Chiang Mai Mountain Men
Doug and friends
Author: Laughingnomad
Down Time In Chiang Mai
Down time is lovely…and necessary. Ensconsed in my Thai style guesthouse by the Ping Rver, I connected my little bluetooth speakers… listening to Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day” and of course Leonard Cohen who always puts me in a reflective mood.
There is a song…”you take the weather with you.” You are already “home.” The place doesn’t matter. You just have to put yourself somewhere. But I can’t imagine being in one place year round without getting out periodically and meeting strangers on the road who are on the same wavelength and who I’d never meet otherwise. Intimacy is anywhere there are people. And people tend to share more personal with people who they think they probably won’t see ever again. However I’ve had more than my share of serendipity coincidences meeting people again in another country.
Requires a little travel money. And mobility. With a little heart thrown in. But even in a wheelchair airports are manageable. Give a little tip to the employee who whisks you right through security and immigration and to the gate. And to the restroom or ATM and whatever else. Even to the next terminal. Even up to the plane in a hydaulic lift if you need it. Along with all the ancient and infirm Chinese ladies!
One of the most inspirational experiences I’ve ever had was meeting an 80 year old Russian Jew from NYC with a cane in the mountains of southern China visiting the Miao people who nearly fell getting out of the van. Said once a year he goes somewhere. I blessed his heart.
OMG! Thais Are Crazy To Drive You All Over Thailand!
Tina at her home In Chom Thong
Bottom of Waterfall
Doug, my son, and I have been here nearly a month and to get out of busy Chiang Mai for a day we were supposed to be driven to Tina’s home in Chom Thong about 3 hours in the countryside. Tina is the gf of a friend of Doug’s. But oh no, as if this wasn’t enough driving, she had to take us to a waterfall up a winding road on the way! Doug got sick and with my back and leg I couldn’t even walk up to the waterfall. There were hordes of people because tomorrow is Father’s Day and this was a long weekend. Then she wanted to take us all the way to the top of the mountain! Noooooo Doug and I yelled!
Then further on the way to her home she wanted to take us clear to the top of another mountain where we could see a temple at the top! Noooooo! We yelled again!
We felt bad. Tina was just trying to pleasure us! What made it worse was that she, a Thai, only paid 30 baht for her entry fee and Doug and I, foreigners, had to pay 300 baht each for our misery! That is about $8.50! Dual pricing for foreign visitors all over Thailand! I’m surprised they didn’t make us pay for taking photos. But without cameras, thank goodness for superphones! 😉
We were so relieved to get to Tina’s home town outside of which we walked among the houses of all her family members. She pointed out all the different interesting fruit trees and herbal plants they use in cooking and healing. Took a photo of her holding a huge Jackfruit hanging from a tree.
I remembered a friend of mine in Salem who was in the Peace Corps in Thailand in the 70’s and who visited good friends on a subsequent trip to Chiang Mai. She said she spent almost the entire time being driven around in a car!!! What is it??? I shall remember this when people come visit me! 😉 An hour is the max!
Chiang Mai
Sushi in Maya Mall
On November 21, I flew from Hanoi to Chiang Mai where I am staying at the Galare Guesthouse on the Ping River where I’ve stayed before. Doug is here and we’re hanging out together. After a month I’ll move to the much cheaper Smith Residence where Doug is staying until he flies back down to Koh Samui. I’ll fly back to Hong Kong on January 2nd and bunk with Josh and Polly until the 5th when I fly out to Portland, Oregon.
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Galare House
Hanoi In Black & White
Photos courtesy of Andrew, a teacher friend in Bangkok.
Hanoi Visa Run
Having flown into Thailand without getting a visa beforehand, I only had a 30 day tourist visa. So I flew to Hanoi using the convenient online Viet Nam visa application and stayed at the Paradise Boutique Hotel in the Old Quarter for a week. For $40 for a visa stamp they met me at the airport and scooted me through immigration. For an extra fee they even met me at baggage claim and took me to my hotel in a van. So different than the old days!
My old haunt, the Classic Street Guesthouse nearby had tripled in price since I stayed there last. And the Tamarind Cafe is no longer there…replaced by another. To my surprise I found a new Mexican Coffee Shop and Cafe…the name of the shop is Xupito! Pretty close to chupa pito!!…!!!!! (which means suck dick!) Jajaja…really…change the Xu to sh/chup pito. Or Xupito could just be referring to a drunkard who drinks a lot.
Paul, a former couchsurfer in Oaxaca, is in Hanoi where he started The Bamboo School to teach music to young kids in the countryside and is playing gigs with his sax and electronic boards around the city. This is the second time we’ve run into each other in SE Asia…the other time on the street in Bangkok. I love it!
The streets are much busier than before…especially in the Old Quarter where sidewalks are taken up by people selling and cooking and eating where there aren’t parked motorcycles so that you have to walk in the congested street.
Look What I found!
Busy Street
Paul..Former Couchsurfer in Oaxaca
The Germans in Hanoi
Hua Hin
After Doug flew in to Bangkok on November 8, he and I took a run down to Hua Hin for a couple days and stayed at a resort on the beach a couple days later.
Hua Hin Resort
What I Do By Myself All Day In Bangkok
After the wedding in Hong Kong, I flew to Bangkok on Oct 17. Stayed in the Dvaree Bali Serviced Apartments down an alley off Sukhumvit 22 where I’ve stayed several times before and can hang out with the guys (expats) at the Parrot Cafe up the street on 22.
Bob, my husband, left his Mia Noi for a few days to spend time with me in Bangkok. Took me to an Italian basement kitchen where they were having a half-price promotion on the food for the month of October. We shared a meal. Osso Bucco with lots of marrow. I absolutely love bone marrow. When Josh was Sous Chef in Manhattan we would go out at 2am where many of the chefs would go after work…the Blue Ribbon. The place specialized in 10 inch long beef bone boiled in herbed broth and then roasted and standing on end on the plate. They served it with long ice tea spoons. With toast and marmalade. OMG my mouth is watering.
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Mourning The King
Roof Top Wedding Party in Kowloon
Sorry I missed the do it yourself rooftop BBQ party in Kowloon with about 50 of Josh and Polly’s friends. Was exhausted with jet lag so went to bed early. Sigh.
Laughingnomad 