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Published: January 20th 2007
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Resting at the Flower Festival
Justin takes a nap in the park For a city boasting a population of more than 1.5 million, Chiang Mai somehow pulls off a small town feel. It has the conveniences of Bangkok with a warmth and charm all its own.
The old city is bounded by a massive and ancient brick wall which is itself bounded by a substantial and murky moat. Today the moat’s primary use is in April when it provides ammunition for the water festival, Songkran. Locals and tourist alike are fair game in the city-wide water fight, only slightly more benign than the Burmese attacks for which the moat was intended. Tapping into the water with buckets and hoses, no one is exempt from the celebration.
Inside Old Town, we went into sensory overload taking in all of the sights, sounds and smells. Cuisines from all corners of the world line the streets. We were drawn to the Thai restaurants that double as cooking schools - they had by far the tastiest food and best value. After the chefs spend the day teaching tourists the art of preparing various Thai dishes during the day, they show off their own expertise in the kitchen of their restaurants - and for a fraction
A Beautiful Day
Posing in front of a flower garden at the festival of the price.
In addition to cooking classes, Chiang Mai offers a multitude of hands-on learning experiences, from Buddhist meditation and language classes to Thai massage and Muay Thai (Thai boxing).
We were spoiled by the many new/used bookstores in the old city, where we had the best selection of books in English at our fingertips. We took this for granted, and have been kicking ourselves ever since for not stocking up on quality reading material while we are there -- good books have been hard to come by ever since.
Exploring the city, we were convinced the simple act of crossing the street would lead to our demise. Not only is there traffic coming from all directions, but they drive on the left side of the road. Training ourselves to look all ways before crossing the street - and looking all ways again -- took a few outings and many close calls.
In the evenings, we honed our bargaining skills at the Night Bazaar, made up of several roofed buildings and a plethora of street vendors selling hand-woven textiles, hill-tribe handicrafts, artwork, antiques, jewelry, etc. Our favorite Night Bazaar characters were the wandering women of
Wat U Mong
Buddhist statues at Wat U Mong the Akha tribe. It was easy to recognize them by their black headdresses adorned with beads and silver, but what really set them apart were the black wooden frogs they carried. Gentle strokes to the amphibians’ backs elicited sounds uncannily like their living counterparts, enough to disconcert the romance between Kermit and Miss Piggy. The ubiquitous croaking still echoes in our memories.
Another market sprang to life on weekends, when in the evenings they closed several streets to motorized traffic. The goods were similar as was the need for bargaining skills; the extra room to maneuver and breathe was an added bonus.
With more than 300 wats and chedis, we found ourselves passing by these religious temples on every path we chose. The whole day could be dedicated to their exploration. One Sunday afternoon, we made our way to Wat U Mong, home to both unique underground chapels and words of wisdom tacked on to surrounding trees. An English-speaking monk hosted a question and answer session, something he does every Sunday. We were awed with his thoughtful, in-depth responses to our endless queries. When asked about the monks’ role in environmental efforts (such as saving Thailand’s forests), he told us they were forced to back down in recent years after several activist monks had been killed and threatened. In the past 20 years, resident monk told us the forests have shrunk from covering 80 percent of Thailand down to just 50 percent and dwindling.
We also happened to be in town for the Royal Flora Ratchaphruek, the annual flower festival held just outside of the city. Always trying to save a buck, we walked to the train station where we heard they were offering free bus rides. When we arrived, we realized this was the senior citizen bus, as none of the other passengers appeared to be under the age of 70. Weaving our way around walkers, canes and replaced hips, we secured a spot on the bus, which dropped us off right at the gate. More than 30 countries take part in the festival, each creating an exhibit of flowers and trees native to their land. The festival grounds are covered with acres and acres of displays - picture the flower version of Disney World. Thailand also had several informational displays dedicated to water conservation and alternative fuels - it is clear there is a push for eco-friendly technology.
We liked Chiang Mai so much that we considered returning there to work after we had blown our travel budget. The easiest job to find is one teaching English, so we sent out resumes to every school we could locate and spent a couple of days afoot scoping out educational institutions. We soon found out we were not alone in our quest to teach. Unlike in other parts of Thailand where teachers are in high demand, it is the opposite in Chiang Mai, where wannabe teachers abound. The average job pays $6-$7/hour for a 15- to 20-hour week. Most reputable schools also require a TEFL certificate or degree in education, not the norm in other areas.
After spending more than two weeks in the area, we knew we needed to pull up the roots we had sprouted and move on. Encouraged by several locals who told us we mustn’t miss Pai, a charming village in northwest Thailand, we packed our bags and made our way to the bus station.
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