuk Tuk driver and arranging a tour of some Wat's. After our Wat tour he dropped us off at the Sunday Market.
What a wonderful influence of Hill Tribe culture! Such a nice change from our local Bangkok Market and MBK. Still some very touristy wares, but still some more unique items as well. There was plenty of art available for purchase. We found a great "Line Thai" piece done in black ink. We also bought a great Hill Tribe style embroidered blanket. Very colorful.
Once our feet were sufficiently tired from walking up and down the market, we decided to head for home. A short walk later we arrived. Whew! What a day. Enjoy the pictures. Until tomorrow...
Eduardo
Friday, December 17, 2010
Winter
This morning we were informed it was the official first day of winter here in Thailand. It was actually quite nice and cool when we left the apartment this morning. A brisk 22 degrees, cloudy skies, and a gentle breeze. A little different from winter back home.
The downside of course is that it is nearly impossible to get into the Christmas spirit when there is no snow, and no sub-zero temperatures. It doesn't however prevent the Thai people from doing their best to promote the holiday spirit. No pictures yet, but hopefully some to follow. Also, more updates coming soon from our past adventures.
Lastly, we will be leaving for our Christmas vacation this weekend. We are off to Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai in Northern Thailand. We have been told this is the best time of year to visit. Too many plans to tell you all about now. We will update the blog as we go along.
Merry Christmas! Check us out on Skype, we'd love to hear from you!
Eduardo
The downside of course is that it is nearly impossible to get into the Christmas spirit when there is no snow, and no sub-zero temperatures. It doesn't however prevent the Thai people from doing their best to promote the holiday spirit. No pictures yet, but hopefully some to follow. Also, more updates coming soon from our past adventures.
Lastly, we will be leaving for our Christmas vacation this weekend. We are off to Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai in Northern Thailand. We have been told this is the best time of year to visit. Too many plans to tell you all about now. We will update the blog as we go along.
Merry Christmas! Check us out on Skype, we'd love to hear from you!
Eduardo
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Jim Thompson House Museum
A few weekends back we took a trip to the Jim THompson House Museum. The short story is...
Jim Thompson was a member of the American military (OSS) who was posted as Bangkok Station Chief until his discharge from the military. He was architect, but decided after his discharge he wanted to return to Bangkok. He returned and began a mission to revive the Thai silk industry. Thompson soon gained international recognition for his success in reviving the industry. He also had a passion for collecting antiques, including Thai style houses. His collection of antiques is extensive and contains some very well preserved items. His house was actually three houses put together to create one large house. Thompson disappeared in 1967 in the Malaysian jungle and was never seen again... or was he?
For a better story, check out the Jim Thompson House website.
Unfortunately photography was only allowed in the garden area. Here are some of the pictures we took, including the ornately carved wooden doors.
Eduardo
Jim Thompson was a member of the American military (OSS) who was posted as Bangkok Station Chief until his discharge from the military. He was architect, but decided after his discharge he wanted to return to Bangkok. He returned and began a mission to revive the Thai silk industry. Thompson soon gained international recognition for his success in reviving the industry. He also had a passion for collecting antiques, including Thai style houses. His collection of antiques is extensive and contains some very well preserved items. His house was actually three houses put together to create one large house. Thompson disappeared in 1967 in the Malaysian jungle and was never seen again... or was he?
For a better story, check out the Jim Thompson House website.
Unfortunately photography was only allowed in the garden area. Here are some of the pictures we took, including the ornately carved wooden doors.
Eduardo
Elephant Trek Koh Chang
Pictures above are from our Elephant trek on Koh Chang. We had so much fun! Included on our trek was a jungle walk, and also some swimming. Despite their large size, they really are very gentle creatures... as long as you are on their good side I'm sure. The tree that appears to be camouflage is actually a Canadian in disguise, don't be fooled. Next are a few views from top. At the skilled hands (and feet) of our Mahout we managed to make it safe and sound through the jungle. Our elephant was a little famished in the middle of the trek and tried to grab a bite to eat as we were on our trek. You would too, just think about walking through a buffet line without actually getting something to eat. In the process of grabbing some leaves, our elephant also grabbed hold of a very long and tough vine. Christelia and I both agree he almost pulled down the entire jungle around us. A very enjoyable trip with some incredible animals. The last picture with two elephant faces is amusing to me. Sometimes I think Christelia has the same look in her eye when I'm "picking on her." Enjoy the photos.
Eduardo
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