Relaxing in Northern Thailand

February 24, 2011

I've been to northern Thailand and back to Bangkok since my last entry. The two areas are in such stark contrast. Though Bangkok is modern in so many ways there is still much of Thailand that reveals it's still a developing country with much poverty. The landscape and climate of the north is different as well – being mountainous and a bit cooler. The pace is also a bit slower, which I love.

My adventures in the north began with a “sleeper bus” to Chiang Mai. I use quotes because really the seat just reclined a lot and I've found that despite being more developed than Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos they don't have as good of sleeping buses. Oh, well. I just needed a good nap when I arrived. We arrived at 5:30 in the morning and I had called about the room at one place, but someone one the bus knew of a place with cheap dorms. So I headed there, but found they weren't open until 8am. Fortunately, they had a lounge area I could nap under my comfy blanket. At 8am I was told they were full so I headed off to the place I had called before. But soon I came upon, Diva Guesthouse (how can you resist a name like that?!), and found a dorm bed. It's a cute place with a wonderful owner so I feel like I really lucked out. I also befriended another traveler who was enjoying Chiang Mai so much he'd been there a month.

I walked the old walled city of Chiang Mai that day and found it had much of the charm that Ubud and Hoi An had. They are similar in that there seem to be many expats as well as travelers and there are many fun stores and cafes that cater to western tastes. And these places cater to various budget levels. It's also very enjoyable to just walk about. I just window shopped as I made my way to palaces and temples. In one temple I had a quick chat with a teenage monk who was doing his algebra homework. |I don't know how long he's been a monk or if he'll stay one. Traditionally, Buddhist boys/men would be a monk for a year, but from what I hear many aren't doing it and if they do they might just stay for a month.

One temple was creepy. See the picture of a small green Buddha with a man sitting in front. It's not a man, but a model! Wax maybe... He must have been a leader at this monastery, but he's so life like that it threw me. I kept looking to see if his chest was moving as he breathed. Nope. The green Buddha was fun though and at another place I saw one made of purple crystal. The temple architecture and design was attractive and showed variation, which was fun.

I also made my way to the museum that explained the history of the area. People have populated this area for the past 7,000-12,000 years and the city itself was born in the year of the Monkey (1296 AD) on April 14^th at 4am. This birthdate was spiritually deemed favorable. So at 4am on this date digging of the new city was begun. King Mangrai's decision to even build a city here was based on 7 auspicious signs, some practical and others more mystical.

The first sign was 2 albino deer, mother and child, left the forest and came to this sight. Also, 2 albino hog-deers, another mother and child, came and drove off a pack of dogs. A huge mouse was seen with 4 followers coming out of this site. The terrain was also deemed favorable because the highlands were in the west and sloped east. There is a stream that encircles the city and a big swamp to the northeast. And finally, a river flows to the east of the city. The last few signs of course meant this area a good access to water for living and agricultural life. The king seemed to read the signs well because the city has been prosperous through the years and remains so today. The Mangrai Dynasty ruled for over 250 years and then Myanmar occupied the city for over 200 years. Eventually it was enveloped into the borders of Thailand.

Animism dominated religious life until the Sri Lankan school of Buddhism arrived in the 15^th or 16^th centuries.

The old walled city is surrounded by a moat and that is nice to walk.

In the evening I headed to the night market with my dormmate and enjoyed the tastes and colors it had to offer.

The next day we rented a motorbike and headed to some temples and a current seasonal palace. It turned out to be a busy, but fun day to visit the temples because it was Big Buddha Day. Also known as Makabucha Day, this day celebrates when 1250 disciples gathered to listen to Buddha's Dharma Speech after he reached enlightenment. There are apparently 4 small Buddha days each month, but the Big Buddha Day is just once a year. People visit the temples and earn merit. We walked up some steep stairs (skipped the tram) and walked the monastery. You can see some of them walking around the stupa 3 times. The first time is for Buddha, the second for Sangha (the monk community) and the third lap if for Dharma (Buddha's teachings). People were also praying, offering money, ringing bells, and pouring water into this candle bowl. Lots of photographers were on hand to offer their services to the worshipers who wanted to remember their visit.

