Doi (Mt.) Suthep and Thanksgiving in Pai

OK, I'm going to admit it. Choosing a destination (AKA Chiang Mai) for more than a few weeks has made me relatively lazy and ruined the early morning motivation and momentum I had in Phuket.

About two weeks ago, in an attempt to break myself out of my non-routine, I walked about an hour west and caught a songthaew (a red truck type of "bus" system in Chiang Mai) up to the top of Doi Suthep, a jungle mountain that towers over the city.

There is a major temple there that you need to walk 300+ steps up to, giving the Howe St. stairs at home a run for their money.

The golden chedi up top is spectacular, though I'm not sure how it didn't blind my eyes in the penetrating sun.

There were hundreds of tourists adoring the temple and chedi up top. One side of the temple grounds provides an overlook of the city of Chiang Mai - one of the main reasons I came up here. I will definitely have to go back and see the temple for a sunset before I leave because the colors of the sky in the morning here are usually pretty incredible.

I think a favorite part of my trip to the mountain was when I walked back down the stairs at dusk. Suddenly there were neon lights illuminating the stairs and parts of the temple to guide your way back.

It was great to get a little bit out of the city, but I still needed a little bit more of a nudge to get back on track. Thailand always throws a mixed bag of coincidental and unexpected adventures (and people) my way to keep me on my toes. Kristin, a friend of my good friend Nick happened to be passing through Chiang Mai with her roommate Aaron, so we met up and explored the city by foot and bicycle. When they mentioned that they were going to head to Pai for Thanksgiving, I asked to tag along, and I'm so glad that I did.

Pai is about 3 hours north of Chiang Mai by minibus, and the road boasts an impressive 762 curves.

I was amazed to see that there was some type of pine tree thriving at the highest point of our drive. It's hard for me to believe when it's usually 86 degrees in Chiang Mai, but the temperature can drop to below freezing in the mountains.

Once in Pai, we found a bungalow to stay at and quickly exhausted the options of the town itself. Pai is a pretty small and hippie-centric town, though it has developed a lot over the past 10-20 years. The allure of Pai for me isn't really the town itself, but the endless options for exploration, using Pai as home base.

After eating (2 meals for me - soup followed up with pizza, happy Thanksgiving! ;), we connected with a group of Dutch guys that Aaron had met in Vietnam. It was at that time that we decided the best option for the next day was to form a small motorbike gang and take on the countryside of Pai.

I was excited to get some practice with a group of more experienced riders, and to break out of my comfort zone a little. It was beyond worth it and opened my eyes to a whole new world of travel.

We were only on the road for about 3 minutes when we had to pull over to take pictures from a gorgeous viewpoint. I found myself smiling uncontrollably as we rode off to our next unknown destination.

We set out originally to find some hot springs, but ended up at a "trailhead" for a waterfall. Unfortunately after walking about 10 minutes down the river, we discovered that there was no land trail that anyone could find, and we would have to continue up the river about 2-3 hours to reach the waterfall.

Some of us didn't bring a change of shoes (and the hike would have probably left us walking back in the dark), so we turned around and got back on our motorbikes.

We found a national park with hot springs. After haggling (OK, we showed them our driver's license and they thought it was a student ID), we got into the park for a less obnoxious fee. "Farangs," aka white tourists/expats consistently are charged more for services, but I don't mind paying to support the parks. :)

We headed in and found the multi-tiered hot springs, each pool hotter than the next as you approached the source.

I had a worry in the back of my mind because Darryl told me Axle wasn't acting normal (spoiler alert: he's fine, thank god!), so after we grabbed some dinner I went back to our guest house so I could keep in touch.

Aaron and Kristin left the next day to go to a monastery at Mae Hong Son (even further northwest) for 3 days, where they meditated with monks, as well as fasted for 20 hours a day.

I decided I would head back "home" to Chiang Mai so I could keep tabs on Axle as I wasn't sure whether I'd be able to keep in touch via cell phone if I went to the monastery. It turned out that Axle was fine, but I'm still glad I went back. It feels terribly helpless to know something might be wrong when you are thousands of miles away.

The rest of this week I've spent trying to prep for my next big adventure, with a friend (Eric) from my hometown who happens to also have left his life in Seattle to travel the world. We leave this morning - it's 66 degrees out and I'm freezing, which is very confusing.

What's the plan? A very loose 2 week itinerary involving touring the Thai countryside via motorbike. I promise I'll be safe, cautious and focused on the road, but I would have some serious regret if I didn't take this opportunity. Every account I have read has said that motorbiking (they are 125cc scooters honestly, ha!) the north is the best decision they made while in Chiang Mai.

