Chiang Mai

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It feels like ages since I last updated this blog, my apologies. We have spent the last week or so in Chiang Mai and I could not be more in love with this country. The city feels a bit like the artsy and free-spirited younger sister of Bangkok with its misty-hilled surroundings and backpacker presence. The "old city" which is the center region of the town is guarded by an ancient wall and motes, making for a very oriental and foreign feel. The night life here is great as well, we went to the "Roof Top Bar" and few nights ago and it put any other bar I have ever been to to shame. You walk through the modest entrance and feel disappointed at first at the lack of people, but then a doorman points at a staircase in the corner and the journey begins; up and up countless flights of metal stairs you climb, wondering what the hell you have gotten yourself in to, but the faint sound of dub-step pulses louder and louder as you ascend. Then finally you make it to, you guessed it, the roof....all of a sudden you ae asked to take off your shoes so as not to dirty the persin rugs and pillows that lay beneath the low floor tables where travelers from all over the world sit, beneath an exposed night sky lit with paper lanterns and candles, overlooking all of Chiang Mai. The Banshee has met its match.

Yesterday we took a "taxi" to a temple perched high on a hill above the city to take in some of the Buddhist culture that is so present in this country. It took about 45 minutes through winding mountain roads, hanging out the back of pickup truck to make it, but it was more than worth the ride. Our driver dropped us off at the bottom of the biggest flight of stairs I have ever seen, there must have been thousands of them, and we made our way up to what felt like heaven. Golden gates with stoic religious figures greeted you, and monks caped in oranges cloth walked peacefully in every direction. Upon entering the temple we performed the traditional offering ceremony which consisted of lighting incense and candles, and placing them (along with flowers) in front of Buddha. Then you walk around the structure 3 times; once for mind, once for body and once for soul. Then we walked into a room filled with figures of all colors and sizes, knelt, and were blessed by a monk. This process involved him murmuring a prayer I could not understand, dipping a bundle of sticks in water, splashing us lightly over the head and then tying a white string around our left wrist. This culture and religion is so foreign and fascinating to me, and being exposed to it first-hand make me even more curious. The monks and temples have such an air of peace and serenity around them, you can't help but be envious of their way of life.

And now for the highlight of our time in Chiang Mai: TREKKING.
A few days ago we decided we wanted a taste of the beautiful countryside we had seen from a distance and heard so much about. We signed up for a 2 day once night trek through the jungle that promised a world of adventure and fun, and boy did it deliver. Within the first 5 minutes of the car ride I knew that the company alone would be an adventure: the three of us, 2 British guys with not an ounce of sensory, 3 Dutch girls from Amsterdam, 2 Dutch guys from Amsterdam, a couple from Israel, and our tour guides Jimmy and Tong (locals with more flavor than any of us expected). We all clicked immediately and anxiously anticipated what was to come.....
Elephant rides were first on the list, and before I cam on this trip I thought it would be the thing I would want to do most, but the reality of the situation was unexpected and heartbreaking to say the least. These majestic creatures are so kind and full of personality, and to see them chained to poles with heavy contraptions (not to mention people) hanging on their backs was enough to turn me away from the experience. The three of us stayed back and waited as the rest of the group rode through the jungle for an hour or so, and then it was back in the bus to start the real adventure.
We were dropped off at "base camp" which was basically a village of poor craftspeople and farmers living in grass huts, and began the 6 hour hike through the Thai jungle. We weaved our way through trees, streams and rice fields, stopping only to cool off in one of the hundreds of waterfalls that carve through the jungle. Insects buzzed in every direction and the canopy of trees cast dream-like shadows on the plants and flowers that seemed to grab at us around every corner. Finally we made it to our base-camp that consisted of thatch-roofed huts on stilts, with nothing but a paper-thin mattress atop bamboo planks inside. We explored the surrounding area a bit and showered off in the 30ft waterfall next to camp. Dinner that night was the best food I have yet had on this trip; simple but delicious green curry with a spicy pepper paste and rice. It sounds like just another meal, but after hours of hiking and sweating in the jungle, it tasted like heaven.
With nothing left to do that night and nowhere to go, we decided to get better acquainted with one another, so we did what most people our age do to get to know each other: drink. I didn't know this, but what we know as King's Cup is actually a universal game known to the rest of the world as "Ring of Fire". So we clarified the rules and proceed to drink into the night together, laughing and joking by candlelight as if we'd known each other for years. A few other ceremonies took place that night as well, but they are between us and the jungle (TREKKING group, if you're reading this, you know what I mean.....memories of Black Magic, Thai water, and that other thing will fill the void of braincells in my mind forever).
The next morning I was the first to rise as I usually am. I stepped out of my hut to find our guides standing in front of the campfire cast iron kettles, making tea and coffee for the morning. Tong invited me to go fishing with him and I agreed, feeling a hint of hope in my heart about catching a fish. That hope was quickly smashed though, after I spent the better part of an hour trying to made the art of babmoo-fishing, only to be laughed at by a 5'3 Thai man in the wee-morning hours. Tong was able to catch some though, and the two of us went back to camp to prepare it the traditional way: spearing it through the mouth with a piece of bamboo and then leaving it to crisp in the fire. You then place the charred morsel over a heap of rice and top it off with more of that tangy, spicy red paste that I can't seem to get enough of, and enjoy the fruits of your labor. It was again one of the best meals I have had on this trip.
After the rest of the group woke up, we hiked back down the mountain and waited by the riverside for our bamboo raft to pick us up. I use the word "raft" very loosely, as it was literally 9 pieced of bamboo strung together. It worked though, and we enjoyed a nice drift down the rive (that is until we decided that it would be more fun to push each other off, make each other crash, and race to the finish). The bus rude back and the reality of having to say goodbye was too much for any of us to take, so we decided to all stay in the same hotel that night, and rage it one last time together in the city. I knew I would make friend no this trip, but I had no idea it would be the way it's been. I guess that's what happens when you spend countless days with the same people while you all experience the same excitement and thrills of traveling.
Tonight we board a 22 hour bus ride to Cambodia. I am absolutely dreading the trip, but it will be well worth it to make it there. I am leaving a piece of my heart in Thailand but I know I will be back soon in my life. More updates to come!

Love,
Elyse

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