We also visited the seasonal palace and the grounds were lovely, but we were disappointed in the buildings. They weren't very royal looking. There were various houses for the daughters and son of the king and they looked like they could be in an upscale neighborhood in the US. And though they have been recently built some of the architecture looks 1960s. We also weren't allowed inside any buildings so that was disappointing. But it was a nice walk and the scent of the flowers brought a smile to my face.

After this we continued up the mountain to a village. After not feeling too safe on a narrow winding road we opted for the closest one. Didn't see much of a village, but saw lots of vendors and paid 10 baht ($.33) to see a pitiful waterfall and a tiny part of a village.

Back down the hill and off to eat at a modern shopping mall. Such contrasts.

The next day I took the non-AC, bumpy local bus to Pai, a bit of a hippie town further northwest. I settled into my little hut (you can see the pic) near the river and felt like I was camping. The town is nice to walk for an evening with lots of street vendors. I was just there for one night and scheduled an elephant ride for the next day. I splurged on a two hour ride – one hour walking in the foothills and another in the river. Because I'm traveling alone and hadn't met anyone to share the ride with it cost me more money, but it meant I didn't have to share the elephant! :)

The mahout (trainer) rode with me at first. It was fun to feel this huge animal walk beneath me. Moonba would saunter slowly along and her bones would first push up one side of me and then the other. Later the mahout got off and walked alongside Moonba and had me sit on her neck. I'm sure my weight is hardly noticeable considering her size! I held on tight with my legs (they're still sore!) and hands. My lower legs were nestled behind her ear and her ears are rather strong so I could feel the pressure as she held them back or batted them. Walking down slight hills was a thrill as I felt more unbalanced, but she kept her footing and I kept my grip.

In the river she first had a big gulp of water and then we waded in. The group of elephants fortunately relieved themselves before we got in the water. I met one traveler whose elephant ducked under the water to miss the floating poo, but it went straight all over her!

I have some pictures on CD, but can't access them now so you'll just have to use your imagination. The mahout had Moonba spray me with water and roll around a bit so I'd fall off. Very quickly I was drenched and trying desperately not to swallow this river water! It was like a rodeo where I tried to stay on, but never could. One throw landed me on another person – but luckily away from the other elephants.

Moonba was sweet and though she likely gets bored of this routine she probably enjoys the cool water and is glad to no longer be working in hard labor. She's 47 and this family has had her almost 10 years. She's there only elephant so probably gets lonely. Several are just a few meters away down the road, but not sure how much she can communicate with them when she's tied up. :( She has a hole near the end of her trunk from a sharp bamboo cane – ouch! Another female elephant lost most of her tail to a male elephant. They tend to only use females for the rides because they're easier to control.

The ride and play was so much fun and I'm so glad I did the two hours with the two activities. I ended the time with a pour bath up at the family's house.

After getting back to town I raced to the bus station to try to get a ticket to Soppong (they were closed in the AM). The bus left at 1pm and I was told to get the ticket onboard. So I rushed back and got my bags, grabbed a bit to go and had a couple of minutes to spare as I arrived at the bus dept. But the bus left early and the driver would stop as I waived him down. There were no available seats of the minivans going later in the day and that was the last bus. So I opted to rent a moto and ride the 1+ hour to Soppong. So I repacked my bags and left my big bag at the tour agency. And off I was zipping through he mountains heading to my village homestay. It was a beautiful ride with good weather.

I had a bit of trouble finding the homestay – even after finding the hill village – but lucked out by running into the homestay owner at a cafe where I was going to ask for help. The homestay had 5 other guests and is run by an American man and his Lisu (the hill tribe) wife. It was a rustic, camp like feel again, but the accommodations were nicer than most villagers had – and we had a fairly modern bathroom.

