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Published: April 5th 2008
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Chiang Mai reminded us a lot of Luang Prabang, mainly because of the sheer number of temples there. Allee claims it must have the most temples per square kilometre in the world, something we are now spreading as fact. And so, as we walked tryihng to find particular temples we would also have a look at a few others which were not in the guidebook and were pleasantly empty. We also had a look at the inside of a few cafes as the 38 degree heat meant that we didn't get far before being overcome by tiredness and sweat.
That evening we had the first of many trips to the night market. This is made up of at least three multi-storey market buildings as well as stalls which squeeze along the surrounding roads. We ate in the street as we have found Chiang Mai to have a great selection of street food, including a big plate of Pad Thai for only 20 Baht (35p).
As we were in the north of Thailand we decided to make a trip to the Golden Triangle, an area at the borders of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar (Burma) with a famous past of opium production
and smuggling. On the way we stopped at a natural hot spring and soaked our feet until we were overcome by the eggy smell of the sukphur. We also stopped at a temple near Chiang Rai which was nothing out of the ordinary. I think by this point we were suffering from temple fatigue. The danger of traveling for a prolonged period of time is that some of the things which were exotic and unusual to us at the beginning of the trip are now becoming commonplace and we do not always appreciate them as much as we should.
The stop at the Golden Triangle was really just a photo opportunity at a sign and the chance to point at Burma. We also went to the border town where the Burmese traders come. There seemed to be bargains to be had there but we had too little time to look properly. Our disheartedness continued as we stopped at a couple of ethnic minority villages which are now pretty much just tourist markets. Every house has a stall where women wait to harangue people getting off coaches and traditional life is all but forgotten. They were the ‘human zoo’ kind
The Petronas Towers
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia of places where people will ask you to take their photograph and then try to charge you. Luckily, the final stop of the day made the trip worthwhile as we went to the unique White Temple. Built over the last ten years it is a mixture of classic Buddhism and modern art, all in white which looked even better in the late afternoon sun. There were some quite odd elements to it, such as a painting of Keanu Reeves in The Matrix on one of the murals. It really helped to banish the temple fatigue and sent us back to Chiang Mai happy.
Each weekend there are designated ‘walking streets’ in Chiang Mai. Roads are closed to traffic and filled instead with stalls, buskers and street food. We spent a small fortune here, finding things we hadn’t seen at the night market for bargain prices. The following day we had to post much of it home in a second big box of the trip. The only thing trying to spoil the day was a thunderstorm which meant that there was a spell when the stalls were all covered. It didn’t last long though before the sun came back.
Allee at the Stupa
Near Chiang Rai, Thailand Much of the week in Chiang Mai was spent relaxing and wandering the streets. At one point we had an actual pamper day. This started with a trip to the dentist for teeth whitening. It is much cheaper here than at home and, as it lasts for 3-5 years, should be there for the wedding photos. Afterwards we went to a salon where Allee had a manicure and I had an hour massage. The old lady did a really good job and we came out thoroughly rejuvenated. The next day, with new pearly white teeth, we flew to Kuala Lumpur.
As we will be going back to KL next week we didn’t spend much time there before trying to decide where to go for a few days. After much deliberation we booked a flight to Indonesia which is where we are now. While in KL we did go up to the skybridge of the Petronas Towers. While queuing to go in a couple of middle-aged Malaysian women posed for a photo with me. At one point they had a little scuffle over who would stand closest. The bridge connects the towers at the 41st floor and gave us a
good view of the city. At the bottom of the towers is an enormous shopping centre where Allee happily spent some time looking at clothes in the international stores. KL is probably the most expensive city we have been to and we noticed how grudging we were to pay ten pounds for a new shirt or a top. I think it’s going to be a shock when we get home and have to pay UK prices again. The most noticeable thing in KL is the diversity of people. There are lots of Malays, Indians, Chinese and umpteen other nationalities which mix together and create an interesting city full of different places to eat and things to see. It will be nice to return next week.
Until then we are in Yogyakarta, Indonesia where we should be able to see some of the most impressive temples in Asia as well as an active volcano. It’s also a much cheaper place to sleep, eat and generally live.
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pause for thought
"The world is a book, and those who do not travel only read a page." "Who lives see's much.Who travels see's more". " If an ass goes a-traveling he'll not come home a horse". Thomas Fuller. You choose which one is it to be.