Blogs from Chiang Mai, North-West Thailand, Thailand, Asia
Elephants, Tigers, and Orchids, oh my!!
Published: May 23rd 2012Asia » Thailand » North-West Thailand » Chiang Mai
May 23rd 2012
A Memorable Day of Elephants, Tigers and Orchids If you've ever visited Chiang Mai, you've probably gone on an elephant tour-there are many to choose from! Some offer more than others (for more money, of course), and I figured hey, an elephant's an elephant, so I went with the cheapest option. Of course, I considered that the price of these tours could possibly help the animals in different ways, but then the fact remains that despite the cost, these animals are most likely overworked and underfed regardless of the price I'm paying. And where does that money really go? So, I took the cheapest Elephant Tour I could find, and I had a GREAT time!!! Here's another plug for the Montrara Happy House and its staff! The front desk guy arranged for the tour company to ... read more
Bedazzled Wat?! Temples of glitter, gold and glam.
Published: May 24th 2012Asia » Thailand » North-West Thailand » Chiang Mai
May 23rd 2012
Glitter, gold, and glam was not what I was expecting when I first saw the temples of Thailand, but, compared to Japanese temples, these are bedazzled. They are almost over the top, until you realize, hey, that's just how they do it here. I must say that Japense temples are mostly wooden structures, extremely old, and they are constructed in the most sensible fashion. But Thailand, man!! The colors, the glitz, the sparkle-- I felt conflicted whether I wanted to pray or have a dance party in some of these places. Reasons behind it? I have no idea. I tried to research "bedazzled temples" and the search results on google were not promising. All I can say is that they were beautiful. Most of the temples are called "Wat____" (insert name after Wat). A wat is ... read more
First Stop! Chiang Mai, Thailand
Published: May 22nd 2012Asia » Thailand » North-West Thailand » Chiang Mai
May 22nd 2012
Chiang Mai, Thailand. What a place!! Overall thoughts: excellent food (especially vegetarian though I am not a vegetarian), reasonable prices, extremely friendly people (locals and foreigners alike), and comfortable atmosphere. A great starting location to my three week trip. I was very happy that I started here instead of in Bangkok--first impressions can never be changed, and I'm glad I got Chiang Mai! The excitement and energy of stepping foot in a new city, especially after several hours of travel and a planned but uncomfortable overnight stay in an unairconditioned airport (Kuala Lumpur), is settling in and finding your home-base for your new part of the universe. Finding my hostel is always first on the list- after dropping bags, a quick change of clothes, and a new SD card in my spankin new camera (Canon EOS ... read more
I'd come back here for THIS meal alone....
Published: May 22nd 2012Asia » Thailand » North-West Thailand » Chiang Mai
May 22nd 2012
Let it be known that I love food. Almost all food. And I only say "almost" as a disclaimer-- I'll try just about everything once. Everything from hearty meat and potatoes, to the most delicate sashimi, from slurping oysters and tasting tentacles at eight years old (thanks to a trick by Mom and Dad), to a steak you don't even need a butter knife to cut, vegetarian, vegan, caught and butchered in the backyard, if you cook it (or serve it), I'll probably eat it. I've eaten sea urchin, escargot, sashimi (raw fish) that was literally alive the second before it touches your lips, horse meat, shark fin (by accident!!), and the list goes on and on. That being said, experiencing Thai food in Chiang Mai was one of the highlights of my entire eating career, ... read more
May 21st 2012
One of the last things I thought I’d ever do I did and I almost didn’t do. I went to spend the day with elephants at Elephant Nature Park just outside Chiang Mai. I hummed and hawed about whether not to do it because although I think these mammals are spectacular, I was also quite nervous being in their presence, up close and personal with this beast. It is after all the largest living land animal on Earth. At birth, an elephant typically weighs 105kg and can reach a weight of up to 10,000kgs with a height of just under 4m /13ft!! I was really nervous and then this thought came to me. We regret more the things that we didn’t do in life as opposed to the things we do. And my decision was made. ... read more
May 20th 2012
Day 4 ...in which we wandered around, got led astray by Lonely Planet, got geographically embarassed, got coaxed by a travel agent, and got a massage... The train was running two hours late when it finally got in. We had transfers organised and the travel agent picked us up and drove us to the hotel. she then preoceeded to try to fill our diary for the four days we were here. We managed to convince her that we were just a little too tired for this so she agreed to come back later. We attempted to find a Buddhist Vego restaurant which sounded great according to the Lonely Planet, but it didn't appear to be there. Of course by then we were hot, hungry, tired, slightly lost and rapidly heading towards grumpy. :) Thankfully we found ... read more
A Sanctuary of Loving Kindness
Published: May 21st 2012Asia » Thailand » North-West Thailand » Chiang Mai
May 15th 2012
Sometimes it seems that there are elephant symbols everywhere in Thailand and at times actual elephants. What surprises me is how few people actually know anything about real live elephants. I am definitely in this category having experienced them only in zoos or at tourist venues where they give rides, paint, play football and do a great variety of other parlor tricks for which they are trained, often quite harshly from what I have learned. For a long time I have wanted to go to a place that is just about elephants, a place where I can see that everyone there really cares about them, a place where they are not there just to entertain you. Last week, I finally had an opportunity to go to the famous Elephant Nature Park run by Sangduan Chailert known ... read more
Wat Phra Singh and the Royal Princess
Published: May 5th 2012Asia » Thailand » North-West Thailand » Chiang Mai
May 5th 2012
During my visit to the Cultural Center and Museum in Chiang Mai I learned that there are twelve very important temples in Thailand, and each is associated with a particular birth year of the Chinese zodiac. I was born in the year of the Dragon; Wat Phra Singh, an important temple in the city of Chiang Mai, is the temple associated with the Dragon, and 2012 is the year of the Dragon. Auspicious signs all around so I figure a visit can’t hurt. This place is truly impressive. I was in Viharn Luang, the main hall, in awe of the beautiful art, when half a dozen men (and one woman) in uniform came in and shooed everyone out. The monks were allowed to stay, but everyone else, Thai, foreigner, temple worker had to leave. Something was ... read more
May 5th 2012
After one day in Bangkok I was ready to escape (after purchasing a few things from the market of course!) I took the overnight train to Chang Mai and got a tuk tuk to my hotel not expecting much after paying seven pounds a night for it. But soon arrived in paradise! Okay, well this is a slight exaggeration but it really was gorgeous.. beautiful gardens and a huge pool. I had a private room which was not only spacious but with clean white sheets, and after three and a half weeks of staying in dorms this felt like bliss! I spent the rest of the day relaxing by the pool although you can't sunbathe for long as the weather is baking hot, and even the pool water is warm not that I should complain! The ... read more