I took advantage of his yoga mats and meditation sessions. The meditation session I did was where we paired off and meditated while giving and then receiving a hand massage with a partner. Interesting and surprising practice, but worthwhile. I drove around the area and bit and walked the village. Apparently, villagers are getting caught up in the materialism they see on TV so do the “keeping up with the Jones's” thing. Trucks are a big status symbol. Work is hard to come by and combined with material desire many are leaving the village life to go to the big cities and apparently a lot of the girls become prostitutes.

My last morning I did an herbal steam bath with another guest. The shaman gathered herbs in the forest and built a small tarp teepee. He had a fire built outside with a can full of water and herbs. A bamboo pool was then used to funnel the steam into the tent. It was quite hot and wet, but felt great.

After this I quickly showered and hit the road back to Pai. I just was able to finagle a minivan back to Chiang Mai and an overnight bus to Bangkok. So here I am back in Bangkok and heading to Myanmar (Burma) tomorrow for about 3 weeks. I don't think I'll be able to blog while I'm in Myanmar because of the censors and the cost of uploading pictures, but I'll tell you all about it when I get back.

I also start a 10 day silent meditation retreat (not sure how this will go! =P) outside of Bangkok the day after I return from Myanmar so it might be over a month before you hear from me again. I hope you don't forget to tune back into my blog in late March. Best wishes!

Oh, another tidbit. When the movie, “The King and I,” first came out the king banned it. He was afraid the portrayal of their king would greatly enrage the Thai people and he didn't want to hurt relations with America.

Bangkok: Gold, Lights, and Spirit

February 17, 2011


Hi! I wasn't able to upload the pictures when I wrote this yesterday, but here it is.... I'm now safely in Chiang Mai after a not so restful bus sleep. But restful enough that I went walking and sightseeing all day before chilling this evening.


February 16, 2011


Bangkok keeps giving me flashbacks to NYC - the tall buildings, the grim, the subway (though their's is much nicer), the fashions. But of course it is still a SE Asian city so you see tuk-tuks, Asian style markets, and street vendors selling Thai cuisine. Air conditioning is more common here than elsewhere in the SE Asian countries I've been too, but public buses are still without AC - and my hotel room! One nice surprise has been how friendly people in Bangkok are. I assumed that being a massive city they would be curt or at least ignore strangers. But they've been very friendly and helpful when I've been trying to find my way. One gentlemen was walking the same way I was after giving me directions so we walked and chatted. He told me some about his family and asked about me. Of course, I still used my boyfriend is sick in the room line. He stopped to get himself a drink and kindly bought me one. In the end he did ask if I had a phone number, but when I said no that was that. Others have been helpful on the SkyTrain telling me which way to go. Even just the smiles and interactions in stores is pleasant.


The sights of the city have been wonderful to explore. My first day involved a lot of walking to visit the Emerald Buddha (Wat Phra Kaew), Grand Palace, Wat Pho (wat = temple), and the Vimanmek Teak Mansion. The Emerald Buddha and surrounding gorgeous monastery is adjacent to the Grand Palace complex. Unfortunately, pictures aren't allowed inside, but the Emerald Buddha sat high atop a rough pyramid of gold. He was actually smaller than I expected - and not actually emerald, but jasper. But there was an elegance to the Buddha who has a jasper face, but gold robe and an intricate overlay coming down the shoulders. Apparently, he has different costumes for the different seasons! Worshipers were interspersed amongst the tourists. This wat covers a large area so it took some time to explore the various parts and see the different buildings, murals, and sculpture. The decor was ornate and gold, as you can see, dominated, but is all came together so beautifully. You definitely get a sense of the kingdom's overall prosperity when you see this Wat and the Grand Palace - both built in the late 18th century. Even the artistry and design was highly skilled. Much of the Grand Palace was closed to travelers, but it was impressive to see the grounds. It isn't the present palace, but the night of the coronation ceremony the new king sleeps in the old palace. A nice tradition I thought.


From here I visited the nearby Wat Pho, which is known for it's Buddha. Where the Wat Phra Kaew Buddha is impressive in its small stature, this reclining Buddha is impressive for its 46m length. The lines of this Buddha who attained nirvana are clean and minimalist - except for the feet. Under his feet there are intricate engravings. The rest of the wat was fun to explore and again was impressive in its design and use of color.


