Chiang Mai

Chiangmai,though the largest city in northern Thailand is minute compared to Bangkok.  With only about 250,000 people in the city itself it is a welcome change.  It is referred to as the Rose of the north and there is plenty to keep the multitude of visitors busy.  Built in 1296 it was originally a walled city and pieces of the wall remain today.  The moat that surrounded the city is intact and still used..  Chiangmai has over 300 temples, a bustling night market ,restaurants galore and an active night life for those that want it.  Chiangmai is also the center for various Thai handicrafts and there is hiking and wildlife nearby.  There are no buses in Chiangmai but there is a multitude of tuk tuks and red trucks with seating in the covered back for up to eight people which are hired like taxis so it is very easy to get around.  Like the rest of the country the people are warm and friendly and we were pleased to find that there were lots of massage parlors offering ridiculously cheap but excellent massages. It is going to be quite the shock to get home and not have daily massages!

On our first night in Chiangmai we went to a Thai dance show.  The costumes were beautiful and the dancers so graceful.  At the end they got us up but I will not be posting any of those pictures.

These dancers were representative of dragons.

This bike cab was just sitting outside but no driver so took another option

We got up at dawn to take part in a special merit ceremony at the temple at the foot of Doi Suthep where we each lit a candle and incense and then laid flowers in front of the Buddha while silently making a wish

We then each placed a piece of gold leaf on the Buddha. It is rather special to realize that it will be there for all time

We took part in giving alms to the local monks.  Dozens of monks came out of the temple and people of all ages were there to give them hot and packaged food.  They will go back and eat the hot food and drop off the packaged food to be prepared for them as they are not allowed to cook.  All their food must also be consumed before noon each day as they can only have water after that.  Buddhists believe that by giving offerings to the monks they will earn merit for future lives as they believe in reincarnation.

After one puts something in he bowl of the monk they chant a blessing.  We did this several times and it was quite the experience.

A visit to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep which sits 3000 feet above the city involves climbing up 306 stairs.  We were lucky to get there early and be greeted by these monks.

This large Chedi is covered with gold plates.  From the temple grounds there are panoramic views of the city and the surrounding area.

The small buildings on the temple grounds have intricate work

Here we were given a blessing by an elderly monk and anointed with holy water.  He must have had extra because we got quite wet.

This is the initiation hall where new monks are taken into the order.  No woman is allowed to enter.

Stopping at a jade workshop we saw some spectacular carvings and some wonderful colours of jade. The interesting thing was that they got most of their jade from Canada.

At Wat Phra Singh built over six hundred years ago this Chedi was partially destroyed by an earthquake in the mid 1500s and left as is

Though the stairs are gone the figures remain with some restoration done to prevent further decay

The massive temple with its gold plated pillars and ceiling was stunning.  Chairs were set for a special event as Thailand had just appointed a new head monk a couple of days before.

Outside the monks were serving all kinds of food in celebration.  It was all free and they were eager to share and to talk with us.  Tina wanted to have her picture taken with one which was interesting as they can not get close to a female so they will not be tempted so she had to stand about four feet away.  Even a young female child cannot touch a monk.

Steve was looking for customers but none materialized

This is Wat Chiangmai Man which is the oldest temple in the city and is where the ashes of the Chiangmai Royal Family are enshrined.

Several temples in Thailand had wax figures of monks who had passed away sitting in front on the Buddha statue.  Must admit I did not realize at first that they were wax.

It was wonderful having a local guide who knew the best little restaurants to eat at.  This one was fantastic and was full of locals.  No tour groups or such and the food was cheap and delicious.  We let Nok order the food and we tried things we never would have otherwise.

Spinning silk from cocoons 

Food carts everywhere in case you get hungry

The free hand that this woman did at the lacquer ware factory was amazing 

A definite highlight of our trip and an experience of a lifetime was our time at the Elephant Life Experience,which is a small elephant preserve where the four of us had our own private experience.

After changing into real mahout outfits and getting a lesson in elephant behavior we went for a ride on our elephants bareback.  Thankfully we had help getting on as they are very large animals 

For some unknown reason I the smaller in the group was given the biggest elephant.  When he first stood up I was nervous but soon excitement overtook that. What an experience.

After a ride a big guy has to eat.  They were so gentle with their trunks.

They really were affectionate   This is not the one I rode

We painted some pictures with the elephants which was fun

We then rode across the river and through the jungle before returning to camp

After all that work an elephant needs a bath and we were only too happy to climb into the river and help out.

The elephants thought we needed to wash our hair so they helped us out as well

Four very wet but very happy " mahouts"

Finished the perfect experience with a rafting trip down the river all with permanent grins on our faces

A visit to the Thung Luang Hill Tribe Village was fascinating as various hill tribes live here together all maintaining their own traditions

We were invited into this home where five people reside

Everyone was so friendly and welcoming

This lady mills her own rice with the log mill

The residents grow their own rice and vegetables 

The women do hand crafts to sell. There is a lot of weaving

The women of this tribe are known for their earlobes. They start young and keep putting in weight to lengthen the lobe.  We found it a bit off putting

Unlike in Myanmar where we saw the long necked women at a market here this is their home. They are members of the Padong tribe and did originally come from Myanmar long ago.  

The younger girls of the tribe were eager to interacts and show you the hardware that they are wearing

This tribe starts putting on the ring at three and keeps increasing the length until age 45 or marriage whichever comes first. Seems like a good argument for early marriage to me

This lady hand embroidered these jackets. Each one takes over two months and they are made of velvet.  One in my suitcase

These are the homes and stands of the village.

