Chillin' in Chiang Mai

After almost five days in fast-paced Bangkok I was ready to move on.  It turns out that Chiang Mai was a great change of pace.  Built around an old core that is surrounded by ancient walls and a moat, Chiang Mai, especially the central old city, has a relaxed feel and is incredibly easy to navigate.  It really reminded me of a city that Gina and I visited in Vietnam (Hue).  It was just a little bigger with more to do.  It was just what I needed after the frenetic pace of Bangkok.

I got into the city a little earlier than expected and was able to check in to my guesthouse right away, so after a little rest I ventured out to see the city.  It turns out that I was able to see much of the old city that first afternoon and evening, which freed up a lot of time to do other things the rest of my stay.

Of course I stopped at a bunch of the city's temples, famous and not, as I walked the city.  The major highlights included Wat Phra Singh, the city's most revered wat, and Wat Chedi Luang, formerly home to the Emerald Buddha now in Bangkok.

Chedi Luang

Chedi Luang

Chedi Luang

I also checked in at the place I was going to couchsurf at and got a Thai massage (think someone manipulating your body like a pretzel) there and then walked on to Chinatown and the night market.  It was a busy afternoon, so I was plenty happy, for more than one reason, to spend the next day in one location.

I love Thai food and I like to cook, so it was pretty much a no-brainer to do a cooking class somewhere in Thailand.  Thankfully my friend Emily had a good recommendation from when she visited in the winter.  I decided to check it out, and it didn't disappoint.  We cooked from about 10-3:30, plating seven courses and filling our stomachs all the while.  I made incredibly (supposedly normal for Thais) spicy soup with sweet basil, drunken noodles (noodles marinated in sauce), delectable papaya salad, fried ginger with chicken, panang curry and pumpkin in coconut milk for dessert.  Our teacher was entertaining, the food was delicious and I learned something; it's hard to beat that.

soup prep

spicy soup with sweet basil

drunken noodles

fried ginger with chicken

papaya salad

pumpkin in coconut milk

panang curry

The next couple of days were filled with walking markets, where I did most of my souvenir shopping, new food choices and my first couchsurfing experience.  I stayed just a few minutes outside the east gate with a British expat and his Thai wife.  He moved here to retire a handful of years ago, and she runs a massage shop downstairs.  Proximity has its advantages, and of course I took advantage of a couple of wonderful massages.  I wish it were so inexpensive at home. 

View from the rooftop garden of the couchsurfing joint.

After a rainy day we had a flash of sunshine, so I quickly took advantage of it and rented a moped to climb Doi Suthep and check out the temple at the top and a waterfall in the national park there.  It was a beautiful day, but it didn't last for ever.  More on that later.

The way to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep.

On the way down I planned to check out three temples that were just a little outside of walking distance from the city, and surprisingly I found them pretty well on the moped, only having to turn around a couple times.  The first temple was pretty nondescript, but the second (Wat Suan Dok) was fantastic, even if the incoming clouds put a damp on things a bit.

As I ventured to my last stop, Wat Jet Yot, those rain clouds you see above started to burst, but I was determined to make it.  I'm still not sure that was the right decision.  I made it to the temple without much damage, but getting back to the bike shop was a wet, wet adventure.  I guess it will be a memory I won't forget, and at least the contents of my backpack stayed dry.  And the temple was pretty cool.  I probably would have spent more time there if not for the rain.

Wat Jet Yot

My last day I was planning to go to an elephant camp and interact with the animals, etc., but I waited to book it because of the weather and when I went back they were full.  It probably was for the better as I was exhausted and used the time to unwind a bit and relax, which was really nice.  The next morning it was off to Koh Tao.