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Published: January 18th 2017
I tend to be overly observant about modes of transportation in foreign countries. I attribute this to have a gazillion nephews. Their obsessions over the years with different vehicles, I think has led me to always notice what options are there.
Chaing mai (and I think all of Thailand from what I recall of Bangkok) love their transport.
There is your ordinary tuk tuk - three wheeled taxi, can take you anywhere but as it's open you probably will only go local but too far too walk. For those wanting to get adventurous with their travels even when it's still local there is motorcycles or scooters to rent. Seriously sooo many! Many of the locals use this too because it's quicker to get around in the narrower roads, especially when trying to get around all the tourists.
My favorite though is the red taxi. This is the original uber pool (minus ability to use an app golf age it down). The red taxi can fit about 8-10 people and it picks people up on the way to a specific location. In most cases a tourist one I imagine. If they pick up 3 people, it will very likely
roam around or go in the direction of your destination slowly and on crowded streets to find more passengers headed same way. I wonder if they know they invited uber pool and should get the franchise rights???
Even though Chaing mai is crowded for a non-city, there is a bit of organized chaos going on. I figured this out on day two. I was staying in old city, bigger tourist area, and I felt like I kept crossing major intersections where there were no lights and the cars, and scooters and such kept coming!! Finally an older European gentleman comes up and say "oh no honey you have to wave them down and then just go." Excuse me!?!?
He was a 100% correct. A little wave and "hope we made eye contact drivers" and then you go - quickly but you go. And guess what? They slow down. Seriously. Once I got real crazy and crossed slowly and they all stopped! They didn't try to go around me or honk st me try stopped!!
Up until this point I was making a lot of comparisons to Thailand and India. Cheap products, numerous temples, muerous eating establishments, etc.
Ride it
Notice all the helmets! Safety first!!But this was the biggest difference. In India those drivers are not slowing down for you, even when you have the right of way. You have to run every time. And always stop in middle and run again. It's level 10 of frogger. This is like level 1. I love level 1! Even I, who is inept at video games, can best level 1!
There is a reason for my excitement. As a solo traveler, I find my self wondering around more without a plan. Which is big for me. I'm a planner. I don't have to follow a minute by minute plan, but I like knowing what I'm going to do that day. And truthfully it has more to do with me being a people pleaser. The plan helps makes sure that whomever I'm traveling with is happy. As a solo traveler, it's just my needs that have to be met. I'm not use to that. I'm the youngest in the family (sibling, and most of my cousins). I don't have kids and I'm single. I pretty much always get the short stick. Solo travel is weird. Don't get me wrong I like it, it just took a
bit to realize I can do whatever I want. If I like the restaurant I went to yesterday, there's no reason I can't go again tomorrow. And if I want to take pictures of modes of transport then that's what I'll do.
So here is my ode to my nephews (see still a little bit of a people pleaser). Many of them are into video games and pokeman now, but at one time this would have entertained them.
And for those of you tracking, while this post is about my final days in Thailand, I am now in Luang Prabang, Laos!
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Swati
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Loving the blog! Puja and I compared it frogger ALLL the time. However, I must say...we definitely had some advanced levels in there. Hoping you're having a wonderful time :)