Chiang Mai and Christmas!
Trip Start
Oct 18, 2006
1
93
Trip End
Oct 19, 2007
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Day 1:
Luckily for the first day Jo was still with me and we sluggishly got up at 6 am and took the 3 hour bus ride from Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai. We arrived and instantly realized just how small Chiang Rai was incomparision to this large and spread out city. Having checked in to our accommodation and getting ourselves some much needed Wawee coffee we managed to find probably the most friendliest song thew driver around (Mr Chang...which in Thai translates as Mr Elephant) who took us up Chiang Mai's mountain to the Buddhist temple Doi Suthep. Just the song thew drive up the mountain was an experience in itself as we passed beautiful rain forest and waterfalls and began to realize just how high this mountain was as the view got more and more impressive. When we reached the top of the mountain we then had to climb up the numerous stairs which l lost count of to reach the temple. The stairway incorporated a very impressive dragon body railing all the way to the top. Once we reached the top l realized that l had not dressed appropriately to enter the temple grounds but luckily they were used to naive falang (tourists) like myself and l got to dress up in a funny sarong and shawl and Jo got to wear fisherman pants over a skirt. Inside the temple grounds we witnessed the numerous and vast offerings that the Thai people were presenting on what seemed to be a Thai pilgrimage to this temple. The offerings included Flowers, candles and incense so consequently the whole place gave me a bit of headache due to the incense surrounding me everywhere. The view was impressive as were the numerous temples that surrounded that mountain, but l think the most fun thing was ringing the numerous bells around the grounds. There is alot about Buddhism that l am yet to understand and l am asking alot of questions so that l may understand this widespread religion l guess you would call it in Asia.
After collecting the sweetest pineapple, strawberries and watermelon at the bottom of the temple we made our way back down the mountain where l soon had to say goodbye to Jo. Luckily l soon met my dorm room friends for the week an Irish girl Jacinta and Welsh girl Sarah and immediately l didn't feel like l was going to be alone for Christmas. After getting some local Thai green curry l met up with the girls and went shopping with them around the area we are staying which l guess you could call the Beverley Hills of Chiang Mai and therefore we were shopping on Rodeo Drive. After a much needed sleep l was ready to go see the sights surrounding Chiang Mai the next day!
Day 2:
Wow! This was a HUGE day! Jacinta and l both wanted to visit Tiger Kingdom where you can get up close to the tigers there and so l decided to ring Mr Chang and have him be our song thew driver for the day. He picked us up and we firstly made our way to Tiger Kingdom where we decided that the big tigers were a little to scary for us and so we went and played with the baby cubs who were two months old. They were very sleepy when we got there but soon a few of them got playful and we had to watch out for those claws as the playfully wrestled with one another. Yes it was very cool to get to touch a baby tiger and l did it because like the Elephant ride it is something l will probably never get to do again. But once l got in there l felt so sorry for them especially the large tigers which were in tiny cages and seemed very sedated. I have decided no more animal rides or zoo like shows for me. The fact that l am allergic to cats and started to sneeze alot after touching the tigers also helped with that decision! After Tiger Kingdom we visited the beautiful orchid farm and saw a butterfly enclosure as well. We then headed to the village of .....which is famous for the umbrella craft the locals have made famous. It was interesting seeing the local craftsmen and women at work making the umbrellas and their frames. I just couldn't resist buying one even though l promised myself l wouldn't get sucked in! And l am now wondering how l will go carrying around an umbrella for the next few weeks and getting it through Australia custom's as well!! We then went to a few other factories and watched the craftsmen make beautiful lacquer pieces encrusted with shattered egg-shells and we also visited a Jade and silver factory where l couldn't again resist the cheap Baht prices.
It was a long day and it was about to get longer. I got back in time to the hostel to be picked up by another taxi which took me to the very large orphanage Apage. I had heard alot about this orphanage, which also was created for HIV orphan's. This was very different from the one l visited in Chiang Rai which only housed 12 children while this one housed over 75! When l arrived it was right before dinner time and was therefore playtime! The play was aloud with laughing and playing children and it felt like l was back at school in the playground. I was rather overwhelmed with the sheer number of children and the facilities of Apage. The place was huge and really stood out in the area. Jo one of the American volunteers who has been there for 10 years showed me around for the next two hours and answered my multitude of questions on caring for HIV children etc. I then got to meet and play with some of the toddlers before Jo took me out for dinner near my hostel where he shared his story and his heart for these children. I felt privileged that he did this and really cherished the stories that he told me which left me very close to tears for most of the three hours we sat and talked. It's wonderful to hear that alot of the children are no longer dying from the disease as the Thai govt is now giving the much needed medication out for free. Jo told me of one year where over 15 of the children passed away and how it was one of the hardest years of his life. When l played with the toddlers l got to play with a boy who was two and had only arrived a week earlier. He was tiny for a two year old and had not really smiled since he arrived. So l naturally made it my mission to make him smile during my visit and l surprisingly succeeded! I also got to hold the most precious two month old baby Thai girl who was also only bought to Apage a few weeks earlier. She absolutely broke my heart and was hardly any bigger than the length of my arm. Jo told me that the children are health wise improving significantly and they are now starting to have to deal with teenagers and the drama's they bring for the first time. I am so glad that l visited Apage. The children and Jo opened my eyes and ears to alot of things that we can easily push out as it can be so overwhelming. My passion to work with disadvantaged children has been even more ignited with my visit to Thailand. I know just have to wait and see where l am led to go.
