It
had been an awesome, yet hectic two weeks – the most recent week being filled
with seminars dealing with further educating the Thai teachers – meaning that
the upcoming holiday was much needed. We were given just over a week off for
Buddhist Lent, which Emily and I were determined to take full advantage of. There
are always little mishaps along the way of any traveling escapade when it is
not planned out ahead of time (we decided to go on this trip the night before
and of course did not book anything in advance), but those mishaps have to be
overlooked or else you’ll drive yourself crazy. We were headed to Chiang Dao,
about an hour north of Chiang Mai, to go hang out with Mother and Brother
Nature for a few days. The only thing that stood in our way was the mere fact
that all buses to Chiang Mai (you cannot get to Chiang Dao directly) were sold
out. We could not waste any time, so we hopped on a mini-van to an unknown town
about halfway between the bus station and Chiang Mai.
Mini-van rides are a form of Thai
transportation that I, along with Emily have begun to resent. Since we never
plan ahead, we always get stuck in the back row. These mini-vans do not allow
for “seat reclining,” they are always cramped, and they always have insane
sound systems that they crank up to 11 regardless of what time it is. For some
reason, Thai people also always refuse to sell one less ticket, so there are
always four people squished in the back (two of those four always being Emily
and me) and the other two being the two biggest people in Thailand. I also
forgot to mention that my 5 foot 11 frame gives me NBA status over here. Also,
unrelated to that, Thai people do not have body hair; I have a freakish amount
of body hair which adds a dollop of “circus freak” status to join my NBA
height. Essentially, given the language barrier, I am “Andre the Giant” to the
Thai community. So, back in the van, Emily, myself, and two other large Thai
people were in the back row of this van on a 6-hour ride to an unknown town.
Babies were crying, one guy was puking in a bag, every bump on the road created
a bump on my head when I levitated from my seat – the ceiling preventing any
further ascension, and I had to listen to the Thai version of Spiderman belting
it’s sound effects into my ears, followed by Thai karaoke until 2 in the
morning. If you put all of that aside, it honestly is not a terrible way to
travel, but it is a pain in the coolito.
That mini-van arrived in the
unknown town at 2am. Originally, at the first bus station, we were told buses
ran all night from this unknown location. When we arrived, we found out we had
to wait until 6am for buses to go to Chiang Mai, so we ended up staying in a
hostel for a couple of hours until buses were running again. When all was said
and done, and we arrived in Chiang Dao (we got there at about 5pm the next
night which made it close to a 20 hour trip), every little annoying thing that
happened on the way there was completely erased from our memories.
Chiang Dao is a breathtaking mountain
town about an hour north of Chiang Mai. It is home to Thailand’s third highest
mountain, Doi Chiang Dao, which is just over 7,000 feet high. Unfortunately,
the mountain is not open during the rainy season months (June-October), so we
will absolutely be returning in the fall to hike it. The mountain is such a
cool addition to the town because you can see it from almost everywhere. Given
the weather conditions, it usually also takes on this ominous and mysterious
blanket of fog at various points throughout the day.
This vacation was essential to
prevent mine along with Emily’s heads from exploding. If you have seen the
film, “Mars Attacks,” I picture it to be quite similar to when all of the
alien’s heads explode in their helmets. The month preceding our Chiang Dao
getaway, we had been willingly thrown head first into the wild world that is
Thai Education. Being a foreigner in a place like Tha Bo is incredibly odd – we
are put in an interesting situation where we are expected to hold the magical
remedy to cure all ailments. Being a small town located in the far northeastern
region of Thailand, we are literally the only foreign people that live in the
town. Wherever we go and whatever we do, we are on display. It can be difficult to escape our duties
at work when, at times, there is an incessant amount of overflow into our
personal lives.
We work very hard at our jobs at school, and we also
participate in a great number of community events, including, but not limited
to: volunteer teaching afterschool on the weekdays at a village school;
tutoring monks at a university on Saturdays; tutoring students afterschool;
teaching additional classes throughout the week to help teachers learn
Classroom English they can incorporate into their everyday classes; leading
seminars, as described previously; and also attending a wide spectrum of events
where we only occasionally understand a word or phrase of Thai (in which case
we excitedly lean over to one of our other foreign teacher friends and confirm
something like, “Oh, yeah, they must be talking about the bathroom” – or, “He
just said something about the number 50.”)
We are very
fortunate to be invited to attend Thai culture festivities, and to witness
different customs and practices. We learn so much by being immersed directly in
all sorts of different traditions and ceremonies in our town. Because we are
eager to take in all of these cultural experiences, and because we are also
eager to really become a part of our community here, as opposed to just some
Farang passersby, we had trouble remembering the importance of simply saying
“No thank you” once in a while.
What I want to describe to you is simply how overwhelmed we can feel
occasionally, and how much needed this 10-day-vacay really was.
