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Published: April 24th 2007
Venice of the north
Don't let this fool you, it's about 120 degrees and humid. Development came relatively late to the island of Ko Lanta; it was hooked up to the electricity grid only 20 years ago, and even today the authorities warn visitors to avoid the tap water. But it's got long, sandy beaches set against lush, green hills, and lots of beautiful bungalows to stay in. Where we stay, the beach is so wide (immensely wide at low tide) that you can easily walk along it to the far side of the cove, so the beach becomes our highway, the only highway we see from the time we arrive until the time we leave. The tourists have pretty much abandoned Ko Lanta at this point in the season; half the hotels are closed, and the other half aren't even close to half full. You feel like an aristocrat at a private villa, with servers waiting to help you at every turn. The restaurant at our place is excellent, too, but just for variety we walk down the beach to a place called Sanuk, a festive, friendly place (Leslie tells me that Sanuk is the Thai word for joie de vivre) with a great view of the sunset and excellent food as well. I
order the chicken with chilis and holy basil, and I'm surprised when I finish it to see that there aren't any chilis left on the plate. A month in Thailand was recalibrated my palate, and I'm now eating the the chilis I used to pick my way around.
When we leave Ko Lanta, we decide to head up to Chiang Mai, which we were shut out of two weeks ago when the cultural festival was in full swing. It promises to be a long haul--a ferry ride and two plane rides to get us from the south end of the country to the north, but in fact everything goes as smooth as silk, in part because we book Thai Airways instead of some discount carrier. Thai Airways is actually discounting, too, now that the slow season is upon us, and their service is so impeccable they almost make the Japanese flight attendants look like beasts. At every step, staffers are giving us the wai sign--palms pressed together, fingers pointing up--as if they fully recognize the divinity within us.
At our various stops in the last month, we've seen Westerners who have retired to Thailand, but Chiang Mai is
the first place where we feel like joining them. What a great town! Perky but mellow. Its ancient brick walls and winding lanes give it character, and its cascade of cozy cafes, clubs, and bookstores keep it stimulating. It seems like there's always enough things to do but never too many.
The comfortable air-con room we can afford in Chiang Mai makes it tempting to spend the hot afternoons in our room doing the puzzles in the Bangkok Post. So credit Leslie for dragging us out to do some sightseeing, because otherwise we might have missed the sublime Wat Chedi Luang, which may be the single greatest sight you can see in Thailand. The scale, the harmony, the craftsmanship, and the heroic trees that adorn the grounds all set this temple apart from the rest. And it's very obviously a place of devotion as well as diversion; you see many people bowing, praying, and meditating in the various shrines. Everything we've seen in Chiang Mai, whether it's a temple, an open air market, or a bookstore, is the best of its kind that we've found in the country. The old city provides everything a tourist could want, yet wandering
its streets, it's easy to absorb the life of the locals. There are all kinds of treks we could sign up for, on mountain bikes, kayaks, and elephants, but we're happy to spend the last days of our trip right here in the city. It's the sweet spot of Thailand.
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Crissy
non-member comment
tremendous
I am really loving all of all the entries. I can't wait to see CHiang Mai myself someday soon. You sure you can't stop over in Japan any longer during your transfer??? I miss you guys and am so happy for your travels. You look so happy. Peace, love and tropical fruit.