Day 3/Christmas Eve
After the huge previous day l decided why not do a double whammy and take a Thai cooking class for the day! What a fun and filling day it was! I decided to go to Smart Cooking school where l got to pick what 5 Thai dishes l wanted to cook for the day. As the class was so small l got heaps of one on one attention and was able to work out how to substitute the meat and constant use of seafood and fish and oyster sauce for vegetarian friendly food. Over the course of 6 hours l made Tofu and Vegetable soup, Papaya Salad, Spring Rolls, Pad Thai, Thai green curry where l made my own paste and the delicious dessert banana in coconut milk. I enjoyed every moment of the course except for the 30 minutes it took my right eye to recover from getting a piece of red little chili stuck in it!! I can safely say that it killed and burned alot! I have now learnt my lesson never to crush the paste but to use the trusty food processor....much safer!! I now have tons of left overs to eat for Christmas day and l am armed with a great cookbook which l look forward to using back home.
Day 4/Christmas:
This was probably the most interesting and different Christmas l have ever had. I woke up and somehow ended up watching Star Wars 1 on Christmas morning! Not exactly what l had planned to do...but l had to admit to the some of the Sci-Fi fans in the hostel that l had never seen any of them so l thought why not. They of course did a Star Wars back-to-back reruns all day long. One was more than enough for me! So l then went and bought myself a raspberry smoothie down the road and called my family on Skype. It was pretty strange as my Dad managed to hook up the web cam so that l was at the end of the Christmas dinner table and l was surrounded by my whole family eating Christmas desert! So it felt like l was actually at the table with them all for 20 mins only l could not eat any of the yummy food that was starring back at me through the computer monitor. It was pure torture! The rest of Christmas afternoon was spent shopping with Emmy my Dutch friend and buying up gifts for family and friends for the next year. The hostel then put on a free BBQ dinner with fabulous mashed potato's and salad. We all sat outside listening to two of the guests who were touring musicians play the guitar and we had a lovely sing-song in true Christmas style. It was then time to take part in our Secret Santa...which was the funniest Secret Santa l had ever seen. I received a "love-making" bundle which l found out was from the hostel's host who was so proud of all the thought he had put into it. I really appreciated the thought put into it as well...however l could hardly use anything put the mints and coffee satchels that it contained...and l was soon giving out whiskey, cigarettes and a lighter and some other things the package contained to the delight of the rest of the guests. Some of the presents received were pretty random...one poor guy only got a pen! And no there was nothing special about it...it was just a pen. But the majority got alcohol so the night started to get cracking. Our host then took us to the hipest place in Chiang Mai to go see live bands....Riverside Bar. The two bands were excellent but l think the highlight of the night was the transportation to and from the bar. We somehow managed to fit 19 people in a song thew with all us girls and Noom our host sitting on the guys laps and then fitted 9 people into a tuk tuk with one of the UK guys somehow managing to pass out on top of it on the way home. Needless to say it was a very funny Christmas which l will probably never forget!
Day 5/Boxing Day:
After a much needed sleep in l awoke to rain, rain and more rain. The wettest boxing day l have experienced in quite some time! I went out for a noodle lunch with some of the guys from the hostel and then watched James Bond and decided to would embrace the rain and go explore the old town with James a Aussie guy from Brisbane. We hit the temples with our umbrellas and after visiting one Wat we decided that was enough so we walked around getting soaked in the rain for a couple of hours around the old town. I actually really enjoyed walking in the rain as some of the interesting smells you get in Thailand disappear and the rain makes everything brighter. James and l then hit the Night Market where we bought up all our presents for our families and spent the night haggling with the shop keepers and telling the annoying frog ladies to go away. It was a funny night and l had alot of fun shopping with James...l think l have found my perfect shopping buddy! We got back to the hostel muddy and tired watched National Treasure 2 (stupid movie!) and then slept sound but a little worried about the bites l was getting on my arm!
Day 6/ Last Day in Chiang Mai:
Today is simply a chill out/laundry/catch up on emails etc day which everyone needs once in awhile. However l soon discovered that l had gotten bed bugs for the 1st time in all my travels. So l had to head off to the Pharmacist and get some medication before doing anything else. My arm looks like it has been attacked by 50 mozzies and l am trying hard not to itch it to much. I am looking forward to getting the heck out of here now that l have discovered what was lurking in my bed and l am glad l am flying out to Bangkok late tonight.
Comments
Perth
Dear Emily
I know that Nini & Tors would love to see you in Perth ....their contact numbers are
Nina hom 9385 0104 mob 0408 440 4011 e-mail cnball@bigpond.com
Tors mob 0427 481 211 e-mail tory@dirkhartogisland.com
Please let me know when you are flying in
love
Colin