The Journey Home, Chapter 2: Chiang Mai

Bangkok's northern bus station was swarming with activity, and I was immediately caught off guard by the sheer masses of people going to and from every direction of the terminal. I had a ticket for an overnight bus, which spanned the 750 kilometers between Bangkok and Chiang Mai in a supposed nine hours. I stocked up on Thai junk food from the 7-11, and eventually sat down in my bed for the night, toward the front of the bus.

Cruising north out of the city, and drifting in and out of sleep, I didn't really mind spending a night like this - apart from the ungodly-cold air conditioner which blasted frozen air directly on my face for nine and a half hours, and could not be turned off. While I might have expected to catch any number of diseases or medical conditions during my time in Southeast Asia, hypothermia was not one of them. I think I came close to it during that bus ride.

Groggy from the half-sleep I got, and befuddled by the lack of general directions to anything, I stumbled out of the bus into the Chiang Mai bus terminal around 8 am. After a bit of obligatory haggling, I found a cheap ride into the city via songthaew, and I soon arrived at Diva Guesthouse, my base of operations for my four days in Chiang Mai.

The next morning, after a fresh, hot Thai breakfast soup, I rented a bicycle and began my self guided tour of the old city. Chiang Mai was originally housed within a square shaped wall, and protected by a moat. While the moat is still full of water, most of the wall has deteriorated over time. Most of the city's history can be seen within the boundaries of the wall, which is entirely bike-able.

Ancient temples (wats) are sprinkled throughout the old city, each with its own unique qualities and histories. Wat Chiang Man is one of the oldest, and exudes golden rays from it's regal exterior, while the stoic Wat Chedi Luang has crumbled a bit, but offers a window straight into the past of Chiang Mai. 

That evening, I walked outside of the old city to another keystone Chiang Mai attraction: the night bazaar. Selling pretty much anything Thai you could imagine, vendors of every variety set up camp along the rows and rows of streets set aside for the bazaar. 

The following morning, I decided it was time to upgrade my bicycle into something with a little more muscle. I set aside any anxieties I had about driving on the left side of the road, and rented a 125cc scooter for the day.

Taking it very, very slow at first, I gained enough confidence to take this bad boy up into the hillside for an amazing 1 hour drive up Doi Suthep mountain. The winding mountain road eventually arrived at Wat Doi Suthep, perhaps the pinnacle of Chiang Mai's temple scene.

Incense burned, traditional Lanna music flowed through the air - it was a peaceful place, despite the hundreds of visitors swarming about it.

Down the mountain I went, to a baguette sandwich lunch. I spent the rest of the afternoon cruising around the old city in my new ride, snapping photos and stopping for street-side snacks.

At this point, I had already decided to extend my stay in Chiang Mai. The city was too beautiful, the people were too friendly, and the food was simply too damn delicious to leave after just three days. I planned a mountain bike trip for the next morning, and reserved the following day for any unfinished sightseeing.

The next day, an early morning ride in the back of a pickup truck took me to my mountain biking adventure, back at the top of Doi Suthep. The road got smaller and smaller as we climbed, until eventually, it became dirt, which eventually became single-track - a mountain biking paradise. 

Geared up and ready for adrenaline, I began my two hour descent, as the tropical greenery flew past beside me. The trail was a perfect blend of single and double track, while the surface was perfectly moist and free of any major annoyances.

My descent finished at the side of a lake, where a bungalow was waiting for me with ice cold water and red curry chicken. It was my nirvana moment of the week, for sure.

That evening, after a tranquilizing Thai massage, I walked over to Chiang Mai's North Gate Jazz Co-op - one of the coolest music venues I've seen anywhere. A five-man Thai group absolutely killed it with their set, blending modern jazz grooves with their expert saxophone lead.

The following day, my last in Chiang Mai, I needed to see a few more markets and temples before I felt at least somewhat o.k. about my brief time in Chiang Mai. Bypassing the hordes of foreign tourists at the main markets east of the old city, I instead biked up to a local market, mostly hidden from the main street.

This market had no English signage, and remarkably, no other foreigners that I could see. To me, this meant that the food would be worth trying - and it certainly was. I walked into the market hungry and thirsty, and walked out of it full of pork curry and a mango smoothie. 

The local markets of Chiang Mai are first and foremost places of business. While I was simply some random "farang" (foreigner) snapping photos, mothers, fathers, aunts and uncles were busy selling their produce to everyday folks.

As I walked further into the wholesale market, the street got dirtier and wetter with mystery seafood fluids and I realized, regrettably, that this is probably not the venue for sandals. Nonetheless, I pressed on, pretending not to feel the black sludge on my toes.

Fruits and veggies of every shape and color were offered cheaply, and by the bundle. I stopped for the compulsory bag of fresh pineapple chunks, and biked out of the busy market.

