On to more cultural things... kind of...
With our backpacks full of dirty clothes, our bellies full of poorly digested food and booze, and our heads full of insane memories (or lack thereof), we finally made our way off of the islands, in search of a more authentic Thai experience. 12-hour ride to Bangkok, followed by a 10-hour ride to Changmai.
Changmai means "New City" in Thai, and it is said to be the cultural epicenter of Thailand. We had heard from other travelers in Koh Tao and Koh Phi Phi that Changmai was a bit of "real Thailand." It was meant to be cheaper, forested and much more chilled out. The bus ride there was long and tiresome, but along the way, the snacks at the various rest stops became increasingly cheaper, the horizons drifted into green pastures and mountainsides, and upon arrival, rasta colored shacks with low lights and small bar crowds indicated that everything we had heard was pretty much true.
We went to stay at a small hostel called A Little Bird, that I had heard about from a girl named Lisa that I had met on the boat ride to Koh Tao. Lisa was from England, and she had a wonderful even temperment about her. She smiled often when she spoke, and she never rose her voice, but she seldom turned down a drink and she seemed to always be surrounded by people. She also had only one arm which in combination with her beautiful face and disposition made it clear why people seemed to gravitate towards her. Lisa had loved Changmai. She was traveling alone around Thailand and had already seen a fair bit when I met her. She said that I must make it to Chagmai to ride an elephant, do an overnight trekk into the jungle, and to take a Thai cooking class. She had sold the "live easy" lifestyle of Changmai so well, that I could hardly wait to arrive.
Turns out... everyone does those things in Chagmai. It doesn't make them any less fantastic, but it does feel less authentic than people had made it out to seem. Naturally, A Little Bird Hostel was full, so we walked a little further on to find a man sitting alone in an outdoor dining room beneath a hotel. We asked for a room, and he had one with four beds for 400 baht per night (around $12). The room was made entirely of Balinese style, dark wood. Each bed had a mosquito net suspended over the top of it like a halo, and the smooth, heavy wood of the stairs didn't creak beneath your feet.
But it is no wonder that people swoon over Changmai. The city itself has a very good vibe. Surrounding the center city there is a moat, which, despite what further opinions one may have about moats, as far as I am concerned, a city with a moat is very cool. The center city itself is actually very small, and thanks to the moat, you can find your way to the ends of it and turn around if your lost. So the moat, among giving a bit of water life to the city, serves a very helpful orientating function.
Plus, the city is dotted with tons of tiny bars, street food stands, and coffee shops that cluster alongside some of the most magnificent Buddhist temples encrusted with shiny mosaic glass and gold embellishments. There are also a great deal of health food stores, music shops, book stores and the like. In short, it felt like a bit of the Pacific Northwest made-over in Thailand. Immediately, I loved it.
Scooters are cheap to rent, so my buddy and I did that for a day. Costs about $6 for the whole day, including insurance. Getting outside the city on scooters is easy as well. We made a short trip to the outside of Changmai to see the tiger sanctuary, which is less like a sanctuary, more like an opium den for tigers, where people can go and pet them. We didn't bother paying the admission to pet them, we just looked on from the side. There is something less regal about petting a tiger that's all doped up.
The evenings were spent at the night market, haggling women for beaded necklaces and treasures they had spent hours making down to peanuts. In the end, though, it is all a part of the experience. Spent the days seeing the sights, the dusk listening to monks chant in the temples. The nights were spent drinking beers in reggae bars, eating meals by the side of the road at the food stalls, and walking along the moat past the illuminated temples whose monks inside had long since fallen silent.
It is definitely in my plans to go back....
With our backpacks full of dirty clothes, our bellies full of poorly digested food and booze, and our heads full of insane memories (or lack thereof), we finally made our way off of the islands, in search of a more authentic Thai experience. 12-hour ride to Bangkok, followed by a 10-hour ride to Changmai.
 |
| Highway up to ChangMai |
 |
| Ornate Freeway Bridge Decor |
 |
| Rest Stop |
 |
| Common Transportation Method |
 |
| Goods for Sale on the side of the road |
Changmai means "New City" in Thai, and it is said to be the cultural epicenter of Thailand. We had heard from other travelers in Koh Tao and Koh Phi Phi that Changmai was a bit of "real Thailand." It was meant to be cheaper, forested and much more chilled out. The bus ride there was long and tiresome, but along the way, the snacks at the various rest stops became increasingly cheaper, the horizons drifted into green pastures and mountainsides, and upon arrival, rasta colored shacks with low lights and small bar crowds indicated that everything we had heard was pretty much true.