We were invited to the home of the owners of Wanna Tours who had set up our time in Thailand.  We had a wonderful evening with delicious food and great company.  What a treat.

One of the two Royal Pagodas that were built for the King and Queen 's 60th birthdays. The Queens is purple as this is her favorite colour.

The Kings Pagoda. The gardens around were stunning

Even nuns take selfies

At over 8000 feet Doi Inthanon is Thailand 's highest point

Loved this mossy elephant at a shrine along the boardwalk in the national park

A Thai wine shop at a local market

All these greenhouses are part of a royal project where the King helped locals who used to grow opium illegally start growing fruit and vegetables and sell them at markets for a profit and a better lifestyle.

Visited a local coffee farm where coffee is still made by hand

No Starbucks here.  The coffee was delicious.

In Thailand this waterfall is visited by thousands.  How surprised they would be to see some of ours.

Bangkok, Thailand

Bangkok was quite the cultural change for us after spending two weeks in Myanmar which seems to be lagging years behind in development.  Bangkok is a city of 8 million people and is the capital of Thailand.  With 581 high rises it has the 5th highest number of any city in the world yet it still has a vibrant street life with active markets and street food galore which make it such an interesting city to visit.  Thailand is presently in mourning as their King Rama the Ninth died in October.  He was the worlds longest reigning monarch and was much loved by the people and out of respect most Thai people are wearing black for the next year.  Fences are draped with black and white fabric and his picture and memorials are everywhere.  The Chao Phraya River runs through Bangkok and has a series of canal running off of it which is why this city is known as the Venice of the east.  A boat ride through the canals is really interesting as they are lined with homes that are barely standing to ones of great beauty interspersed with the occasional temple. We visited the city's most popular sight which is the Grand Palace and it simply took your breath away.  The architecture was stunning and actually glimmered in the sunlight.  Everywhere you looked was another building or statue that was simply glorious.  What a treat!  We visited several temples in Bangkok and each was stunning In their own way.  We were very lucky to have a wonderful local guide Nok who took us to local restaurants and ordered local food for us to try and even had us eating street food as she knew which vendors our western stomachs would agree with.  It certainly enhanced our experience.  Visits to the train market, the floating market and the Asiatique night market were fun and entertaining.  The streets of Bangkok are busy with traffic and people and a popular way to get around is by tuk tuk as they weave around high end cars and trucks.  The best of Thailand so far is the people.  They are so friendly and polite that it so refreshing.  We have learned so much about Buddism on this trip and have come to realize that followers have a certain peace about them that others do not.

The flower market in Bangkok had hundreds of stalls selling incredible arrangements 

These beautiful flower objects are used for offerings at the temples

Delivering fresh flowers to one of the vendors

The streets are alive with food carts serving every type of food imaginable.  The carts were much cleaner than those in Myanmar.

The opposite side of the river from our hotel.  Little shuttle boats ran continuously to take us across.

This woman made the most delicious bananas deep fried in coconut. Fresh and hot they melted in your mouth.

The train market was quite something to behold. As one can see the stalls go right up to the track and the shades overlap it. When they know the train is coming everything and everybody moves out of the way.

As one can see any item with any height has been pulled back.

Low items are left in place and the train is high enough to clear them.  As soon as the train passes the vendors hurry to put everything back in its place.  This goes on daily.

It was very entertaining to watch

Still muscle driven forms of transportation for taxis

Rode in lots of tuk tuks. They tend to dart in and out of traffic so is quite the experience 

Ready for our spa time

We did indulge in a few massages as they were so cheap in Thailand. Ten dollars an hour!

Boiling down the coconut juice to make palm sugar which tasted like fudge.

The floating market was an absolute zoo of boats.  The vendors would use boat hooks to pull boats closer if they thought they could make a sale.  Quite smart on their part.

This lady was paddling up the middle of the mayhem selling ice cream

This gentleman was rumored to make the best noodle soup at the market

After we each ate a bowl while traveling through the market we know the rumors to be true.

The Bangkok night market was huge with hundreds of vendors, entertainment and restaurants 

The buildings within the grand palace were spectacular 

Each door of every building was guarded by a mythical figure

Incredible architecture 

Demons and a monkey hold up a stupa

The glitz was unbelievable 

This famous jade Buddha is draped in gold and sits high above an alter well protected 

Hundreds of years old but glittering in the sun

Thousands of Thai people line up every day to file past the remains of King Rama IV who died in October and was loved by the people.  They will remain in mourning for a year before they will cremate his body.  They whole country is draped in black and white cloth and there are memorials absolutely everywhere.  Some of these people will be in this line for as long as 12 hours.

Outside the Grand Palace

Largest gold reclining Buddha at 46 meters long

Beautiful stupas on the temple grounds

This is our transportation for our tour of the canals of Bangkok

Canals wind here way all through the center of the city

This giant monitor lizard was sleeping on the bank of he canal

All the homes have power, water and sewers

For entertainment residents can watch the tourists go by

One can buy anything on the streets of Bangkok at night

We went on a food cart tour.  A lot of them did not appeal to our appetites but these mushrooms were dipped in batter and then deep fried.  They were delicious.

We visited the Presart Museum set up by our guide.  He is an architect and I would say probably a bit eccentric as he picks and chooses who comes to his magnificent place.  As it turned out Eric and I were the only two there for the two hour private tour of this jewel.  The antiques were stunning and the grounds and gardens breathtaking 

Just a glimpse of the thousands of articles we saw

The buildings on the grounds were also incredible