For me, Chiang Mai, will always be a special, special place. Nowhere have I experienced such history, culinary delight, and kindness from locals like I did in this place. The smells of incense and Thai curry remains fresh in my memory, and I hope to be back for another round of street noodles sometime soon.

The Journey Home, Chapter 1: Bangkok

As the landing gear grazed against the tarmac, and my six-hour flight from Seoul came to a smooth halt,  my venture into Southeast Asia officially began. We began a brief but nonetheless exhilarating taxi ride (complete with at least three near misses), as the lights of suburban Bangkok flew past us on the motor-way. The humidity soaked in like vacuum pack seal, but I would get used to this steambath soon enough. 

After a slight confusion in the taxi that took us through a half-dozen unlit alleyways, my travel buddy Kelli and I checked into Refill Now, our hostel for our first two nights in Bangkok. I must say, this "hostel" exceeded any expectation I could've possibly had for a $10-a-night venue. 

Our bags handled for us, we stepped into the keenly modern-looking, poolside retreat dotted by lush green palms. I'm not used to being called "sir" in a hostel, but I suppose I got used to it after a fancy plate for a bag of late-night noodles I picked up outside was provided and cleaned for me. Yes, street-side noodles were sold by the bag - a cheap, plastic depository for something that tastes way better than it looks or smells.

This...

turns into this

We woke up next morning in time for another round of street noodles, but this time, I was gifted a bowl and spoon by the wonderful hostess who cooked up our delectably thick noodles with chicken and fresh veggies. Hopping on the BTS Skytrain, we cruised over to the Chao Praya Express boat, which plows up and down the murky Chao Praya River with bus-like passenger boats, stopping at various docks along the shoreline.

Our destination was the Grand Palace, surely one of the first touristy destinations in Bangkok for any backpacker - and for good reason. Entering the semi-crowded but walkable courtyard, I was immediately captured by the overwhelming golds and saffrons that literally emanated from every direction.

Winding in and out of the royal corridors, every turn took me to another breath-taking display of ancient regality and Buddhist tradition. It's difficult to take pictures of something so grand and so extensive. Regardless, we carried on snapping shots at every corner and courtyard until we had finally reached the exit.

Completely and utterly ignorant of the area, and local transportation, we hopped in an exhaust-spewing, three-wheeled tuk-tuk and ended up paying an unnecessary $2 for a 100 meter ride. I blame this on the tourist map I received, although I probably could have paid more attention to the map's scale.

Smokey, and prone for rip-offs

Either way, we arrived at Wat Po, our second and equally as an entrancing destination of the day. Made famous by the truly gigantic reclining Buddha sculpture housed within, Wat Po is another sprawling maze of golden stupas, richly decorated Buddha halls, and rows of ancient statues. 

We concluded our self-guided wander with a Thai massaged, offered by the temple's massage therapy school based inside. As my first experience with any kind of professional massage, I may have discovered something amazing. A mix of piercing pains and total tranquility, I felt my back pop in ways I didn't know it could. Man, it was nice. I'll be back for more.

Returning via the Skytrain, we had a quiet night back at Refill Now, with poolside Changs and mellow jazz flowing from the speakers. 

Next morning, we had our breakfast on the flawless patio at Refill Now, checked out, and headed for the canal. The Saen Saep canal is a narrow, dark-brown water corridor that cuts from east to west through the heart of Bangkok. With gridlock paralyzing any attempt to drive a car downtown, we opted for the water route, pretending not to smell what we smelled, and trying to avoid looking at what flowed into that canal. Long, narrow boats cruise up and down the canal for a casual fare of about 40 cents. 

Avoiding the splashes, and successfully crossing the two-foot gap between boat and dock, we hopped off near Khao San Road, the simultaneously famous and infamous backpacker mecca of Bangkok. 

We arrived early enough to our new hostel, Khaosan Immjai, to enjoy a Thai noodle lunch nearby in the shade. Khao San had to be one of the top ten places in the world to people watch. It seemed like every kind of human in the world passed up and down the sidewalks, browsing the street vendors.

Our evening began with strolls up and down the various side streets of Khao San, as well as a nice bowl of green curry and ice cold Chang beer. Sitting at the street-side bars, colors exude from the brightly lit, and chic decor lining each business. It was like backpackers got one block in Bangkok to with it what they wanted to, and this was the result.

To me, Bangkok was in many ways just another enormous, sweaty, crowded Asian city. The cars, smog, and grimy rivers support this, yet, in many ways, Bangkok has its unique flavors, smells and sights that I've yet to experience in any other place. From the golden, incense-laced hallways of its temples, to the vivacity of its street food and night life, Bangkok radiates colors and vibrations from another world.