April 22-25
Hi All,
We thought we had a leisurely morning before catching our 11:30am flight….but, checking with the hotel and due to traffic and long lines at the airport she thought it best to leave by 8:30……well, not too bad but so much for leisurely. As it was, there was little traffic….we paid the taxi to use the express toll highway, and Thai Air Asia put Southwest to shame in their automated and extremely efficient method to check baggage et al….we were sitting in the local coffee shop by 9:30……ok, a little coffee and onto to a good book……both Kathy and I are rereading the Outlander series after watching the first 2 seasons on DVD!!! We made it to Chiang Mai and our hotel by 2ish…..Makkachiva…..a new, boutique hotel in the heart of old town……very nice people, charming with lot’s of art!!!!
So…..why did we go to Chiang Mai……well, because many people we know went there and said how beautiful and relaxing…..a charming little town in the mountains and all the literature was full of beautiful mountain scenes and a wonderful “old town” to wonder about……hmmmm, maybe we will need to research a little better. The town is not small….maybe 2 million people….yikes….and it is sort of right on the edge of the mountains…..maybe 1000′ elevation….the mountains rise to 5-6,000 feet, you can see them but noooooo, not for us……the air is once again very, very hazy. We asked several people and the consensus is from people burning farm lands in preparation for the rainy season…..hmmm, not buying all that. We concluded it was due to pollution for sure, fires and maybe the main reason was due to the humidity and the air being trapped by the mountains…..in any event we were very disappointed. We can say that all of Thailand, including Phuket has been very hazy……not all from pollution so there has to be some natural air quality phenomenon causing the hazy condition!!
“Chiang Mai is a city in mountainous northern Thailand. Founded in 1296, it was capital of the independent Lanna Kingdom until 1558. Its Old City area still retains vestiges of walls and moats from its history as a cultural and religious center. It’s also home to hundreds of elaborate Buddhist temples, including 14th-century Wat Phra Singh and 15th-century Wat Chedi Luang, adorned with carved serpents.”…….see even the research says mountanous??????
The lady at the reception could not have been more helpful and within a short time we had the next few days mapped out……walking both the Saturday and Sunday night markets and sampling the yummy street food, a tour up the Doi Suthep mountain to a Doi Pui Hmong village and temple, a morning walking several of the more popular temples, a tuk tuk tour and finally an afternoon at a spa……Chiang Mai is well known for its spas so we decided to treat ourselves for the final afternoon!!! We also wanted to go see an elephant sanctuary up in the mountains where they take care of the elephants but it was sold out……really, damn tourists:))))). We could have gone to another elephant park but these were more for show and riding and well, after Chitwan Nepal…..been there, done that and got the t-shirt!!!! Also, there are many National Parks in the area with great hikes, waterfalls and birdlife but we just didn’t have the time. I think most natives come here maybe for a week or so to enjoy the area and nightlife, as well stay up in the mountains in one of the numerous 3-5 star resorts!!!
We were a little hungry after all the travels…..why can you sweat so profusely yet not lose any weight……maybe because we keep eating at wonderful Thai restaurants…..this one close to the hotel…..w/AC…..ok, maybe not the charming street side restaurant but AC won over charm……and it turned out to be our favorite Thai restaurant…..5 stars for food……we just wanted a light lunch to tide us over to dinner but we ended up with way too much……I had the Mee Krob Ra Na…..crispy egg noodles with kale, carrots and pork in a yummy thick soup…..just a hint of a spicy pepper sauce and it was outrageous delicious……a huge bowl……but……why do they put crispy noodles in a soup……they become soggy noodles……hmmmm…….ponder that one a bit…..we also had some spring rolls, shrimp wrapped in bacon and Kathy had the Pad thai…yep, just a light lunch:)))))
That night we went for a leisurely stroll and ended up at the Saturday night street market…..whoa…..like maybe a mile or 2 long…..we didn’t make it all……just walked ~4 miles today!!!!!
The first morning we were up and ready by 8am and this time for sure it was a private tour. Our guide, a nice young man around 30, not married and so full of life……for the life of us we can not remember his name…….arghhhhhh….hate these senior moments and that is why I blog……sidebar…..another reason for a long marriage….the blog so settles memory debates:))))) I think he asked more questions about our cruising lifestyle than we did about the tour……he had graduated college and gone on to get his Thailand tour guide license so he can guide anywhere……oh, to be so young and full of possibilities again!!!!
Hmong Village: “Is a key tourist attraction, and therefore probably not as authentic as it could be, it still offers an insight into how Thailand tribes live. The villagers wear traditional Hmong clothes, sell traditional Hmong handicrafts, and live in traditional Hmong-style homes. In the village is the small house arranged as museum displaying hill tribe cloths, plantation tools, kitcheners and opium producing equipments. Upon the hill above the village is an attractive garden abundant with beautiful flowers planting. Along the walk way through the village is plenty of handicraft shop with variety of hill tribe products including cloths, hats, caps, bags, belts, and accessories.”
Hmmm….our guide told us these people migrated from China 200 years ago and grew poppy….as in opium, which is illegal now. The government convinced them to be a tourist village now…..AND, the first thing we did was walk through the market…..really…..indeed a tourist trap….arghhhhhh!!! But, the museum while poorly done, had some great history and photographs…..we take it not many of the tourists are interested…ugh!! And the garden was beautiful…..they had an opium poppy plant…..I don’t think we had ever seen one and our guide told us how they cut the seed and collected the tar like substance!!!! We also had some locally grown coffee….strong but not as strong as Vietnam!!
