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
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