Chiang Mai

Traveling on the bus (note monk on cell phone!)

We took a VIP bus from Bangkok to Chiang Mai in the north of Thailand, the trip taking a total of ten hours.  This time we knew what to expect, so when the bus stopped around lunch time we were the first in line for the “free” meal!  I pointed to the two dishes that looked good and they were scooped onto my plate.  The one I thought was beef and green beans turned out to be liver and bamboo shoots – not quite what I was expecting!  Luckily my other choice was tasty. 

Flower festival float

Chiang Mai was a nice surprise, and became our favorite place here in Thailand.  It’s at a higher elevation so the weather is cooler, which was a nice change from sweating all the time!  The town has a very relaxed kickback vibe and even the tuk tuk drivers are less pushy.  Our first day here happened to coincide with the annual Flower Festival, so we were able to see the parade and check out the corresponding market.  There are all kinds of incredible markets here; besides the odd festival market, there is the night market, the Saturday market, and the Sunday market.  The area is known for its arts and crafts, as well as educational opportunities.  Tourists can take Thai cooking classes as well as learn Thai massage.  There is an old part of the city that is surrounded by crumbling brick walls and a moat –it was built 700 years ago to defend the town against Burmese invaders.  It is the most touristy area and has great restaurants and coffee bars.  We ate so much good food during our time there and it was nice to finally have some good coffee! 

Our new monk friend... ;)

There are over 300 wats (temples) in Chiang Mai, and we spent one day walking around and exploring those in the old city area.  We only made it to five or six, all of which were very beautiful – by the end of the day we were “watted out.”  While exploring one wat, we came across a very outgoing monk in a little building of his own.  He invited us in and asked us to sit down with him.  After some small talk, he told us (in broken English) to close our eyes and pray to the Buddha, who would grant our prayer.  He then proceeded to chant and douse us in holy water (I just about hit the ceiling when the water hit me, it was such a surprise!  I asked Daron if he jumped too, and he said he knew it was coming because he had been peeking the whole time, not entirely sure he trusted the monk!).  The monk then gave us a simple (but bright) yellow and orange woven bracelet to wear.  When Daron asked if we could offer something to him in return he immediately removed the lid on a large silver urn containing money and gave us a big smile – of course we added to his coffers.  I think Mr. Monk has his own little side business going on!   

Garden of fake tulips at a wat

We had two Thai massages here, our first time to try this type of massage.  It’s kind of a mix between a massage and a yoga class.  They give you loose pajama-like clothes to wear and then the masseuse uses her body to stretch and twist your body.  They use their elbows and forearms to work out kinks in your back (my favorite part!); they use their feet to massage your thighs; they even kneel on the back of your legs.  I know it sounds strange, but it actually feels really, really good. There are massage parlors all over the place and for our first one we just picked a place.  For the second one we got a recommendation from another tourist who teaches Thai massage in Seattle.  It was wonderful – although Daron had a hard time following directions and sort of fought the masseuse.  She was a pro and was able work him into pretzel positions anyways, giggling from time to time!    

Enjoying sushi and soup at the mall

We spent one day at the local mall, eating sushi and watching movies.  We needed a little break from all the touristy sites.  The mall was huge as they all seem to be here in Thailand!  The movie theater was modern and spacious, just as nice as anything in the U.S.  The price was about $5 per person, same price day or night.  When you buy your tickets you pick out your seats on a computer screen.  A little different than in the U.S., but nice because then we didn’t have to get to the theater early to get good seats!  The movies were in English with Thai subtitles.  One interesting thing they do here is play the national anthem right before the main movie and everyone stands up while it’s playing.  Pictures of the king are shown on the screen during this time.  I read that it is actually against the law to NOT stand up while it is playing. 

Chillin' at our guest house

Speaking of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, he is very loved by the Thai people.  There are pictures of him everywhere, in every business, in street intersections, you name it!  He is the world’s longest reigning current monarch, having been on the throne 64 years.  He has seen 15 coups, 16 constitutions, and 27 changes of prime minister!  Thailand has a constitutional monarchy, loosely based on the British model, which means the king is only a symbolic figurehead; the country is ruled by an elected government.  None of the government’s money goes to support the king – due to smart investments by his family over the years, he is independently wealthy.  In fact, he consistently places #1 on the list of the world’s richest royals, with a personal fortune of $30 billion.  He is currently in his 80’s and is not well.  It looks like his son, who is in his 50’s will be the next king, although from people we spoke with, he is not too popular.  One of the king’s three daughters has the heart of the people, and even though the constitution has been changed to allow a female to be the royal ruler, unless something happens to the son, she will never rule. As we traveled around Thailand it became obvious that they adore their king (it helps that there is a law here that you cannot speak badly about him; if you do you can get 3-15 years in jail).  It is also illegal to step on Thai money since it has the King’s image on it.  It will be a very sad day for this country when he passes away.