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.