Chiang Mai, and its old city in
particular, is an engaging metropolis with a decidedly relaxed vibe
of northern Thailand. It consists of a mix of glamorous temples and
Western comforts of every whim. A grand cuisine frontier, it
impressed us most with the staple product of the region – mmm mmm,
coffee. After a month of the instant stuff, we shamelessly imbibed
on the delicious caffeine beans.
Many people use Chiang Mai as a base
for exploring the region, whether by elephant, raft or scooter. We
chose the latter method as most efficient. We made home at the
Banjai Garden Guest House, warmly welcomed by the hospitable owners
and little frolicking kitten named Catty. From our pretty
plant-encased balcony, we planned our course of action for the
upcoming weeks.
After much thought and months of 24/7
togetherness, we decided to grant each other the gift of independent
travel experience and split up for a few days. I started out for the
little visited but cozy towns of Phrae and Phayao. In Phrae, I met
language teacher Priwan and stayed for a few days at her
traditionally – Thai teak home. She took the time to show me
around town. Most notably, she invited me to a Buddhist monastery,
where a happy monk tied white strings around my wrists as a form of
blessing for wisdom, health and peace of mind. It was a touching
experience, as many other places we visited perform superficial
blessings only for donations. I spent the evenings relaxing either
in solitude and listening to the insistent drones of the cicadas or
in warm conversations about life with Priwan, all while indulging in
her truly delicious vegetarian fare. She finally drove me to the bus
station, where I boarded a van bound for Phayao. The town itself has
little to offer to an attraction-motivated traveler, but the views
over the lake, especially at sunset, and the food were pretty superb.
After taking care of some necessities, such as a hair cut, and the
ensuing lost in translation hilarity, I went back to Chiang Mai,
proud of my snag-free travel skills but happy to again meet up with
Pawel.
Phayao
In the meantime, P rented a scooter
and put almost 1000 kilometers on its meter while making an extended
loop of the Golden Triangle area, a region where the three countries
of Laos, Thailand and Burma intersect.
I then joined him in Chiang
Mai and after taking barely more than two shirts each to minimalize
the weight, we set off for the visually-inspiring drive around Mae
Hong Son province. In four days, we covered over 600 kilometers,
sometimes slowly puttering uphill on first gear, on steep and winding
roads through rice paddies, jungles, hills and pine forests. One
word – stunning. With the approaching monsoon season, it rained
every night. Every day then rose cooler, making the drive through
the increasingly luscious surroundings even more pleasant. It was a
great life on the road, stopping where convenient (so in towns of Mae
Cham, Mae Hon Son – my favorite, and Pai), striving to discover
that cute little bungalow for the night or that tasty next meal, our
biggest immediate concerns. I highly recommend it.
For the final time, we came back to
Chiang Mai, said goodbye to our faithful scooter and set off for
Chiang Rai. Its grandest attraction – Wat Rong Khun, a
contemporarily-designed Buddhist temple. Created by an
unconventional visionary, its white-washed facade is impressed with
silver glass, creating a dazzling effect to the eye. A bridge,
alongside impressions of reaching hands, leads to the wat itself,
where unusual modern wall paintings show scenes of the cycle of
rebirth that involve, for instance, the Twin Towers, the Terminator,
Harry Potter, Neo from Matrix or Freddy Kruger. Despite the unusual
thematics (or maybe because of them), it's pretty extraordinary.
Wishes! We left one, too
Coin wishing well
And then we hitch-hiked a ride back into town
From Chiang Rai, we took a 6 am
morning local bus to Chang Khong, from where we crossed the river,
thus arriving at the Laos border. Next mode of transport – the two
day slowboat trip to Luang Prabang on the mighty Mekong.
