What a week it has been! Since the last blog we have decided on a name for Dan’s new boxer puppy (well, I say we decided, but the dog did by choosing a bit of paper that we’d written on) and its set to keep its original name of Naja. That is the way, as Taoists and Buddhists would say.
In the past week I’ve seen the jostle and crowds of central Chiang Mai, though they seem tame in comparison to the heart of Bangkok. I’ve seen the natural beauty of Chiang Mai’s mountainous ranges, limestone caverns, valleys and reservoirs. I’ve experienced the spirituality and theology of some of Thailand’s most majestic monasteries and temples. I’ve felt the adrenal rush at one of the largest thrill seekers paradise spots set in the canopies of the Mae Kompong tropical rainforest. I’ve shopped for fresh vegetables and rice at the small community street markets. I’ve even eaten insects – wok fried, of course.
The first day of our trip to Chiang Mai was really just used to set us up for the week. We slept well after our day of travel and spent the afternoon shopping for vegetarian food and renting a moped. With the traffic being a lot less dense than the capital there are many places available for motorbike rental, though the abundance of mopeds and one-way traffic systems doesn’t make it any easier! The cost of living is also noticeably different in the northern districts. A chicken Pad Thai in Bangkok will cost a visitor (not a local, who I’m certain get it cheaper) anything between 100 and 175 Baht while the same sized portion in Chiang Mai – with prawns instead of chicken, cost me just 30 Baht. Similarly, a can of beer is half the price, and even the prices in 7 Eleven are cheaper up north. That’s not to say that everything is cheaper for travellers though. You can expect to pay up to ten times more than a local to enter many public attractions, sometimes even being charged entry that is otherwise free to the natives.
With a good night’s sleep behind us and a full day of rest, our first attraction to see was Doi Suket – a small, peaceful temple situated at the top of a small mountain. On the way, we ventured out to a large reservoir located in one of the hundreds of national parks that dominate the northern states. With two of us on an already struggling moped, the predominantly uphill journey was both long and tedious but it allowed us to see much more of the scenery than we would have if we travelled at top speed. The uphill struggle was more than worth when we were rewarded with the tranquil man-made lake situated in the centre of an array of small foliaged mountains and a view of the thousands and thousands of acres of untouched natural forests. We stayed here while our bums regained feeling from the rumbling of the small engine through the ill-padded moped seat, and allowed Dan to get a few idyllic photo opportunities. Thankfully the way back down was much quicker and easier, and we soon found ourselves at the foot of Doi Suket with hundreds of steps to climb. Again, the gruelling task of stairs at elevation was rewarded- this time with the smiles of a large group of boys in orange robes, with shaven heads. These novices, the literal translation, are Buddhist monks in training, taken in by the temples and monasteries from the poorest families and offered the chance of an education and a life of more than just begging for your food. When we asked them how many steps there were to the top of the temple, they ran down and back up them for fun, counting as they went. It turns out there are 280 steps in all, which is probably about the same amount of time the boys have to go up and down them each day fetching food, clothing, books and whatever else is needed for the elder monks. The view from the temple at the top was breathtaking. With the sun setting behind the mountains, the rice fields and scattered villages in the valleys were all soaked in a crimson light, and the distant twinkling of the cities traffic could be seen on the horizon like a field of fireflies. You could certainly accept why the monks chose to live in such a remote, scenic location.
The itinerary for the next day involved even more moped riding as we ventured out to Tum Muang On caves. Found just over 100 years ago by a wandering Monk, the cool limestone caves were soon transformed into a network of shrines and Buddhist temples deep in the heart of a mountain. Today they attract more tourists than pilgrims, but the site still maintains a serene atmosphere similar to that of any other holy site. The chilled temperature in the caves was a welcome break from the relentless 30-something degree heat outside, but there is something unsettling about being in a cave below thousands of tons of rock, so our stay was only around an hour – though this was more than enough to see the majority of it. The only thing we had missed was a small fresh water spring inside the cave, but we were told that it was nothing special; perhaps to ease our minds. Our way home also provided more relief from the heat, when the skies opened up and a late afternoon monsoon shower hit. We managed to seek refuge in a roadside stall until the weather brightened up, and it gave us a chance to wring the rain out of our clothes! As soon as there was a break, we jumped on the ‘peds and were off home again!