So here we go... no reservations made, just on the open road and taking it day by day.

-Erin

Full set of photos from Wat Doi Suthep here.
Pai here.
And another mini temple exploration I didn't blog about - here.

A Day In the Life Of...

The thought of weeding through/uploading photos from the past week sounds a bit taxing (LIFE IS SO HARD) , so I thought it would be fun to switch it up and do a post about the everyday things in Thailand that I have (somewhat) become accustomed to.

Here we go, in no particular order!

...Interesting Bathrooms
I have had pretty standard bathrooms where I've stayed so far, though it still took me some time to get used to the layout. This is especially because there is no bathtub/barrier between the shower/toilet/sink.

My super fancy bathroom in Chiang Mai

This means that everything (like the toilet) end up soaked after a shower. I at least have what is called a "western toilet," which is what we are all used to back in the good old US. The only difference here is that you have to throw your toilet paper away as garbage due to septic issues.

There's also another hose (not in this picture, it's to the left of the toilet), lovingly labeled the "bum gun" by an Australian blog I found when I googled "What is that hose for next to my Thai toilet?"...

It's pretty much a more portable bidet, but you have to be careful about the varied water pressure between bathrooms. Eek!

Then you have your standard Thai toilet, i.e. a "squat toilet," which is pretty much a hole in the ground. Apparently these are very good for your body physically speaking, and there is no flushing mechanism, so you have to shovel water into it for a manual flush.

These toilets are very common in less touristy places. If you luck out and find a western toilet, it's probably going to be covered in water (well, it just seems like all surfaces in bathrooms end up covered in water). This means that I have learned to not sit down on toilets when I'm away from home!



Crazy Roads and Drivers
Driving on the left side of the road was easy enough to get used to, but I'm still adjusting to how recklessly people drive. Part of the problem is inexperienced tourists on a rental bike. Scooters are also the primary form of transportation for Thais, who zip in and out of mass traffic, rarely wearing a helmet. Sometimes you'll see an entire family crowded onto a scooter. Once I saw one packed with 6, including 2 children and one baby.

Unfortunately I haven't been able to snap any of these ridiculous events, so this photo will have to do.

Think you've got the green light at the crosswalk? Think again. Always look five times before you cross, as it seems like at least one lane of traffic isn't paying attention, or just doesn't care. I am still working on being as brazen as some Thais I've seen crossing highways with no crosswalks.

There are also some very windy mountain roads. I took a minibus to and from a city called Pai for Thanksgiving, and there are 762 (many sharp) curves along the way, almost causing quite a few army boys to barf.

The road statistics speak for themselves, but I wont spit them out here because I don't want it to scare anyone away from choosing their own mode of transportation. Just educate yourself and remember you have to focus about 1000x as much as you do in the states. It's a stunningly beautiful country to explore, and there is no freer way to do it than on your own terms.

Cost of Living
One of the top reasons I came to SE Asia was because I knew I could get much more bang for my buck than most places on the planet. Prices listed here are from Chiang Mai, which is a bit less expensive than Phuket was.

My concept of money has been completely warped, where sometimes I'll fight with a tuk tuk driver over 20 cents, then later that day spend $5 on an entree. Generally speaking, when away from the more touristy restaurants, I can leave spending less than $2-3 for a meal plus a non-alcoholic drink. For example, this bowl of delicious soup I had tonight cost $1. (PS I'm pretty sure I just found my new favorite noodle soup spot).

I followed it up with a GIGANTIC smoothie, made out of the water/meat of an entire fresh coconut, a whole mango and a quarter of a pineapple for $2.

What isn't (relatively) cheap is alcohol. In a restaurant you'll spend around $4 on a cocktail or large Thai beer, which is a lot when it's 2-3x as much as your food. You can find it for a little cheaper at a store, but in relation to the cost of other things, it's not very affordable.

The government also has imposed restrictions on when alcohol can't be sold at a store, which is between 2-5pm and midnight-11am, though this is only really enforced at major chains.

I paid about $300 for a month at my guesthouse - I have a queen sized bed, private bathroom, fan, TV, fridge, wardrobe, desk and a deck. I could even find cheaper accommodation, or pay a couple extra dollars a night for air conditioning.

I used to feel weird using a laundry service, but at about $1.30/kg for someone to wash/dry/iron your clothes, I have given in. This translates to about $2-3 a week.