Being surrounded by the surreal,
picturesque view of Doi Chiang Dao and escaping the world of ESL teaching felt
amazing. I love my job and enjoy it everyday, but I also love being outside. We
found out about Chiang Dao a mere 2 nights before we decided to go there, but
from what we read, there were some cool places to stay, with a ton of landscape
to lay our antsy feet upon. It is a simple little town, with a ton of natural
beauty, and endless amounts of fun to be had in surrounding areas. So, our plan
was to hang out, eat good food, see cool things, get some sleep, and introduce
ourselves to northwestern Thai hospitality. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is
exactly what we did.
Malee’s (Mah-Lee’s) Nature
Bungalows – residing about 7 kilometers out of town – is where we decided to
lay our heads for our jaunt in Chiang Dao. About 7 kilometers out of the main
town, Malee’s, along with a handful of other establishments were scattered
around this unbelievable area. It was like driving through a fantasy world –
with winding roads and tall, towering trees. I found myself constantly
awestruck by my surroundings and I knew from the start that this would be a
very difficult place to leave. Malee’s was well equipped with everything you
needed for an awesome getaway: An incredibly friendly owner (Malee was super
nice, knew all the cool hiking spots in the area, was a great cook, and made
hilarious, sometimes culturally indecipherable jokes whenever we crossed
paths), a relaxing and aesthetically pleasing atmosphere, a saltwater pool,
garden, and playful dogs to hang out with (they sat like frogs - just as
Emily’s dog, Toby does - and it was quite humorous).
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| Frog-Dog: Exhibit A |
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| Frog-Dog: Exhibit B |
We stayed there for four nights and
three days, and everyday was an adventure chipped from a different block. On
the first day, we set out in search of the notorious “Chiang Dao Cave.” Apparently,
it was accessible by two different routes: one being the road – which unless it
is a dirt road or a long, windy road, does not seem very adventurous – and the
other was a trail through the surrounding jungle; the latter seemed like a more
worthwhile option. We spent a while looking for the base of the trail due to
the map that was not even close to scale, and the vast majority of people who
seemed to prefer the “road” option. We found out that the reason why it took so
long was mainly because the sneaky little entrance was hiding behind nearly
8-feet of tall grass. WILD HUH?! Luckily, an incredibly unrealistic large snake
did not eat us, nor did a realistically poisonous Thai snake bite us during our
time trudging through this unkempt knoll.
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| "According to the map we've only gone about 4 inches..." |
That trail was a slippery
son-of-a-gun, full of mud, muck, bamboo, and a wild amount of bugs! There were
millipedes, centipedes, these fuzzy bugs that look like wooly bears, crazy
amounts of ants, and of course, cool lush veg. Since it was rainy season and it
did rain a good amount the previous night, we knew (and we were also told) that
the trail would probably be slicker than John Ralphio. Also, like I exclaimed
earlier, the map we had was not to scale and the directions we were given were
a bit lax, so we weren’t expecting to waltz over to the cave entrance. We were
on a mission to have a great time and hopefully stumble upon Chiang Dao Cave
and possibly the slightly smaller, less touristy “Bat Cave” – where the
original Bruce Wayne spent his earlier years and developed into the
billionaire, super-hero, cash cow that he is today. Unfortunately, we got lost
while on our journey and did not find Bruce Wayne, or the Bat Cave. Also, I
unfortunately made up those facts about the Bat Cave. But, fortunately, we did
happen to accidentally stumble upon the village area where the cave entrance
was located.
Yes, Chiang Dao Cave is a major
tourist attraction in the area and it does require a guide. Yes, there are
lights throughout the cave and it did not have the tranquil, desolate feeling
of the natural caves that scatter throughout the Soppong-region. Yes, it was
still “belly-bump-high-five-combo” level awesome. Our guide was this hilarious,
plump, tiny Thai lady. She was essentially like eating an ice cream in a waffle
cone: sure, you can eat ice cream from a regular cone, but why not have a
deliciously, exaggerated version of what you need to eat an ice cream? We
didn’t really need a charismatic Thai person with an outrageous giggle to take
us on our caving escapade, but it did make our experience THAT much better. We
spent our wonderful hour in that cave chatting with her in our sub-skillful
Thai, and she did her best to teach us as many new words and phrases as she
could. We learned the word for “bat poop” and “watch your head.” I have since
forgotten both, but at the time, I was really great at speaking those words.
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| Our guide was great. She was always laughing. |
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| Matmuang (Mango) shaped rock formation. I tried to eat it. |
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| Looks kind of like that little punching bag in the back of your throat. |
The cave turned out to be pretty
breathtaking, despite the touristy façade that engulfed the entrance and
surrounding village. We crawled into secret passageways, ducked under rounded
overhangs, and observed the overhanging bats, being sure to watch for falling
guano. I always like to imagine what it would be like if all of the power went
out and our lanterns ceased to do their jobs. Apart from the entrance, there is
not one iota of light that creeps into that cave and when you just spent
30-minutes taking every twist, turn, and secret passage you could, you can’t
help but think of what would happened if every form of light disappeared.
Terrifying, yes, but also pretty cool to think about – you are unable to see
your hand when you put it directly in front of your face, so how are you
supposed to find your way out? I’m not exactly sure what would happen, but I’ve
said it before and I’ll say it again: It would take about 3-weeks before the
new inhabitants of the cave would turn into a creature. I’m not sure what kind
of creature, but I picture something like “Golum” mixed with the monster from
“Jeepers Creepers.” So, while caving, be very careful, and don’t lose your
lights, fools!