My next stop was the Dusit Palace Park, which houses the Vimanmek Teak Mansion (the largest teak structure in the world). Now getting there was tricky given my budget and the sly dealings of the taxi and tuk-tuk drives. No bus seemed to go between the two places and it was too far to walk, which is how I got to the earlier sights. The hotel had told me it should cost 50 baht and the first tuk-tuk driver said 400! I asked others and tried to get taxis, but they wouldn't use their meter and quoted high rates. In the end a tuk-tuk driver accepted 100 baht (~$3.25). Frustrating, but I didn't have much time before the park closed. By the time I got to the park I was starving and it was way past lunch. So I grabbed some quick food and delighted in my Thai ice tea - one of my favorites and I haven't seen it much here. Rejuvenated I joined a tour to see the mansion. It was a lovely, homey palace unlike the stiff austerity of most. It was actually only built as a temporary palace and was only used as such for 5 years! During WWII it was a warehouse!!! It was built by King Rama V in the early 20th century and he was quite interested in Europe and even traveled there a few times. His interest was very evident in the furnishings and ornamentation of the home. Again no photos were allowed inside - this regulation is really helping me conserve memory card space! One thing that surprised me was the palace lacked plumbing - the king used a chair with a chamber pot in it. The king also had separate china for each day of the week - and the color dictated which day. The website of the park offers virtual tours if you're interested. Unfortunately, the park closes at 4pm so I ran out of time to see other exhibits and palaces on the grounds.


I decided to walk to another wat, Wat Bechamabophit. It's main beauty was it's courtyard with Buddha's from throughout history as well as a lovely view back at the temple. I refused to deal with more drivers and decided the exercise would be good for me anyway so from here I walked back. I'm so glad I did because I came across protestors who were camped out on a main street and other walkways. I had heard the Yellow Shirts had had a massive non-violent protest the day before, but didn't realize it was still going on. Even today they are still there. Very determined protestors. I guess the Egyptians have influenced those far and wide. Though all the Thais I've spoken with don't like the protestors. From my understanding they are protesting the arrest of some Thais who allegedly illegally entered Cambodia. I'm sure it's tied to the recent border violence. It was also along this walk that I met the gentleman who bought me a tea. He was funny because he kept saying he wasn't a "joker" meaning he was honest and had no foul intentions. He even showed me his ID card.


In the evenings I've been too wiped out to venture to other parts of Bangkok though it must be a sight. Instead I've walked the backpacker streets and nearby river. There are loads of clothes for sale at night and could replace some of my grubby ones, but can't seem to find anything that works. I did run into a couple that I saw a lot in Laos so that was fun. Actually I was walking and looked up and they were just ahead of me walking in the same direction. We grabbed a drink and chatted the evening away. Yesterday while waiting at a bus stop I ran into a traveler a met in Seoul all those months ago! It isn't unusual in this part of SE Asia to run into people you meet along the way, but South Korea isn't on the backpacker itinerary as often. A fun blast from the past.


My bus arrived and I jumped on and headed to Jim Thompson's House. He is an American who was stationed in Thailand after WWII and fell in love with it. He moved here after his service was over and helped revive the silk cottage industry. Apparently, without his help Thai silk wouldn't be much of an industry anymore. He built a home for himself using the best of traditional Thai architecture and combined six homes to make his. He was also an avid collector and soon people wanted to tour his home so he opened it up. Then mysteriously in 1967 he disappeared in Burma. There has been no trace. A foundation now runs the museum and sells some beautiful silks (no, I was strong and didn't buy). So while King Rama V wanted a home that was more western, Thompson wanted a Thai home. I finally found out why doorways in temples and historical sites have a raised piece that you must step over - the one to Thompson's bedroom was especially large. It is believed that evil travels in a straight line along the floor so the raised piece keeps evil out. The guide also pointed out the practical benefit that babies can't crawl out. He also had an entertainment piece - a house for mice with a glass front. You could watch the mice crawl between rooms and floors! Thompson also kept a few western customs, such as having a dining table and chairs rather than eating on the floor and having an enclosed entry way on the ground level. Traditional Thai homes are raised on stilts and just have the main stairway leading up to the home. This is because of flooding. However, Thompson also build a foyer around the stairs. I was allowed to take pictures while standing outside, but not inside the house. I asked the guide why they had this rule and she said it was so there were no accidents - huh! In all my sightseeing and photographing I've never seen anyone knock things over or fall and damage the site because they were so entranced in their task. Have you? Is this the reason I can't take pictures inside in most of Thailand?! I think better explanations would be that it prolongs the tour/visit or somehow makes the valuables less secure.