Want a full body Thai massage? $6/hour. Seriously.

Beauty Standards and Sex Tourism

When I first got here, I was shocked at how many beauty products contain whitening agents. Sunscreen? Check. Deodorant? You bet. Shaving Cream? Of course. Having white, milky skin is an aspiration for women, which is quite the opposite of the tan obsessed American culture. I fear what would happen if I started using these products as I am very pale already. As my friend Kim said, "Girl, you'll turn see through."

The reality of the societal construct makes me sad. Thai women and their natural skin color are so beautiful to me. I understand proactive measures for protection, but dislike the thought of changing what is natural, which is also an issue in communities of color in the US.

Then there's Thailand's very public sex tourism problem. There are bars that line the streets of Chiang Mai full of young Thai women flocked around (usually much older) male tourists, either there to find a wife or a prostitute. I try to not judge when I see this "type" of pair walking down the street because I know that a) some of them are completely normal and/or b) there are people who come to Thailand (or any country) and fall in love without planning or fetishizing it. But there is a harsh reality to why some people visit, which is especially hard to ignore when you see great grandpa walking down the street hand in hand with an 18 year old.

There's also the fascinating arena of ladyboys (in Thai they call it "kathoey")... some of who are so convincing I can't even tell that they aren't "real" women, whatever that means. I've always been fascinated by human sexuality and kathoey doesn't fall into the "standard" definitions of trans, so I can't wait to get more exposure as I travel. Outside of the realm of sex tourism of course.

And then finally there are two subjects I wont even broach - ping pong (and other various object) shows and pedophilia. Yikes. I haven't witnessed either (unless the women noted above are below the age of consent) so I don't want to comment.

Political Activism
Though America has a considerably larger population spread over a MUCH larger area, I think we could learn a bit from the power of Thai protest. I'm not talking about overthrowing the current government, but more being able to band together and not back down to pressure in order to make change.

In 2006 it was top news worldwide when there was a coup in Thailand as they ousted the government and former Prime Minster, Thaskin Shinawatra. The country is divided into two, with large protests in 2010 and oh yay, right now. I only have a slight grasp on the current conflict, but the current Prime Minister (Yingluck Shinawatra) is Thaskin's sister, therefore it is thought that she is her brother's puppetmaster and the same people are still in power. Her party recently tried to introduce an amnesty bill to bring Thaskin back into the country (he's currently out of the country to avoid a jail term) and this re-sparked tensions.

I hear that tourists haven't been impacted by the main protests in Bangkok, and recently polled Thai's noted that their largest complaint/concern right now is the traffic it is causing. 23 countries have issued travel warnings about travel to Thailand, but I'm really not sweating it. I will keep a close eye on it when I go to Bangkok next month - just always be vigilant and educated, and I think you will stay a safe traveler. Just don't wear any red or yellow shirts right now in Bangkok or you could be viewed as a supporter of either side.

----

There's of course a lot more that's unique about being here and so many other facets of the culture and language I haven't touched on or experienced. I sadly haven't picked up much Thai yet (sorry dad), but it's beyond complex.

What hasn't changed is that I can pretty much get anything here that I can get in the states - I am still amazed at the variety of cultures restaurants cater to. Like, oh crap, I can still find amazing CAKE on the side of the ROAD.

And I even found Tree Top apple juice (where my mom works) in a tiny mini market in Phuket.

With all of this at my fingertips, do I want to come home? Hell yes! This makes me appreciate and miss home more than anything, but I can't wait to keep on exploring, learning and growing while I have the opportunity.

-Erin

Friends, Food, Fireworks, Tigers... and the Best Festivals Ever - Chiang Mai 11/13-11/18/13

I was going to write an entire post about this rad street food tour I did last Wednesday, but I woke up the next morning with food poisoning... so harumph, it only gets a mention for shock value. It's hard to not speculate which specific dish poisoned me when you peek at the beautiful item on the left (and below).

This is not a photogenic or attractive dish at all, with the star being the gelatinous brown/black pieces. It wasn't a part of the planned tour, but a woman in the group asked "What's that pink [shelled] egg?" and suddenly it was on the menu. This, folks, is known as a preserved or century egg.

I'm glad I didn't have a chance to read about it before I chowed down, because it actually tasted good. Just imagine a more flavorful hardboiled egg and try to IGNORE THE HORRIFYING COLOR. Anyway, I had many other questionably safe items that night involving barely cooked eggs and fun meats like liver, intestine and stomach. I decided to try to push myself and I guess I paid the price, but it's not going to stop me moving forward.