After the cave and hiking
adventures, we had some great times in Malee’s saltwater pool. There weren’t
many people staying in the bungalows while we were there, so we entertained
ourselves in the evenings by playing cards and swimming in this phenomenal
addition to the property. We raced, had underwater handstand and flip contests,
as well as had a great time slow-motion ninja fighting and falling off a fake
cliff (also in slow motion – it’s pool science). This became a common theme for
the nights we stayed at Malee’s, and it was awesome.
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| Faktong (Pumpkin, chili, egg, and Chinese Broccoli |
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| :) |
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| :) |
On our second day, we rented a
motorbike from Malee and explored the crazy landscape of the surrounding areas.
We drove through the windy, mountainous roads of Chiang Dao and got some
excellent sunburn. I wore a wristwatch tan for close to two weeks after, which
I am so proud of that I decided to write about it. There was also a ton of time
spent cruising around the farms. Little side-roads lead you into the farmland,
and it is well worth checking them out. The northwest is known for its
abundance of crops that are eventually distributed throughout the country when
they are harvested. Tobacco, chilies, rice, and tons of fruit are just some of
the great resources that are produced there, and it is well worth some time to
rent a bike and explore it if you are ever in the area. If you want to avoid
the sunburn, always bring long sleeves when you go on long bike rides on sunny
days in Thailand.
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| Rice fields and Mountains - an A+ aesthetic combination |
We found the most unbelievable
coffee shop/restaurant on the way home. Overlooking a huge field that had a
wild view of Doi Chiang Dao, it is the perfect place to get a meal, a beer, or
a great cup of coffee after a long day …or one of these other two incredibly
appetizing and appealing options, if you so dare. The place is huge and if it
is too hot to sit on the deck, there are plenty of tables nestled within trees
and plants growing around the restaurant. There are really cool fountains,
wooden statues, “Chia-Pet-esque” plants dangling from the ceiling, and other
great decorations that really add to the natural ambiance the place already
emits. After we stumbled upon this utter gem, we became regulars over the next
two days and will absolutely return if we go back.
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| Example: Chia-Pet-esque plant, in case you were having trouble picturing them. |
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| Meet Jeb - the traveling Mantis. He was real friendly and would not leave me alone. |
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| He really liked the shades... |
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| Longan Fruit - sweet and refreshing. They are everywhere in the northwest. |
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| Gideon and Paul: This Chili is for you as a true token of friendship |
On our last day we took a 30-kilometer motorbike ride to Chiang Dao National Park. There is nice waterfall there with a great trail walk to do. There isn’t much to say about it besides it is worth checking out if you are in the Chiang Dao area for a couple of days. There are cool bugs everywhere and the surrounding landscape along the trail is full of amazing views – a common trend in this region of the country.
Leaving Chiang Dao was incredibly
difficult. We had an awesome weekend with our teaching staff ahead, but the
mountains of Thailand will always be a place that stays at the top of my
all-time favorite list. The people, the food, and the scenery are things that
my words and pictures can only touch on how surreal this area actually is. If
you ever find yourself in Thailand, spend a significant amount of time in the
northwest in and around the Chiang Mai region. Get your “tourist” on in Chiang
Mai, then go explore what the primitive and rugged surroundings have to offer.
You will not be disappointed and you will see an area of the country where the
simple life remains intact. Sometimes, simple is just what you need to have an
awesome vacation.
On a side note, we had quite the
adventure traveling back to Tha Bo at the end of our trip. We caught the bus
back to Chiang Mai early Wednesday morning, then had to wait for a night bus to
Udon Thani which was leaving that night. We decided to pay about $10 USD more
to get the VIP bus – it basically gets you a bathroom on the bus, a bit more
leg room, a comfortable chair that reclines quite far, water, and snacks. About
2 hours into our journey on the night bus, we were going up a pretty large
hill, and the bus came to a rumbling halt. In my head, I knew the bus had
broken down, and my thought was confirmed when the bus began to roll back down
the hill. Luckily, the emergency brake worked and we stopped. After 30-minutes
of attempting to huff and puff up the hill, the bus came to a stop for good.
We fell asleep and were woken up
roughly six hours later at 4am and moved onto another bus that would take us to
the promise land. After a total of 17 hours, we made it to Udon Thani, where we
took another hour-long bus back to Tha Bo. We arrived back in Tha Bo with
enough time to do some laundry before going to bed and waking up at 5am to get
on another van for an 8-hour ride to our next destination with the English
Department. The water in the town was not working when we arrived home, but
eventually came back to life in the evening. This just goes to show you that no
matter what happens during traveling, the bottom line is: you are traveling!
Embrace the annoying things that happen and then take a look at all of the
amazing things that happen. Overall, they outweigh the annoying things by a
landslide. Don’t whine, have fun, and enjoy the ride!
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| THIS is a very cool street lamp. |
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| Late-Bloomer |
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| Yes, let's! |
