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Published: October 23rd 2010
Travel Days 41-46
One of the hardest things I have done in the last year was to leave Thailand after staying and working there for nearly seven years. But things weren't working out on the career front (and then the politics!!!) so I decided to check things out back home. There, ideas about what to do with myself (career wise) were no less inspiring. Things are looking up but nothing is concrete yet. I am just following my heart and not looking back as best I can. 😊 😊
Two things have kept me going (outside of my loving family and wonderful friends): Thinking about travel (and seeing friends I have in different countries) and HER. Her name is Rainny (with TWO bold n's filled with personality). She is the person who has most stoked my continued love for Thailand. We met initially online and a only few times in person before I left and now once since I have returned. We often chat online and practice exchanging English and Thai together. She has helped me with my written Thai more than anyone else I have met here. She has also infused the language with much more depth and
Bangkok's other half
I hate these archaic buses!!! The sooner they replace these in Bangkok the better. Faces on them are never happy......stuck in traffic with bad air and crowded. Why should they be?personality than I had previously known. I cannot explain my feelings towards her but I know that I enjoy talking to no one more than her.(I am willing to drop everything to chat often.) Although it is early to say, she appears bound to Chiang Mai and (especially) her very protective family. I don't know what to do because I am really not sure how she feels about me (and she often seems to be at her home outside the city when I am here......when school and work have breaks). Her intense curiosity, stunning smile and strong rapport (with me) give my heart a serious jolt everytime we talk. I also love how she often speaks English with a British accent.....so strange. Everytime after I have met with her, I often feel like I have said or done many of the wrong things.....maybe because I haven't seen that much of her in person. I don't know what else to do so I write...........I know this story is not typical travel stuff but it is a most important aspect of my journey so I must share it with someone. I think she will read this but I have no idea what
The El Diablo margarita
Cheap and good margaritas......love this place. And mixed by a Shan bartender. They are good! it will mean to her.
Now on to the detail of my last five days since I arrived in Thailand:
I spent the first three nights at my very very good friend Yngve's apartment (at Victory Monument) not far from the main shopping area of Siam Paragon. He stays there with his girlfriend Fon who works during the day. So does Yngve but with an online business at home. (He is doing an MA in International Relations at Webster University near the Chitlom area). He has been my dearest friend in Thailand over the last year. This has been helped by the fact that we lived in the same apartment building for several months.
When I was in Bangkok, I would often go out in the mornings and take photographs (most of them posted on Facebook) while he was working. I would try to bring breakfast back for him and then we would often share lunch together......and then dinner when Fon came home. The first day, I took the skytrain down to the river at sunrise and then went back home by taking a stroll through one of Bangkok's busiest markets for clothing and other things (called
El Diablo nachos
great with a margarita!!! Pratunam - bra-too-num). I spent much of my time looking for a new camera (but didn't find it). I managed to break both my camera and iphone (substitute camera) while in Australia. Fortunately, I have an old LG with an exceptional camera and decent video capability until things improve (unfortunately the batteries - 2 of them- suck for this camera).
I also managed to arrange a date with a charming young Thai friend whom I met on Facebook. We had a nice dinner at MK and chatted for a long while. (MK boils raw vegetable and meats right at the table for you in order to dip them in a delicious spicy sauce. They also have great duck dishes). She indicated she might extend an invitation to me for the Loy Krathong festival next month but we will see now that severe flooding has affected that area. Loy Krathong is one of the best times of year for taking photographs so I really hope I can go.....but if not, Chiang Mai is possibly the most famous place for this event. As for the date, she mentioned a boyfriend several times so I don't really know what is going on.
It's a bar!!
Love seeing these but I have only been once I suspect she was very interested in hearing about my travel experience but also that we had fun talking.
