Chiang Mai

So I spent a grueling couple of days traveling via overnight buses to Chiang Mai, in the northern part of Thailand.  I took a 12 hour overnight bus from Krabi to Bangkok, whicg started off with the first hour being spent in a sketchy garage on the side of the road trying to fix a flat tire by a handful of people standing around with headlamps on.  After we got on the road we were hauling along.  One thing Thais care nothing about it safety.  They live without fear.  As I tried sleeping I was thrown from side to side like a rag doll.  I remember waking up a couple of times thinking at any moment we were going to be turning in circles and for all I know we probably did a couple of rolls.  

So after hanging out in Bangkok for the day I got on my second night bus to Chiang Mai. It was a little better than the first ride, but not much.  I arrived here at 6am and found the hostel I booked.  Getting in early is a good thing for someone like me that enjoys the mornings.  So I got off to an early start, roaming the streets while the rest of the town slept.  I instantly fell in love with Chiang Mai.

It's a small town, but big enough.  It's got more of an authentic Thai feeling, even though it's still buzzing with tourists.  The people are friendly and much more willing to help and offer hospitality.  When walking around I had to keep my eyes open and constantly look around.  There are temples on every block and they are more amazing than anything I have seen.  They are free too.  So skip Bali and it's temples, they don't have a thing on Thai temples.  They are really lavish, covered with ornate designs, gold and bright colors.  Some of them are really quiet as well.  I got up early enough to avoid them being full of tourists snapping photos and being loud.  I sat and watched as the monks walked the streets in their orange robes heading towards their respected temples.  It was the same feeling I got in Nepal.  A sense of peace and serenity.

As the afternoon came, so did the heat and the people.  With the extreme heat and humidity I have missed out on for the last 16 months, I haven't taken to it so well. So I use the afternoons to read a book or nap!  Then I go back out around 5 when the sun is fading and just walk.  Turning on roads that I know nothing about is the best part.  I'vve stumbled upon some great little cafes and some really cool temples, or wats, of course.  I also realized I have tons of pictures of the beautiful sites I have seen, but not of the streets or the daily life.  I spent the first afternoon walking around and capturing some photos of the area. 

Yesterday was the best part of my trip to date.  I took a Thai cooking class!  We started at 8 and left for a local market.  It was full of anything from fruits and veggies, to meat, to rice, to all types of prepared food, to fried roaches, frogs and some other questionable and nauseating insects.  My camera died the second I got there so I had to use my phone for pictures.  Our guide tookus around and taught us about some different rices, spices and vegetables.  We had some time to explore on our own and then we loaded back in the truck to head towards the farm.

Side note:  Transportation here is either a small Tuk Tuk, powered like a motorbike, or a truck that has a roof over the back and benches on each side of the truck bed.                   

    

The cooking school has 4.5 acres of farm land filled to the brim with herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins, pineapples, mangoes, garlic, etc.  You name it and they have it.  We walked around tasting, smelling and guessing what different herbs and veggies were before we made our way to the classroom.  For my menu I chose the following:

Green Curry Paste

Green Curry Chicken- obviously using my paste

Thai Vegetable Soup

Basil Chicken 

Papaya Salad

Pad Thai Noodles and Stir Fried thick noodles

Coconut Milk with Banana for dessert

It was so much fun.  I can't say it was the best food I have ever had since it was my first experiment with making my own Thai, but the experience was worth it.  We each had our own little stations with ur cutting boards, knives, stove tops, etc.  It was also really nice just to cook a meal.  Since I have been traveling I haven't cooked a single thing.  It's so cheap that it's easier to eat on the street and at the end of the day, cooking a meal for one sounds exhausting.  

We ate so much it hurt to move.  I had plenty of leftovers to bring home for dinner, which I wasn't even hungry enough to eat.  Not that it stopped me though, I ate it all!   It was a great day and it was nice to be in the kitchen cooking and laughing with people as we experimented.  I provided great entertainment when I asked the teacher if I could create fire in my wok like she had done.  My facial expressions were priceless and had everyone in tears.

I dawdled around the night market that was full of crafts and the same old stuff that everywhere in Thailand seems to sell.  They have some cool things, but I don't see the need to buy things that still have to be carried for another couple months.  I also love gift giving and I get carried away.  So I have told myself that this trip I will not be coming back with gifts.  Sorry to you all!  It just ends up that I buy for one person and then I have to buy for 50 more.  I will take pictures of the things I would buy for you if I was going to buy you a gift, because it's really the thought that counts right?!

Love to you all! xo