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February 22nd 2024

Published: March 3rd 2024

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Chiang Mai

The temple of Wat Ket - the Dog Temple

It's four years since I last left Chiang Mai and made my way back to Herefordshire as the Covid pandemic trailed behind me from Asia to Europe. But the airport in Chiang Mai still looks the same and it didn't take long to get to the taxi rank and to be on my way across town to Baan Songjum. I was greeted by Nui and Kung who were wondering what had happened to me, and I was starving because there was no food on my budget airline, delayed flight from Singapore. Luckily for me Penn, a permanent resident at Baan Songjum, was just off out on his scooter to buy some supper and he brought back a Pad Thai for me. It's at least 10 years since I first found my way to Baan Songjum and due to the genuine hospitality of sisters Nui and Kong, it always feels like a homecoming. Only two dogs there this year .... Bam Bam and Frankie.

And I could hardly wait to walk around my favourite haunts to see how Chiang Mai had fared during those intervening pandemic years . Some businesses have gone altogether, some rejuvenated and some stay the same. Baan

Chiang Mai

Temple at Wat Ket

Songjum is in the Wat Ket area of Chiang Mai - on the opposite side of the river to the big market ( Worarot ) and the flower market which is busy at all times of the day. Wat Ket is the temple , so I needed to go and see that first. It's the 'dog' temple so of special interest to those born in the lunar year of the dog. ( Not me- I'm a dragon) A couple of the galleries I used to frequent have closed or moved away and others have recently opened there.

My friend Dorothy has lived in Chiang Mai for many years so we met up for lunch and a catch up in a favourite Burmese restaurant and munched our way through lovely food and a couple of glasses of red wine while we caught up on the last four years and news of friends in Singapore , where we both worked in the late '70's and early '80's.

Another annual event has survived the last four years - a lovely textile exhibition called The Dragon and Phoenix in a private house owned by two friendly and delightful men. They found themselves

Chiang Mai

I always visit this beautiful shop in a garden

on opposite sides of the world as Covid shut everything down, but said that business has been good for them. They have been textile and clothing collectors for many years, so have plenty of stock. And they have a good customer base of mainland Chinese and Taiwanese collectors who are buying back into the heritage they lost during the revolution. some of the silk embroidered garments are so very beautiful and I had to severely remind myself that I have no need to acquire them.

So I spent my days in Chiang Mai happily wandering around looking for the eating places I used to frequent, and discovering some new ones. I went in search of Jo's gallery, 'The Meeting Room' , that had moved from Wat Ket to inside the old city walls, near to Wat Pra Sing, last time I was here four years ago. I had a great greeting from Jo and as there were no customers for a while I was treated to a sit down and an entertaining description of his foray into the Bangkok Art Fair world when the pandemic hit businesses in Chiang Mai. The long story short was that during the three

Chiang Mai

Lunch at WOO

days they were at the art fair ( with the work fifty-two of the artists he represents) the footfall and the customers were very disappointing. And then on the last day, just as they were about to pack up and head back to the North, three wealthy Bangkok ladies came in and enthusiastically bought lots of the work. He told the story so well, and it was so great that it had a happy ending.

Another day I walked along the street to the Eco Lodge Hostel where I could use the full size outdoor pool for about £3 for as long as I liked. I didn't manage to stay for too long as it was just too hot on the side of the pool.

I also walked through town to Jing Jai market which had previously been one of my favourite places , and where many creative arts students sold their work. But someone has invested heavily in it and it was far more commercial and very crowded, buses collecting people from the big hotels and depositing them at the entrance.

One evening I went with Nui, Kong and some other guests , to a small

Chiang Mai

Baan Songjum - The House of Memories

outdoor restaurant in Mae Rim . This involved being picked up by the owner and driven in his red truck (song thaew) for about an hour from Chiang Mai, stopping to see a beautiful temple along the way - Dara Pirom. The sun was just beginning to set and the rosy light was warm on the temple stones. The food at the restaurant was superb, and the setting- watching the sun disappear behind the mountains- was beautiful and peaceful.

On the Sunday I went shopping with Nui and Kong to a huge warehouse of Japanese second hand goods. There used to be a great little second hand Japanese shop where you could rummage through and find some pieces of porcelain or jewellery. But now it seems to have gone big and commercial so I couldn't find any 'treasures' for me, except a strange paper mache piece with a Japanese lady and a dragon. That had to come back to Hay with me. We stopped at a street-side noodle shop on the way home and had 'Hong Kong style' noodles.

Another day I walked to a new exhibition space called 'Kalm' - and it certainly was calm. I think

Chiang Mai

In the little gallery above WOO cafe

it's been built and curated by a private wealthy owner, and there was a magnificent contemporary chair exhibition there and lots of lovely pieces of furniture . And a great inexpensive restaurant.