Wat Phra That Doi Suthep: “Overlooking the city from its mountain throne, Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is one of northern Thailand’s most sacred temples, and its founding legend is learned by every schoolkid in Chiang Mai. The wát itself is a beautiful example of northern Thai architecture, reached via a strenuous, 306-step staircase flanked by mosaic naga (serpents); the climb is intended to help devotees accrue Buddhist merit. The monastery was established in 1383 by King Keu Naone to enshrine a piece of bone said to be from the shoulder of the historical Buddha. The bone shard was brought to Lanna by a wandering monk from Sukhothai and it broke into two pieces at the base of the mountain, with one piece being enshrined at Wat Suan Dok. The second fragment was mounted onto a sacred white elephant that wandered the jungle until it died, in the process selecting the spot where the monastery was later founded.”
Hmmm…..maybe 375 steps…..yikes……but not as bad as Bhutan’s Tiger Nest. The temple indeed was very impressive, but the beautiful mountain and valley scenes continue to be hidden by ugly hazy polluted air….ugh!!!
After our morning tour we went on a tuk tuk tour of the “old town” It was a Sunday so some of the shops were closed. But we did go to an impressive fruit and then a flower market….wow, so many orchids!!! Then around 5pm we went on a 3 mile walk along the Sunday market….and we only did half of it…..we ate some wonderful street food……chicken, spring rolls, corn et al!!!!
The next day we went walk about in old town touring 3 temples on our own:
Wat Chedi Lang: “The construction of the temple started in the 14th century, when King Saen Muang Ma planned to bury the ashes of his father there. After 10 years of building time it was left unfinished, later to be continued after the death of the king by his widow. Probably due to stability problems it took until the mid-15th century to be finished during the reign of king Tilokaraj. It was then 82 m high and had a base diameter of 54 m, at that time the largest building of all Lanna. In 1468, the Emerald Buddha was installed in the eastern niche. In 1545, the upper 30 m of the structure collapsed after an earthquake, and shortly thereafter, in 1551, the Emerald Buddha was moved to Luang Prabang.”
The 600 year old leaning Stupa was impressive that it was still standing. This is the ancient ruin we can see from our balcony. Also, the elephants surrounding the temple were impressive as well….some are still standing while other have been reconstructed.
Wat Pra Singh: “Built in 1345, Chiang Mai’s most revered temple, Wat Phra Singh is dominated by an enormous, mosaic-inlaid sanctuary. Its prosperity is plain to see from the lavish monastic buildings and immaculately trimmed grounds, dotted with coffee stands and massage pavilions. Pilgrims flock here to venerate the famous Buddha image known as Phra Singh (Lion Buddha), housed in Wihan Lai Kham, a small chapel immediately south of the chedi to the rear of the temple grounds.”
Wat Chang Mun: “Chiang Mai’s oldest temple was established by the city’s founder, Phaya Mengrai, sometime around 1296. In front of the ubosot (ordination hall), a stone slab, engraved in 1581, bears the earliest-known reference to the city’s founding. The main wí·hăhn (sanctuary) also contains the oldest-known Buddha image created by the Lanna kingdom, cast in 1465. A smaller second temple enshrines the city’s guardian images, the bas-relief marble Phra Sila Buddha, believed to have been carved in Sri Lanka more than 1000 years ago, and the tiny crystal Phra Sae Tang Khamani Buddha, reportedly crafted for the king of Lopburi around AD 200.”
Both of these temples were very impressive……and old…..amazing how some parts have withstood time and others have been restored!!!
Soooooo……had enough temples asks the Princess……we have now walked about 4 miles and stood in awe of these 3 temples for close to 4 hours in 90+*F heat…..yep……I’m good….let’s go eat and have a cold beer!!!! So, we found a very authentic Thai restaurant…..no tourists in here…..and no English or AC either….but cold beer and fortunately they used English sub titles below pictures so we could easily order…..fried spare ribs and rice for me…..just a light lunch and yes, I did pass on the “fermented spare ribs”…..and well, can’t remember what Kathy had but it was delicious!!!!
Then…..it was massage time……ODG……2.5 hours for $90 each……Chiva Spa picked us up at our hotel and drove us the 10 min to their Spa……then it was pure pampering for the next 2.5 hours. We have never had a massage that long and well, we are now totally spoiled. They combined several different massages……Swedish, some Thai stretching, hot stones, aroma therapy…..whoa……and to think we were both surprised when our time was up wishing it could keep going!!!
We capped our 3 days in Chiang Mai with another walk in old town ending up at a local Italian place…..wood fired pizza…..yes, we needed a break from all the Thai food…..and homemade ice cream……decadent!!!!!
The next day was all about flying back to Phuket and getting on Mystic……and to our relief, all was well onboard!!!! We will spend the next week provisioning and getting Mystic ready for our 6 months of cruising….yea…..we are both very ready to get back on the water after our 5 months off!!!
Hope all is well!!
John
Back on Mystic Moon in Phuket
PS: Pictures on the website: http://mysticmoonvoyages.com/photo-gallery/nggallery/main-album/Chiang-Mai-Thailand