After some fun sightseeing I had to get an errand taken care of - visiting the Myanmar Embassy. The place looked like a rundown prison. Embassies are definitely a good sign of the financial well-being of a country and this does not exude confidence. I applied for my visa and in the process met two nice people. One is a Nepalese man who lives and works in Burma, but is forced to exit with his family every 70 days to renew his business visa. Sounds a bit ridiculous. He raved about Myanmar though and said it is so safe, beautiful and friendly. The other person I met is an American woman - shocking another American - and we hung out for the afternoon. She and I headed to a shrine in front of the Hyatt, which is thought to answer your prayers. Sometimes people hire dancers to perform there if their prayers were answered. Unfortunately, we saw no dancers, but it was a nice shrine with lots of activity. Then we just walked the Siam Square area, which is mostly shopping and reminiscent of Singapore. It was about 3pm and I hadn't had lunch yet so my stomach was rumbling. Not the best time to pass a Krispie Kreme! It's like going grocery shopping when you are hungry - bad idea. So in we go and wait in line for at least 20 minutes. We got to the register to learn that we were in the line for glazed donuts only and the other equally long line was for the variety ones. I was about to cry, but the manager made an exception and took our order. I had trouble deciding which to get so I decided to splurge (calorie and money-wise) and get three. Then at the last minute I restrained myself and decided on two. Robin and I were ordering at once and she ordered one she thought I wanted. It wasn't one I had planned to get - glazed with chocolate icing. I had originally planned to get the glazed with chocolate icing with sprinkles (big difference!), but that was the one I had nixed. So I decided to not delay the manager more and that it must be fate that I should eat three so off we went. Now after finished those three an employee walking around the sitting area and gave a free glazed to us. Delicious, but now I'm bordering on having an eating disorder. Didn't help that later my dinner was a crepe like pancake with banana and honey - oh, and he added sweetened condensed milk. I'll be better today!


After parting ways with Robin, I headed to the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, which displays contemporary art. The building is a poor knockoff of the Guggenheim in NYC, but it's small exhibit was interesting. I took a long bus ride back to my hotel. Traffic is maybe even worse than in NYC and the buses wander so I had to cover a greater distance than if I were in a taxi.


I spent the evening doing more planning about Myanmar, a 10-day meditation retreat, a homestay with a hill tribe, and such. Knowing I'd pick up my Myanmar visa today, I decided to head to Chiang Mai tonight (north of here). Train tickets sell out and buying at a travel agency costs a hefty commission. So I woke up early and took an hour long bus ride to the train station to only be told the sleepers were sold out. I could pay for a seat though. I pondered and tried to not be my indecisive self and decided to head back to my hotel area and see about a bus. I wasn't up for another hour bus ride and I needed to be checked out of my room by 12 - as long as I had a bus ticket. So I bargained with the tuk-tuk and got it for 100 baht (which is what the hotel said it should be) and 10 minutes (yes, 10 minutes!) later I'm at my hotel. And a few minutes after that I have a sleeping bus ticket. Hopefully, I sleep better than on the last one, but at least I'll be in Chaing Mai tomorrow morning.


Soon I'll pick up my Myanmar visa - and this time I'll take a boat to the SkyTrain just to change things up.


Now, the last picture I included was inside my tuk-tuk this morning. I'm only coming up with one thing that is being prohibited, but it just doesn't make sense. What do you think? There's still so much of Bangkok to see, but there's a lot of Thailand to see so some will have to wait for another trip...