Thankfully I felt better about 24 hours later, because my friends Chris and Alison were in town on a pit stop for their honeymoon! I tried to not monopolize their time, but secretly told myself their trip here was to see ME! Yay, MY first visitors :) and they luckily picked the perfect dates that overlapped two amazing holidays.

But before the party, comes the hard work. Hanging out with tigers. We spent a few hours on Saturday morning petting, hugging and laying on tigers of all ages at Tiger Kingdom. We got a CD of "professional" photos, but as none of us has a CD drive here, these will have to do for now.

I have to admit I'm still on the fence if I'm a bad person because I did this - I'm glad to have had the experience, but the animal lover in me knows I supported the exploitation of tigers. I can report, however, that the tigers definitely did not seem drugged, and were very active and playful with each other. But refrained from eating us alive.

After a cat nap (or TIGER NAP, heyooo), we went to check out Loi Krathong and Yi Peng, which are Thai festivals that have skyrocketed in popularity with tourists in Chiang Mai over the past few years. They are marked by the plethora of gigantic sky lanterns in the sky, as well as krathongs (small decorative floats) that are sent down the river.

The peak of the festivals is the night of the full moon, but we weren't sure of this so went out all three nights.

I've read a few different explanations of the purpose of the lanterns and krathongs, but I think it comes down to paying respects to Buddha, while letting go of things that pain you, or asking for forgiveness for any wrongdoings.

That first night we went to a recommended restaurant called Riverside, which provided an awesome vantage point for the start of the festivities. We then ventured to the river for Alison and Chris to set off their first sky lantern. A very sweet thing to do on your honeymoon if you ask me. :)

Unfortunately none of our cameras did a very good job of capturing the lanterns.. but honestly I don't think there is any way to really capture the experience with pictures. It's something that you almost don't even believe with your own eyes.

We ended up running into a large parade and I set off a lantern for a friend, then parted ways at Thapae Gate as Chris and Alison had a day of playing with elephants ahead of them.

Krathongs

Lantern for Kevin's family.. I wrote upside down :/ but hopefully it's the thought that counts. :)

These things get hot!

View from Xanadu rooftop bar at Furama hotel.
Those aren't stars, those are lanterns.

We met up again the next night at a rooftop bar (another great recommendation - thanks Jesse :) with a view of Chiang Mai. Peering out into the city it was clear that there were many more lanterns in the sky than the previous night, which was a hard thing to comprehend. After eating and taking some pictures, we headed back to the Walking Street Market, ate some street food, checked out the temples and gazed at more lanterns.

I went home and stared off my deck for a good hour because I've never seen something so beautiful in my life. I had a perfect view of hundreds of lanterns dancing through the sky at the mercy of the wind.

The following morning we were picked up for a cooking class - something I will try to do at every destination.

We started at a local market where they showed us Thai ingredient staples and then drove us to the school, where we cooked seven courses. We got to choose from about 5 dishes for each course, so each of us choose a different recipe in order to sample as much as possible.

I was full after course 2, so it was a day that I felt needed many naps, but it was definitely worth the effort and subsequent bloating. Chris and Alison now have beautiful recipes that will be fantastic for the Seattle winter. The recipes in general are very simple, but delicious, maybe with the exception of making red curry from scratch.

Go Alison go!

I made khao soi!

Our bellies too full for dinner, we headed back to Thapae Gate and ran into another parade. I think there was a parade every night - in previous nights we had also seen a pageant, and we surmised that this parade was to show off the winners.

We realized we still had not let off a krathong into the river, and started to head in that direction. We ducked into a bar for a quick drink, where they gave us a lantern and multiple fireworks for free.

I don't know about you, but giving me free combustibles with my beer is a great way to make a happy customer. Then... the rain came. Most of my storm experiences in Thailand have come and gone quickly, but this one stuck around and interfered with our krathong plans. But that's OK, because we still had a great time playing pyromaniacs and throwing fireworks into the street.

We got into one last tuk tuk and said our goodbyes. It was so nice to have a little piece of home for a few days in Thailand, and I hope they have a great rest of their honeymoon.

I for one was so impressed by Yi Peng/Loi Krathong that I have already started to dream up future plans around it, like bringing Darryl and my family here. This also includes end of life plans, as I can't imagine a better farewell than having my ashes carried away attached to a blazing sky lantern, in the midst of a stunning and symbolic Buddhist festival.

Click for the full set of Tiger Kingdom, cooking and festival photos.

-Erin