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November 16th 2006
Published: November 16th 2006
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"Aisle or Window Sir?" the friendly lady at the Eva Air counter in Bangkok asked me with a welcoming smile. Hmmmm? This is one of the many existential conundrums that I have never been able to answer consistently. It seems that every time, my mind vacillates between one or the other.

I would have plenty of time to experience both options on my long LONG way back home to New York.

In fact, I did just that. More than 36 hours later, 5 successful take offs and landings, a cornucopia of airplane rations and cheesy movies, having gone full circle around the world from my original point of departure, I find myself sleepless in the city that never sleeps; unable to fully grasp the effects of this crazy journey.

So, after an extremely relaxing stint in the Southern Islands, I was ready to see the raw side of Thailand; the less developed and touristy part that is - the North. I figured it would be best to save this part for last; that way I would get a real taste of Thai culture before my long trip back to Western Civilization.

As I found out, rather late
Attention to detailsAttention to detailsAttention to details

I starred at this guy painting for a good ten minutes and it seems like he didn't blink once!
that is, you can find very cheap domestic flights in Thailand which pretty much get you from one side of the country to the other for about 50 US dollars. However, unlike on the long torturous bus journeys, you don’t get to meet as many characters from all corners of the world and the feeling is most certainly not as cohesive as on the bus. But boy is it much more convenient!

2 hours later (instead of what would have been over 20 on the bus), I landed in Chiang Mai, the capital of the North. Right away, I sensed a great deal of difference. The people seemed much more laid back and the overall vibe was really relaxed. Northern Thailand is a phenomenal area, which occupies an approximate area of 170,000 square kilometers or the equivalent of 106 bordering on the territories of Laos and Burma; forming the famous golden triangle with China (a term given to the infamous opium trade route between these countries).

Chiang Mai, is the second largest metropolitan city in Thailand. Despite the inevitable spread of tourism, it still retains its traditional charm and centuries-old culture. Its people are gentle, softspoken and seem
Street delicaciesStreet delicaciesStreet delicacies

Crunch crunch crunch
extremely proud of their heritage. This is especially evident as you walk up and down the many local markets, filled with all kinds of traditional artifacts. Chiang Mai was founded in 1296 on the site of an 11th-century settlement as the capital and religious center of the Lanna Thai Kingdom. It was part of Burma from 1558 until 1775. Thereafter, the city became semi-independent until it was incorporated into modern Thailand (Siam) in the late 19th century.

Luckily, I flew into Chiang Mai on Saturday, which meant that I got to experience the weekend market. What an amazing display! I’ve become such a big fan of local markets (on this trip especially) as I believe it is the best way to experience the local culture at its finest and purest form…You really get a feel for what the locals eat, wear and grow and an insight on their daily habits. Plus, it’s a great way to interact with the community.
The streets of the old city are filled with local artisans from all over the region who gravitate to the city on the weekends to display and sell their homemade clothes, art, food and all kinds of crazy items,
BargainingBargainingBargaining

it's part of the fun
all made from scratch.

I must have spent about 5 hours drifting from one street to the next, purchasing all kinds of funky artifacts and trying every kind local specialties (note the delectable sautéed crickets and grass hoppers). The food in Northern Thailand is absolutely delicious. Because of the fertile environment, the farmers of the region are able to grow many different kinds of vegetables (which are not found in Southern Thailand due to the arid weather). As a result, the food tends to be less spicy, and the flavors seem much more subtle, incorporating many more ingredients. My stomach eventually couldn’t take anymore, which coincided nicely with my dwindling lack of funds. Plus, I had to wake up early the next day to start my 2 day hike through the jungle…

So at about 8 am, myself and 6 adventurous souls from Holland, France and Germany hopped on the back of a jeep, heading towards the hill tribes of the North West. We stopped at a local market to fill up on some water and snacks for the road. About 2 hours later, we get to our first destination, in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by luscious
A friendly visitorA friendly visitorA friendly visitor

Hiking in Northern Thailand
bamboo trees and majestic green hills on all sides. It was there that I experienced my first elephant ride.

These things are MASSIVE! Admittedly, my parochial vision of a Dumbo-like friendly mammal was not exactly accurate. First of all, these guys never stop eating! As it turns out, the average adult elephant eats around 250 kilograms of food each day! That’s about 4 times the weight of a human being…A DAY! This was made self evident when the elephant that I was riding would stop every 20 seconds to chew on whatever was in his path: bamboo, bananas, grass, houses! As much fun as it was, I couldn’t help but feel bad for these poor creatures, having to haul us around (up to 3 people per elephant) up these really steep hills for over an hour. This particular elephant did not seem all too happy as he would periodically spray me with mud and constantly try to grab my face and hands with his trunk. Eventually, I think he realized his efforts were rather futile and focused his energy on acquiring more food. I said goodbye to my trusty carriage and got back on the jeep.

After lunch,
Karen Tribe host familyKaren Tribe host familyKaren Tribe host family

Such warm people
we started our trek. The first leg was about 10 km, through waterfalls and very steep hills. It was a beautiful day and the air felt so fresh, as we climbed up to eventually reach the local village where would set up camp for the night.

