Yoga in Chiang Mai

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OK, so what was all the Chiang Mai talk about? The first thing everyone asks when you say you're going to Thailand is "Were You in Chiang Mai". Well indeed, it's a cool place. It's like a giant Tollwood, the Munich alternative/hippie/now rather commercial festival. Everyone's really friendly and the place is full of markets, temples, juice stores, guest houses and thai massage places.

Now that was the old city, the part I am staying in. Outside the city walls there is the area around the famous Night Market where all the large hotels are and that is definitely louder and fuller and here are all the red-light bars, sadly sex-tourism is ever-present.

But back to my trip. I had built my Chiang Mai stay around a 2-day "Yoga for Women" workshop I had found in the internet (www.fourmermaids.com). It was a very inspiring course with loads of interesting woman and led by a young American girl. That was yesterday and today.

The day I arrived I bumbled down to the Night Markt, a very large area with a million little stands selling everthing a tourist could possible want such as hilltribe artisty stuff, clothes in all styles from fake Hugo Boss to yellow t-shirts with Marijana leaves on the front. Some of the stuff is really nice though and I am going there this evening too to maybe get a few souvenirs.

I was lucky to stay over the week-end as a big market takes place every Sat and Sun evening in the streets around my guest house where the country folks from around Chiang Mai (hilltribes) bring their products to sell. Fun stuff, I got a nice notebook and made a couple of nice photos. My guesthouse is in a side street so nice and quiet. It's called Golden Fern Guesthouse, nothing flashy, costs 10Euros a night but is nice and central. And I didn't want to stay in the big hotel towers outside the Old City area. I can definitely recommend it to any traveller-readers though! Staff is extremely friendly and helpful.

The temples here are beautiful. I got up at the crack of dawn this morning and went to the best-know one in Chiang-Mai, Wat Pra Singh (well-known for it's valuable Buddha image, I can't see much of a difference ;-)) It was lovely seeing it in the morning sun, later on in the day everything gets rather hazy.
Tomorrow I want to get up early again and go to another big temple, I read that in the morning the monks all go to collect their alms and that it is a special, inspiring moment.

And no blog entry without writing about the food, this is simply a culinary paradise. Yesterday I discovered a lovely little juice and health food store where I had a delicious thick vegetable soup, wheatgrass (the health thing, haven't seen it in Munich yet though) and a giant glass of fresh fruit juice with carrot, beetroot, ginger, celery and orange. The place is called Juice4U.. Yum! Today the yoga course gals and I had lunch at a little Thai joint, I can't remember the name but it was a dream.. Yellow Pumpkin Curry with red rice and stir-fried Morning Glory (had never heard of that before, it's the staple green vegetable here, delicious!) Oh and I tried the famous sticky rice with Mango Wiebke, lovely!!!! I'll be coming back with a few kilos more on my hips that's for sure!
I have found a 1-day Cooking Course at an organic farm outside of Chiang Mai, I will be doing that on Tuesday...

Sadly I am having problems at this PC downloading my latest photos.. I will have another try tomorrow.

I hope you are all well at home, Bye for now!

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Photos

Temples and Dragons
Wat Phra Sigh at the crack of dawn

Tourist Bus a la thailandaise
Thais love designing their vehicules, the taxis and the lorries are all very colourful too.

New Temple in Chiang Mai
As if all the ancient and beautiful temples weren't enough, they still build new ones..

A Street in Chiang Mai
Nothing exciting, just to give you an idea..

Flip Flop Market Girl
Friendly people and fun stuff at the week-end night market just behind my guest house.

Flower Guirlande at Market
Friendly people and fun stuff at the week-end night market just behind my guest house.

Juice 4U
Fabulous little juice shop which sells delicious (and biiig!) glasses of fresh juices including the healthy wheatgrass shots.

Comments

[Judith Geelen]

Hello Christina! how are you? When reading your blog and looking at the photo's, I feel like I need to start planning my vacation asap ;-) How are the wheater conditions over there? Enjoy!