Chiang Mai, March 28th ~ A welcome reprieve from Bangkok's congested, frenetic pulse, Chiang Mai is blissfully calm and laid back by comparison. The city is nestled in a mountain valley in Northern Thailand an hour's flight from Bangkok, though you don't particularly feel as if you're in the hills. Founded in 1296, Chiang Mai paradoxically translates to "New City," the name it received when designated the new capital of Lan Na. Last December, it was recognized as a UNESCO Creative City for its crafts and folk art.
Our taxi jostles down narrow, rough-hewn streets dotted with modest cement homes, laundry fluttering in the sultry breeze. Rustic shops and eateries offering Tom Yum Goong (spicy shrimp soup), Pad Krapow Moo Saap (fried basil and pork), Gaeng Keow Wan Kai (green chicken curry) and the ever-present Khao Pad (fried rice) pass by.
Bangkok's noisy, soot-laden air gives way to peaceful, clear skies; the surgical and cloth masks donned by the city's motor bike riders now a less frequent sight. The cargo hauled on these small two-seater bikes daily is astounding: a family of four, infant clinging to a parent's back or wedged between mother and father, pre-school-age sibling riding backwards standing between driver and handlebars; a half-dozen or more teetering crates of chickens and roosters; extension ladders, 4'x6' sheets of metal and large sacks of cement; mounds of oversized white lilies and saffron orchids wrapped in newspaper; several 20-gallon barrels of water. Apparently, there is nothing an able rider and her/his trusty Air Blade cannot transport.
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| A traditional Thai dwelling at Kittawan Hotel. |
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| Small home-constructed wats on stands grace the entrance either indoors or out to hotels, homes, restaurants, cropping up along river banks, roadsides, pretty much everywhere. |
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| Shrine outside of a restaurant. |
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| Older women weave together flower petals to fashion these ornamental offerings. |
A few wat highlights and street scenes we happened upon throughout the day.
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| The less ornate wats are elegant and serene. |
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| Jade Buddha at Wat Phra Singh. |
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| Wat interior. |
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Wat Chedi Luang dates back to 1385. The crumbling central pagoda, or chedi, was damaged by an earthquake in 1545, reducing its original towering 60-meter height by about half.
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Elephants surround the chedi.
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| Stone elephant detail. |
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| Wat Chedi Luang. |
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| A naga (water serpent) staircase adorns both railings flanking entry staircases on each side of the wat. |
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| The simplicity of this smaller white temple possesses a beauty of its own. |
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| Texting Buddha. |
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| We had the privilege and honor of chatting with a monk who, for our pedestrian purposes, goes by the name of Jim. A fascinating and insightful dialogue that he allowed me to record. |
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| A wat with wit: these monks are wax. |
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| Young monks learning chants.... |
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| ...and a couple taking a break. |
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The mischievous pup who makes a cameo at the end of this clip was weaving in and out of these youngsters throughout their chant/prayer session, trying to solicit a giggle and attention. How the kids kept a straight face I'll never know.
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| A moveable feast. |
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| The endless tangles of motor bikes and electrical wires. |
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| No load is too large for these motor bikes. |
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| Rubber fish flip flops (I kid you not). |
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| A clothing merchant. Her shop doubles as her home. |
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| Street fare. |
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| Chiang Mai's bustling and sprawling night market offers foot massages for weary walkers. |
Please bring back a pair of fish flip flops for me
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