Well...things have gone an entirely new direction since Dave wrote the last posting. A few days in Chiang Mai, Thailand has put us in a much better place and now we truly love Thailand. Since we will have to return to Bangkok for a few more days here and there between flights, we will try to start over and give it another chance now that we understand how it all works. In Bangkok, you don't trust anyone and get really good at saying "No, Thank You!"
Chiang Mai is a wonderful place in Northern Thailand. It's laid-back, a little cooler, and the people are genuinely friendly and helpful. A great little guesthouse was recommended to us and tonight will be our 4th night staying here. It's owned by a local couple - An English man and Thai woman - and they only have 3 guestrooms. We've met a lot of English, Australian and European travels since we arrived.
We have enjoyed one adventure after another. Our first day was a little crazy because we decided to rent a scooter to cruise around town like locals. After a few issues as we pulled out of town, Dave got the hang of it and we cruised up to a beautiful temple up on the hill overlooking Chiang Mai called Doi Suthep. I was holding on tightly as we weaved in and out of traffic. But...a great way to see the city. We then visited a temple, Wat U Mong, that is completely forested and peaceful. I am truly fascinated by the monks who wander around the temples in quiet contemplation.
That night we got a special treat...the Sunday Night Market. An endless row of locals selling everything you can imagine and we walked around all night to find the perfect Thai treats. The food at the market was fantastic and we tried a little bit of everything - fried pork balls, pad thai, ramen noodles with soy and sugar, a spongy pork treat dipped in hot sauce, pastries, pork fried rice, etc. There were many very strange looking things but we will ease ourselves into those.
Yesterday, we signed up for a 1-day trek with a small group and local guide. It was a packed day since most people do the same activities in 2-3 days. We had an entertaining group of Aussies with us and our local guide made the day even better with his lively stories and great information about the Thai culture and language. We can now speak a few basic phrases in Thai. The trek included a visit to a local mountain village, an elephant ride, a hike to a beautiful waterfall, a short rafting trip and a ride on a bamboo raft which Dave got to navigate. The rafting and bamboo raft were definitely the highlights.
And today, we learned to cook Thai food at an organic farm outside of town. Chicken curry, stir fry, papaya salad, pad thai and sweet sticky rice with mango. It was incredible food, if I do say so myself. We promise to share our skills once we get home.
Tomorrow we will be leaving Chiang Mai for Luang Prabang, Laos and we are very sad to go. We will definitely be back here and already have a list of places we missed. We have a few more things to see and do before we leave tomorrow afternoon but most important...our first thai massages. And we've earned them!
Chiang Mai is a wonderful place in Northern Thailand. It's laid-back, a little cooler, and the people are genuinely friendly and helpful. A great little guesthouse was recommended to us and tonight will be our 4th night staying here. It's owned by a local couple - An English man and Thai woman - and they only have 3 guestrooms. We've met a lot of English, Australian and European travels since we arrived.
We have enjoyed one adventure after another. Our first day was a little crazy because we decided to rent a scooter to cruise around town like locals. After a few issues as we pulled out of town, Dave got the hang of it and we cruised up to a beautiful temple up on the hill overlooking Chiang Mai called Doi Suthep. I was holding on tightly as we weaved in and out of traffic. But...a great way to see the city. We then visited a temple, Wat U Mong, that is completely forested and peaceful. I am truly fascinated by the monks who wander around the temples in quiet contemplation.
That night we got a special treat...the Sunday Night Market. An endless row of locals selling everything you can imagine and we walked around all night to find the perfect Thai treats. The food at the market was fantastic and we tried a little bit of everything - fried pork balls, pad thai, ramen noodles with soy and sugar, a spongy pork treat dipped in hot sauce, pastries, pork fried rice, etc. There were many very strange looking things but we will ease ourselves into those.
Yesterday, we signed up for a 1-day trek with a small group and local guide. It was a packed day since most people do the same activities in 2-3 days. We had an entertaining group of Aussies with us and our local guide made the day even better with his lively stories and great information about the Thai culture and language. We can now speak a few basic phrases in Thai. The trek included a visit to a local mountain village, an elephant ride, a hike to a beautiful waterfall, a short rafting trip and a ride on a bamboo raft which Dave got to navigate. The rafting and bamboo raft were definitely the highlights.
And today, we learned to cook Thai food at an organic farm outside of town. Chicken curry, stir fry, papaya salad, pad thai and sweet sticky rice with mango. It was incredible food, if I do say so myself. We promise to share our skills once we get home.
Tomorrow we will be leaving Chiang Mai for Luang Prabang, Laos and we are very sad to go. We will definitely be back here and already have a list of places we missed. We have a few more things to see and do before we leave tomorrow afternoon but most important...our first thai massages. And we've earned them!
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~Shannon