 | |
| Street Food and Scooters |
 |
| "Welcome to Changmai" |
 |
| Christmas Decorations |
 |
| Live Music Bar |
 |
| Lady boy is a cross-dressing man, very convincing and difficult to pick out from other women. |
 |
| Food stalls and bamboo picnic tables. |
We went to stay at a small hostel called A Little Bird, that I had heard about from a girl named Lisa that I had met on the boat ride to Koh Tao. Lisa was from England, and she had a wonderful even temperment about her. She smiled often when she spoke, and she never rose her voice, but she seldom turned down a drink and she seemed to always be surrounded by people. She also had only one arm which in combination with her beautiful face and disposition made it clear why people seemed to gravitate towards her. Lisa had loved Changmai. She was traveling alone around Thailand and had already seen a fair bit when I met her. She said that I must make it to Chagmai to ride an elephant, do an overnight trekk into the jungle, and to take a Thai cooking class. She had sold the "live easy" lifestyle of Changmai so well, that I could hardly wait to arrive.
Turns out... everyone does those things in Chagmai. It doesn't make them any less fantastic, but it does feel less authentic than people had made it out to seem. Naturally, A Little Bird Hostel was full, so we walked a little further on to find a man sitting alone in an outdoor dining room beneath a hotel. We asked for a room, and he had one with four beds for 400 baht per night (around $12). The room was made entirely of Balinese style, dark wood. Each bed had a mosquito net suspended over the top of it like a halo, and the smooth, heavy wood of the stairs didn't creak beneath your feet.
 | ||
| Our Guest House |
 |
| Organic Coffee place next to our guest house... delicious, home grown and home roasted. |
But it is no wonder that people swoon over Changmai. The city itself has a very good vibe. Surrounding the center city there is a moat, which, despite what further opinions one may have about moats, as far as I am concerned, a city with a moat is very cool. The center city itself is actually very small, and thanks to the moat, you can find your way to the ends of it and turn around if your lost. So the moat, among giving a bit of water life to the city, serves a very helpful orientating function.
 | |
| The Moat |
Plus, the city is dotted with tons of tiny bars, street food stands, and coffee shops that cluster alongside some of the most magnificent Buddhist temples encrusted with shiny mosaic glass and gold embellishments. There are also a great deal of health food stores, music shops, book stores and the like. In short, it felt like a bit of the Pacific Northwest made-over in Thailand. Immediately, I loved it.
 |
| Street food |
 |
| Roots Rock Reggae Bar |
 |
| Night market |
 |
| Nightclub |
 |
| Food stands on busy street |
Scooters are cheap to rent, so my buddy and I did that for a day. Costs about $6 for the whole day, including insurance. Getting outside the city on scooters is easy as well. We made a short trip to the outside of Changmai to see the tiger sanctuary, which is less like a sanctuary, more like an opium den for tigers, where people can go and pet them. We didn't bother paying the admission to pet them, we just looked on from the side. There is something less regal about petting a tiger that's all doped up.
 |
| Ricky |
 |
| Changmai City Scape |
 |
| Outside of Changmai |
 |
| Buddhist Temple outside of Changmai |
 |
| Tiger Sanctuary |
 |
| Temple |
 |
| Temple |
 |
| Changmai area is known for its strawberries... strawberry wine, strawberry juice, candy, dressing, jam... etc. |
 |
| A monk at a temple gave us oranges! |
 |
| Brand new temple built in the countryside around Changmai, not finished yet |
The evenings were spent at the night market, haggling women for beaded necklaces and treasures they had spent hours making down to peanuts. In the end, though, it is all a part of the experience. Spent the days seeing the sights, the dusk listening to monks chant in the temples. The nights were spent drinking beers in reggae bars, eating meals by the side of the road at the food stalls, and walking along the moat past the illuminated temples whose monks inside had long since fallen silent.
 |
| Night Market goods |
 |
| Goods |
 |
| Traditional Thai embroidery... machine made. |
 |
| Tool and Hide |
 |
| Finished product of tool and hide |
 |
| Tiffany's for Cheap |
 |
| Amulets by the dozen |
 |
| Narrow Market Alleyways |
 |
| Goods |
 |
| Tool and Metal |
 |
| Finished Product of Tool and Metal |
 |
| Inside Temple, Changmai |
 |
| Outside Temple, Changmai. After Dusk. |
 |
| Sculpture |
 |
| Tuk tuk |
 |
| Buddhist Pagoda |
 |
| Monks in Training |
 |
| Traffic |
 |
| RedBull |
 |
| Butterfly cocoons |
 |
| Orchid Farm |
 |
| Elephant Ride |
 |
| Trek into the nature |
 |
| Elephant Guardian |
 |
| Huts in the hills |
 |
| Swimming Break |
 |
| Lunch after swim |
 |
| River Crossing |
 |
| Fruit? |
 |
| Street Crossing |
 |
| Rush Hour |
 |
| Flowers |
 |
| Buddhist Literature Library |
 |
| Monk's forgotten clothes |
 |
| Changmai train station |
It is definitely in my plans to go back....
No comments:
Post a Comment