Following up on a previous blog, I had a chance to meet with Tate (from Colorado in my previous blog) and his girlfriend Gigi one afternoon. Tate has already started with his documentary film on Muay Thai boxing and will be in Thailand for the next several months. I hope I might see him in Chiang Mai before I go home for Thanksgiving. The video he has shot already looks amazing so I know it is going to be good knowing Tate. He has taught me so much over the last couple years. Hard work (even when you have very little) can really pay off. He is so ready to take flight.
I flew up to Chiang Mai three days ago now and have had a chance to explore the city, met with Rainny (before she went home again) and rented a mountain bike so I could see more of the area. I will be back up here again when I return from Indonesia early next month. I plan to rent a bike again. The guy at the shop
The Ping River at night
Very beautiful along here. There are many nice places to eat and drink along the river's edge. who rented it out to me is f.....in awesome!! It is very funny that his nickname is Sak pronounced like s-u-c-k but similar to my nickname "Zak". We had some fun with that. It wasn't super cheap but he was the only one in town who had a bike that fit my size and it was by far the highest quality going. If I come back for a long time (or if you are interested), he sells very nice "used" mountain bikes. The one he gave me is very very nice and I will probably rent it again when I come back next month. I love his business!! Chiang Mai really is a town full of entrepreneurs!!
I have also had some fun conversations with the guy who runs "El Diablo". (It is terrible but I can't remember his name- and he knows mine very well!!) It is a Mexican restaurant not far from the center of town staffed by Shan girls from Myanmar. (all from the same village). Although it didn't work out for me, last year I had the good fortune to go out for dinner with one of them. It was a good experience even though
she returned to Myanmar. The restaurant has good margaritas and good quality burritos, nachos and other dishes. It is a great place to sit and relax with a few drinks and enjoy a free basket of bottomless chips and salsa. He is fun to talk with and has great knowledge of Myanmar and Mexico. Next door to that is a Burmese restaurant which also features a number of delicious Shan and other Burmese dishes. I am hoping to return there before I go.
I have also eaten at a very good Northern Style Thai restaurant called Huen Pen which has nice food from this region that is difficult to get in Bangkok at all. Never mind getting the same quality! There are some great cafes which serve iced and hot coffee (with air con) with beans that come from Chiang Mai's mountains. They do a good job marketing them by naming some of them after the mountain they might have come from such as the "Inthanon". I have seen many other things around town and will try to post some pictures of them here or on Facebook. I hope to get to the Night Bazaar tonight to look around
On the way to Mae Sa waterfall
I saw hundreds of monks on their daily alms grounds this morning. Now that the rainy season is over they should be more active. Chiang Mai might have more temples than any other in the kingdom. and maybe go somewhere fun after that. Hoping I might meet some fun people to go out with. My hostel(more like boutique hotel) is stunningly beautiful and comfortable but not great for networking as most people do their own thing. There isn't a good communal area for socializing like in most hostels........but the grounds here are stunning!! All this for $10 bucks a night (I must be getting a good deal now as I have noticed things are very very quiet in Chiang Mai. All the political trouble this year has certainly had an impact that is not small......even though we do have to tolerate them and do everything to vote for good ones.......politicians do suck!!! And it is always the little guys that get stung the most.)
I have until next Friday when I leave for Jakarta to meet my Indonesian conversation partner and friend Nining there. I have been horrible about improving my poor base but Chiang Mai is giving me a little bit of time to catch up.(If you are reading this Nining: Sangat Menyesal! Aku pelajaran bahasa Indonesia miskin!!) I am hoping to spend a few more days in Chiang Mai (or possibly more if
It is a beautiful city in the morning
Doi Suthep is closest mountain you can see all around Chiang Mai city. A wonderful haze obscures much of often. Rainny returns) and possibly see my friend Ting in Laos for a day or two before returning to Bkk. Things are a little up in the air but I expect will work themselves out in the coming days. Hope you enjoy the pics!!! (I hope to do some better people pics next blog).
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Sandra Beecher
non-member comment
Great blog
How fun to keep up with your travels. It sounds as if you are "smitten" with Rainny. Enjoy yourself and good things will happen to you. You are quite a lovable person. Love, Sandy