We spent the evening with a local family from the Karen tribe. Their hospitality and overall kindness was unparalleled. The majority of the Karen people live in Burma and they also form by far the largest of the major tribes of northern Thailand. Evidently, there are as many as 280,000 Karens living in Thailand. They can be found living both in the mountains and on the plains, most of them in the provinces of Chiang Mai, Mae Hong Sorn, Chiang Rai, but also in central Thailand.

This particular family lives in bamboo houses raised on stilts, beneath which live their domestic animals, pigs, chickens and buffalos. These mountain-dwelling Karens spent most of their days cultivating irrigated paddy fields, many of which we crossed on our way to the village.

That night, I helped our guide cook up a feast, consisting of Massaman chicken curry and a tasty vegetable stir fry made of pineapple, tofu, cucumber, and all kinds of local spices and vegetables. It amazes me how Thais manage to come up with these incredibly elaborate dishes with practically nothing more than a wok and a homemade wooden spatula. No need for electricity either - These culinary delights were all cooked over an open wooden fire. It was a gastronomic feast I will never forget and will certainly try to reproduce in the near future (though I am certain it will not taste nearly as good).

The next day, we hiked longer, for about 12 kilometers, though the terrain was not nearly as steep. We stopped by a local school where the kids were in the middle of an intensive reading exercise. These children seemed so focus and despite our clumsy tourist habits, their mind did not veer one minute away from the teacher’s attention. When I saw how much these kids from the local tribes were entrenched on the day’s lesson and generally so passionate about learning, I realized how rewarding it must be to be a teacher sometime.

We hiked some more and found a shaded place to have lunch. After another phenomenal cooking experience (where I finally learned how to properly cook pad Thai, the perennial thai dish, so adored by people all over the world, myself included), we eventually came to the end of our trek. We finished off the trip by going down this river on a tiny bamboo raft! Seeing as though I was the only guy in the group, I was automatically made “captain” of the raft; which meant I was supposed to steer our group with a long bamboo stick down these rapids, standing on top of this flimsy wooden raft. Despite a few falls and a couple of wrong turns here and there, we made it back to shore safely and laughed about it the whole ride back.

Once we got back to the city, I treated myself to a 2.50 dollar, hour long foot massage. AW-MAZING! If there was ever a time to get one, this was it - the perfect way to end the trek and a great way to get ready for the insanely long journey back home.

On a side note, I must admit, Thai men have got it all figured out! Most of them, by the time they get past adolescence, know how to cook scrumptious dishes, give incredibly therapeutic massages and know how to vigorously defend themselves (through the practice of Muay Thai boxing). What woman (or lady boy for that matter), in her/his/its right mind, would not go for that??? Either way, the massage felt great and definitely eased the transition back to reality.

Well, so here I am. It’s 5:30 am, and I am completely awake, somewhat alert, and vastly disoriented. It has not hit me yet (neither the jetlag nor the depth of my resulting appreciation for everything I have experienced in the past 6 or so weeks).

The original plan was to take some time to travel on my way back home to clear my head and think about the next chapter. Though I can’t fully say whether or not it was a complete success in this regard, I can assertively recognize how much I have grown as a result of these incredible experiences. I was fortunate enough to meet some really interesting people from all corners of the world and from all walks of life. The great thing about traveling alone (especially in South East Asia) is that you’re never really alone. You have the
It's all in the wristIt's all in the wristIt's all in the wrist

The best Pad Thai I have ever tasted
option of doing your own thing, should you choose to, or if you want to travel as a group, there are thousands of other people doing the exact same thing you are and are looking to tag along for the ride.

This trip has really been a perfect balance between time spent on my own (reading, thinking and exploring) and time spent meeting a number of people (locals and tourists) and discovering such great places with some of them.

I can’t help but think (and laugh) about all the countless experiences I have had on the endless bus rides and the many discoveries (some accidental) along the way.

One concept I will never forget is the notion of “Sanuk.” Sanuk is a Theravada Buddhist term that means, quite simply, "to have fun.” It means to have a good time, to enjoy oneself and to basically derive pleasure and joy from something, anything. The thing I noticed is that it is almost a rule of living for Thai people that whatever they do have to be "Sanuk". The concept of "Sanuk" goes beyond having of a good laugh or a good time. It's a way of life.

This may seem trivial but honestly, after spending a couple of weeks in Thailand, it became obvious how Sanuk affects every day life. And this is what I love about the country. I spoke with several locals (in the North and South) and they all seemed to hint at the fact that Thailand has not been lucky in terms of natural disasters (the 2004 Tsunami, Avian Flu, and SARS, just to name a few). Yet despite these tragedies, the Thais remain resilient and it seems that everyone retains and upholds this overwhelming feeling of joy and fun.

So I guess, what I’m trying to say (trying to restrain myself from any hackneyed ‘emotional scars’ rhetoric), is that no matter how dismal the situation may seem (and God knows I’ve had plenty of time to think about my own insecurities and self doubts), we should all make it a point to actively practice a little Sanuk in our every day life. And while we’re at it, get a foot massage!

I think I’ll take the window seat afterall…




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I'm not sure what she's making...I'm not sure what she's making...
I'm not sure what she's making...

...But it tastes so damn good!


21st November 2006

great site
Hey Alex, some cool stuff on your site. Now I am totally worn out of the thai boks sessions, but when I am more awake I will check your site again and read your stuff, good luck

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