The Real Thailand

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Unless you're looking for ping-pong shows and overall dodginess, Chiang Mai is superior to Bangkok in every way. It's a brilliant little hangout, nestled in the northern hills, where I decided to curl up for a couple of weeks (hence, no blog in a while). As the center of Thai culture and learning, the city pulses to a vibrant, yet relaxed beat and I could definitely see myself chilling out for a couple years there. With so much to do, my days were full - from "adventure-style" Thai cooking (where I met Tyler's friends - Tyler, you're a muppet) to hill-tribe trekking to chatting with Buddhist monks and chasing Thai waterfalls (they're so much better than the rivers and the lakes that I'm used to). All of the sketchiness of Bangkok seems miles away and the people I meet on the streets or in shops are genuinely friendly people (i.e. they're not trying to rip you off). Only a quick case of "farang" slowed me down for a day. But you can't let it beat you - the food is soooo good here (especially the fruit - fruit I've never even heard of or knew existed) you just gotta fight on!

David's friend Nick has found a little pot of gold on the other side of the world here and he made an amazing host that made it very difficult to leave. With his sweet little Thai girlfriend Fon, plush job with a Thai NGO and his Burmese roommate Su Su - the kind of amazing, freedom-fighting saint that comes around once in a lifetime - Nick has carved out a perfect sitch to pass the time. With Su Su out of town for a few days, I got to use her motorbike and was able to scoot all over town, up to the mountain wat and anywhere I wanted with perfect ease. Unlike at home, mopeds don't have the same stigma as dating fat chicks and here it's the ONLY way to get around town. Unimaginable just a few days back in Bangkok, I found myself cruising around, weaving cars and beating traffic with total freedom. The overwhelming madness of the traffic now makes perfect sense and flow is quite simple - bikes rule, cars drool.

While the heat isn't nuclear reactor worthy like Bangkok, it's still pretty f'ing hot. But usually a monsoon will creep up and cool things down nicely (before the sun comes out and turns the standing water into a steambath). The monsoons are absolutely amazing. Within minutes, the sky goes black and the rain moves in like a wall of water sweeping across the city absolutely pissing down buckets. And with the shitty drainage, the muddy water just sits there for a few hours, standing 7 inches high in intersections and crowded streets, while bikes and pedestrians are forced to just sit and wait it out or wade through and get drenched. When out driving around, you find yourself playing the game of "Race the Monsoon" where everyone's driving gets a little more deliberate as we all know what's coming. The day I got completely caught in one did give me the chance to shower in the rain.

When I just wasn't quite ready to leave, I decided to stay for another 4 days. With my tourist fanny pack now tucked away in my bag, I got a great glimpse at Asian organizational efficiency. With the 62nd birthday of Burmese rightful President Daw Aung San Suu Kyi (whose been under house arrest for 20 years), Su Su's NGO staged a rally that was so disorganzied, that Nick, Jamie and I had to basically put it together. Are you kidding me? Only the things that the three farang put together worked. The rest was a total shitshow. By the way, Jamie, my Aussie travel buddy, reminded me of a cross between JB and Barrett. To him, everything in Australia was THE BEST in the world and no one naps like JB naps - except maybe Jamie.

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Comments

[pankaj]

nice to see you living
hey nice reading about your travels.Im married with three kids,could never dream of doing what you are doing now. as no time do keep up whatever you do so home bodies like me can share your experiences keep rolling!!!! pankaj