The days had started to slip through my fingers again ..... not long to go. So fitted in another lunch with friend Dorothy at the Woo restaurant before she goes off to the seaside with her family and the excited grandchildren. There's a new little Burmese restaurant only a five minute walk from where I stay , so I frequented that. Lovely fermented tea salad and papaya salad and stuffed tofu parcels . Intriguing mixes of coffee and tea.

Then one evening I went to 'I Love Sushi" a little Japanese restaurant nearby , my farewell meal with Nui, Kong and Michael, a fellow guest from Germany . Excitedly we all ordered so many dishes that the little table was overloaded, and so were our tummies! Never mind - there was enough to take back for lunch the next day. And we were so busy eating that I forgot to take any photos!

The next day I met up with Jay ( who had been

Chiang Mai

Shady afternoon down by the river Ping

one of my students when she was a little girl many years ago) She lives in Bangkok , but had been attending a medical conference in Chiang Mai, and she and her boyfriend Duke picked me up after work and took me just outside the city to a restaurant in the countryside owned by Duke's Aunt. It's Saenkham Terrace in San Doi, and traditional wooden buildings are set in rice fields. Magical as the sun set over the nearby mountains. There was a delightful painting on the wall, painted in an old traditional style, but of Duke's Aunt and her friends and family enjoying different activities in the rice field during a music festival she hosts there annually.

And the food was especially 'Lanna' or Northern Thai ..... and delicious. It was lovely to catch up with Jay and to hear what she's involved in and to hear about her siblings Boy, Ann and Pat and their families and their parents.

The next day was Friday and the last day of the official Lunar New Year. I was wandering around China Town , near Worarot market when with a crash of symbals and the rhythmic thud

Chiang Mai

Dinner at The Swan Burmese restaurant with local resident Dorothy. We worked together in Singapore in the '70's

of the drums, a very long golden dragon appeared and wended its way through the gold shops of China Town, dispensing good fortune for the auspicious year of the dragon in return for 'and pow' or red packets. When the dragon was out in the street and the young people who were its legs were taking a break, I offered an ang pow , which was received with a flourish, and I was given a 'golden' hair from the dragon's beard in return.

A last afternoon of coffee and lapis layer cake in the beautiful Lanna style Raming tea shop, and then I went back to Baan Songjum to say my goodbyes and to make my way to the railway station to catch the night sleeper train to Bangkok. It was more or less fully booked, and left Chiang Mail at 6pm, due to arrive in Bangkok at 7am the next morning. Part of the reason for the lengthy journey is the single track which means that the train often has to wait for trains coming in the opposite direction before moving on. The day eats are converted into beds which are quite comfortable, and have curtains for modesty.

Chiang Mai

Exhibition of exotic traditional clothing at the annual Dragon & Phoenix exhibition

My nearest traveling companions were a Korean lady and her two children and a very talkative man from Hong Kong. Or at least he was very talkative via Google translate, and so full of questions. Time for the rest of us to retreat behind our curtains! That night there was a beautiful full moon, surrounded in multi coloured rings.

We drew into the big new train station in Bangkok, and a little bit stiff and sleepy I followed the directions to travel by city trains to Ekamai where I was booked in at the cheap and cheerful Lodge 61 for two nights. After a hot shower and a bit of a lie down I felt wide awake and set off for Broccoli Revolution for breakfast. I was a bit too early and they weren't yet open, so I popped into the hair dressers next door for a wash and blow dry which also included a restorative head massage.

Lunch was with two of my old students, Tar and Num with her two little girls. At a quiet little family restaurant in the side streets called Mother May. I found it on foot with the help of

Chiang Mai

The Dragon & Phoenix exhibition

Google maps and enjoy finding my way around away from the main roads. Cannabis is now legal in Bangkok and Tar has invested in a smart new shop. Which also sells ordinary tea and coffee. He told me to look out for it on my way back to the hotel, so I found it but as there weren't any other customers in there at the time I felt too shy to go in!

The next day was a Sunday and really my last day in Bangkok. I met Pin and his wife Rapeeporn for brunch with their little girl , and it was also a delightful surprise when Pik's sister Bibi turned up too. She recommended a good massage place and made a booking for me. So I went to Sakura for a wonderful two hour massage during the hot afternoon. ( I was a bit worried that I might sleep so well I wouldn't be able to get up the next morning)

The 12 hour flight back to London was gruelling, especially as it was a day flight. I managed to watch two films badly to pass the time. And it was wonderful that my friend Lynn

Chiang Mai

Khao Soi , a Northern Thai spicy noodle curry in Thamel coffee shop

met me at Heathrow and took me back to her home for the night. Next day Kenji came by and we had lunch in Barnes with Lynn and David, and then went to see Kenji's current solo exhibition at IMT Gallery in Bethnal Green. I was reunited with Sascha dog at Charlie's flat, and after a Turkish meal and a night's sleep Kenji drove me and Sascha back to Hay. It really felt like coming home to Hay. And I've been so slow at completing this blog ..... so sorry about that ! It's a bit cold and wet ..... so roll on spring! Although the daffodils are a jolly sign that winter is almost over.

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