Chiang Mai

We took an overnight train north to Chiang Mai to get a taste of what travelers refer to as the real Thailand. We got off the train at 7 am and settled into our pink 7-story guesthouse. Since there was no elevator, the room price decreased the higher you went so we started our trek upwards. Having worked up a nice appetite, we went out for some breakfast and to explore the old city and its temples. Chiang Mai has over 300 Buddhist wats with architectural influences from Burma and an interior design with murals and intricate wood carvings that date back to the Lanna period (13 and 14th centuries). We only visited the three most famous within walking distance—the most impressive being Wat Chedi Luang, which is the ruins of an enormous temple that partially survived an earthquake in 1535. Wat Phra Sinh has meticulously painted murals dating back to 1345 and is the center of the Songkran Festival—a celebration in April when everyone drenches each other with water (and apparently quite a site to see).

For the evening, we signed up for a Thai cooking class in order to learn how to recreate some of the amazing food we’ve had here. The course started off with a trip to the local market where we learned how to pick out key (fresh!) ingredients such as herbs, vegetables, and curry paste. Brady whipped up this 5-dish meal: Pad Thai, Hot & Sour Chicken Soup, Spicy Glass Noodle Salad, Fried Cashew nuts with Chicken, and Green Curry. Meanwhile, Katie prepared Spring rolls, Chicken in coconut milk soup, Papaya Salad, Sweet & Sour Stir Fried with Chicken, and Phanaeng Curry. Believe it or not, we had a wonderful time clearing our plates—it was delicious!
You can check out photos they took of us at this website: www.chiangmaismartcook.com
(click Gallery, then November 2007)

To continue with our authentic Thai experience, we took a day tour out into the countryside to visit the area’s many hill tribes (most of which have also settled in China and other Southeast Asian countries). We made stops at 6 different villages that were home to the Akha, Lisu, Karen, Lahu, and Longneck ethnic groups. Little kids ran around half dressed, women in traditional clothing tried peddling handicrafts, and the elderly observed from their teak wood and bamboo huts. Corn husks were everywhere, pigs and chickens roamed freely, and the harvested rice was all being processed by hand. It was a glimpse into their primitive lifestyle with minor alterations thanks to modern civilization and government subsidies. The longneck tribe was a slightly different story. They are Burmese refugees whose women still practice wearing heavy brass coiled around their neck. The jewelry, as they see it, makes them more beautiful. However, the weight and pressure at both ends extends their neck, separates vertebrae, and makes them vulnerable to fractures if the metal is removed.

Afterwards, we wandered the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar, yet another market that we feel we inadequately covered. Now a popular tourist attraction, the marketplace used to be the location of trading caravans who stopped here along the ancient trade route between China and Myanmar. Here you can buy anything from ethnic handicrafts, jewelry, and artwork to inappropriate t-shirts, designer imitations, and all sorts of Asian textiles and home decor. We were pleased to see a different side of Thailand; however, now it’s back to Bangkok before we turn around and fly to Cambodia the following day.