Still chasing summer, Thailand weeks 1 and 2
“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.” -Martin Buber
Thailand has been a lovely reprieve from the hectic pace of India.
Bangkok seemed easy to maneuver after the difficulty of simply booking a train or bus in India.
Bangkok was a surprise to me. I had really only intended to stay for a couple of days but ended up booking three extra days there. And still, I think I’ll spend more time there before leaving Thailand.
Koh Samui was the island I chose to go to after hearing such great things from so many people. It was lovely and I saw some amazing sunsets. I didn’t even mind the rain, the coziness of curling up with a book on my balcony was welcomed after the month of almost no free time at the ashram.
There wasn’t too much action at the beach. A few kayaks, but no one really playing in the surf. I think the jellyfish kept most out of the water. I took the locals lead and stayed out too. However, my attention span can only take a couple of hours at a pool.
It worked for the first few days, I’d go sightseeing and then hit the pool in the afternoon. But I had quickly seen what Koh Samui had to offer and on my own I began to get bored. I enjoyed relaxing for a week, but it was time to get moving again.
I booked a flight to Chiang Mai, The old walled city of Chiang Mai is fun to wander around in and I arrived just a few hours before the famous Sunday Night Market. I can’t do that market justice, but it was lively, had great music, food and shopping. The hostess at my B&B told me to go early, so I arrived shortly after it opened, around 5:30. I’m certainly glad I did. By 7:30 I couldn’t move in the crowd, but just had to go with the flow. As soon as I could, I exited, but it was great fun at the beginning!
An especially funny part of the market are the people selling clothes. Every time I walked by they would yell “we have extra large clothes for you!”
To be fair, I knew what they meant, and they say this to all of the westerners (we are larger people than the Thai people). But it did make me laugh!
From Chiang Mai I headed to Chiang Rai for a day trip. I’m glad I did, the scenery driving up was beautiful mountains and lush vegetation as we drove through Doi Wiang Pha National Park. I opted for a day trip tour of the Blue Temple, Black House and White Temple. The Blue temple is very pretty, but the White temple is spectacular. When the sun is shining it glows and sparkles. Not only is it painted white but it has thousands of tiny mirrors decorating it!
However, my favorite was the Black House (Baan Dam). It’s a complex designed by artist, Thawan Duchanee. He built the complex and welcomed everyone to view it and his art for free when he was alive. He also mentored artists who could stay in one of the many houses in the complex. After his death he donated it to Chiang Rai. As you walk through, you actually feel like you’ve had a glimpse into the mind of this talented, and prolific artist. I could’ve stayed all day if not for the heat!
Other activities offered were interacting with tigers at a zoo and playing with elephants at a sanctuary. This was a big no for me.
One thing I’ve learned a lot about since being in Asia is elephant and animal welfare. These animals have been abused and their stories are sad. There really is no way to interact with these animals and still be kind to them, other than volunteering. And even that has to be well thought out.
If you want to know more, https://wildlifesos.org/ is a great resource for understanding the plight of these animals and the thin line some sanctuaries walk.
I visited Wildlife SOS in Agra, India. My visit consisted of a one-on-one discussion with the assistant director about their work, watching a video and then walking around the grounds and hearing each elephant’s story. Activities provided there are chopping food and shoveling poop. You are simply there to help care for these beautiful beasts who have been rescued from heartbreaking conditions.
According to SOS even the elephant bathing offered by many sanctuaries is usually not helpful to the elephant. Especially when it happens daily with tours and people photographing, etc.
i didn’t even want to photograph the elephants after the SOS tour. I had taken one at the beginning and apologized at the end. They were not offended at all, but I think appreciated that I had taken their stories to heart. Not only did I fall in love with the elephants, but also the kind and loving young people who are making this their mission. It was uplifting to see their passion and drive to educate people about these abuses.
It certainly has made a big impact on my excursions, I’m so thankful they were one of my first stops in Asia.
Currently, I’m back in Chiang Mai for a couple of days and then I’ll head to a hotel in the Pak Chong district near Khao Yai National Park. I have to admit the only reason I’m headed there is my brother sent me a photo of the hotel from Twitter and said I should check it out, and I thought okay, why not? It looked very expensive, and it is - for Thailand. But Thailand expensive isn’t US expensive, so it’s more like going to a mid-budget hotel in the US. (For context, my average nightly stay in Thailand has been $35). So this will be a splurge, but certainly not unreasonable.
XOXO,
Bon