Chiang Mai

soi

Ruins of Wat Chedi Luang in the background

Wat guardian

Fried chicken heads

Distracted by a cat

Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep

Flying between the jungle canopies

A long way across and a long way down

Christina loves to cook

Local spice-eratti return to see and be seen at this "hip and sumptuous northern Thai eatery," where American couple Christina and Peter churn out "rich Thai curries, sweet pad see-ew, and fiery stir fries by the longtail boatload."  While some opine that the "service can be non-existent," the "tamarind-rich tom yum soup can't be beat."

Puppy fight

Releasing our Christmas lantern

Kôw soy

Chiang Mai is Thailand's second largest city, tucked in the mountains of the far north.  In contrast to Bangkok, Chiang Mai has some real country sensibility, and its reputation as a city of craftspeople, students, and artists is deserved.  Chiang Mai was a jewel of the Lanna Kingdom, and the old city, where we stayed, is still isolated by a moat and crumbling brick wall (the moat especially brought us comfort at night).  With daily "monk chats," where visitors can converse with monks on any subject, Thai cooking and massage courses, and museums and cultural artifacts galore, it is a city that really encourages you to learn something.  Chiang Mai is also a popular launching point for many of the attractions outside the city: trekking to a nearby hill-tribe, visiting an elephant sanctuary, rock-climbing and abseiling, bamboo rafting, and so on.

Northern Thai cuisine is quite different from that of Bangkok and southern Thailand, absorbing many qualities of bordering Myanmar, Laos, and China.  The curries are not as spicy, feature less coconut milk, and might even be stewed with tomatoes.  One dish, the Chiang Mai street food (a revised Burmese import with Lanna roots, the story goes) kôw soy, is a game-changer.  A large bowl of turmeric and coconut milk broth, with egg noodles, pumpkin, potatoes, broccoli, and pickled cabbage, and fried wonton noodles and raw shallots on top.  Fabulous!

So what did we do?  We explored the wats of the old city, visited the famous artisan night markets (and bought more than we could possibly carry with us), and read in cafes serving local coffee.  One wat, Wat Prathat Doi Suthep, was particularly special.  The golden chedi is fixed atop the peak of Doi Suthep, a mountain 15km outside Chiang Mai city.  According to legend, a 14th century monk dreamt of a relic of Buddha, his shoulder bone, which glowed, could teleport, and could disappear.  He discovered the relic before it split into two, and he tied one half of it to the back of a white elephant which was released into the jungle.  The elephant climbed to the peak of the mountain, where it then died, marking the spot where the temple must be built.

We satisfied our soft adventure itch with a zip-line trip through the province's jungle-covered mountains.  Attached to the cable by a harness and rope, we flew from tree to gigantic tree at high speeds, the largest single leap over 300 yards long.  This combined my love of heights with my deep trust of wooden planks.  Our Thai guides were helpful and playful: "You know something Peter...  You are very heavy!" (pushes me off the ledge).

We also took a Thai cooking course on a farm just outside the city.  We visited a market, learned about the ingredients, and cooked four courses.  It was an idiot-proof set up, but still you can't help but feel proud to have cooked such tasty Thai food.

I was very sad to be away for Christmas, but it was special to both spend Christmas with Christina (our first together) and to be in such an exciting place.  On Christmas night we visitted a 24-hour flower market, watched Thais "ice" skate on a wax rink, explored the bustling Ratchadamnoen walking street market, and released flying paper lanterns into the sky in front of a giant metallic Christmas tree.  Not so bad.