The next day was a personal highlight of the trip so far; a day at Flight Of The Gibbon. Voted as one of the best tourists attractions in Thailand, I could certainly see the appeal of over 2km of zip lines and absailing platforms. The locals of Mae Kompong originate from the Chiang Mai area but ventured into the mountains to farm and harvest tea and coffee, and our bus trip up the mountain made it more than apparent with the various coffee shops that adorn the roadsides. In fact, it was with the natives knowledge of their local environment that allowed the company to set up their platforms so quickly. Originally mountain climbers, the Flight of the Gibbon founders had no idea how to scale the trees to attach the zipline platforms. They therefore employed the locals, who regularly climbed the trees to harvest honey from beehives, to climb up and attach the rigging. Once this was done, the engineers could then use pulleys and ropes to hoist up the platforms and secure them properly. This reduced their construction time from an estimated 18 months down to just four! And to show how grateful for the help they are, the owners donate a percentage of all ticket sales back to the villages to help preserve the local ecosystem, and regularly plant trees to offset the carbon emissions from the regular bus trips up and down the mountains. The site is just one of several new “ecotourist” ventures in Thailand, making the country aware of how profitable it can be to be environmentally friendly. Not that they need much persuading, mind you. A quick walk about the Walking street markets in Chiang Mai made it very apparent that environmental awareness is very, very fashionable. Every other person was selling bags or t-shirts with slogans like “One world, one chance” or “burn fat not oil”, and the like. Even in developing countries like Thailand, the inhabitants are very conscious of their duty to preserve their country for future generations.
Another day, another temple; Doi Suthep this time. Again, nested high up on a mountaintop, Suthep provides visitors with 304 steps to climb (at an elevation of nearly 1500m) and an unrivalled view of the Chiang Mai city basin. That is, of course, if you get there on a clear day. Arriving at about eight in the morning to beat the crowds, we had nothing but cloud cover to view from the look-out point, limiting our views to just a couple of feet in front of our noses. Luckily, as the day heated up, the clouds cleared and by the time we’d reached the temple at the very top, the clouds had almost completely evaporated allowing us to see the amazing scenery and landscape that stretched for miles.
The temples in Doi Suthep are over 700 years old and are considered to be some of the most elaborately decorated outside of Bangkok. Golden, Jade and Marble statues of various Buddha’s bejewelled every possible crevice, while rows and rows of bells line outside for visitors to ring for good luck. Each bell has been bought from money donated by various sources – obviously the larger the bell, the larger the donation. Some were the size of your hand, while one or two were the size of a small car. Inside the temple square stands a huge golden spire, which, on a clear day, is visible from Dan’s house – about 15km away. According to legend, walking three times around the spire and providing an offering of candles, incense and flowers is enough to bring good luck. Luckily enough, there are stalls dotted all over the temple offering such goods for a nominal fee. It is also possible to be blessed on the site by a Buddhist monk who says a prayer, blesses you with water, and gives you a white cotton wristband to protect you from bad spirits. There is no charge for this (presumably as its included in the entrance fee), though you must remember to kneel at all times and never raise your head higher than the Monk or any of the ornamental statues around the room. Doing such, as well as showing the soles of your feet, is considered enormously offensive.
Doi Suthep was the last real attraction that we visited in Thailand, and it was probably best to end on such a high note. Our last night was celebrated with a barbeque of local meats and vegetables in Dan’s garden, and an early night before our day of travelling 2 continents, 3 airports, 5 timezones, and 10 hours of airtime. After all of this, and almost a day spent in the now familiar sterility of airport waiting rooms, we touched down in Sydney, Australia.
But that’s another story…
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