The next day, I woke up and checked out of Rux Thai by 8am. I left my bags at their store room as the first thing I needed to do was to get a bus ticket to Phuket. I took a pick-up taxi (unlike Bangkok, few Toyota Corollas here) and headed for the Chiang Mai bus terminal (cost me 50 baht).
Unnnnnfortunately, when I got there, I was informed that the buses to Phuket go via Bangkok — (“Oh crap” moment #4) — which meant a one-and-half day journey.
Disappointed as hell, and it felt like hell given the heat, I went to a internet cafe nearby and tried again for flight tickets. There was the option of train but apparently even that goes via Bangkok — meaning, one really long journey. I would have taken the train if I had the time because I would have loved to see the country side, but time was not on my side. All the budget carriers were full and the only flight that was available from Chiang Mai to Phuket the next day was with Thai Airways. Even though it cost me around 5900 baht (Rs. 8,300), I had no other choice, I had to go for it.
I booked my flight, printed my tickets and headed back to Rux Thai Guesthouse by pickup taxi. In a way, I was kind of happy that I now had another day in Chiang Mai. But now, I had to find another room to stay in.
Just before I picked up my bags from Rux Thai, I stepped into an adjascent guesthouse called City House. They had rooms from 200 baht, 300 baht and above (!) Since it was already noon and I was going to be checking out by early morning, I opted for the single room w/fan (200 baht/Rs. 270) plus 50 baht (Rs. 69) for their WiFi service.
Small room, but it was clean, had the basic frills and it had a working hot shower (important to me). Overall, a very good deal given the location.
I freshened up, planned where I needed to go next and then headed out for lunch.
Which was at a small family-run restaurant…
Run by what looked liked a mother & daughter duo
… and I had the sea-food curry rice meal. At just 40 baht (Rs. 55), it was filling — and good.
Sea food Thai curry & rice — a staple diet for me while I was there
After lunch, I walked around the area and looked for a specific bike I thought I’d rent to go to Doi Suthep.
Tempting… but not what I was looking forA canal that stretches throughout Chiang Mai cityTo the left is Thapae gate
I crossed the road and walked to the other side and… just kept walking. The bylanes all housed small hotels and casual bars making it a ‘quieter side’ compared to Loi Kroh road.
Freedom Bar, a popular reggae joint in Chiang Mai
After having checked out a few rental bike shops, I realized time was going by. I stopped at a travel agent who was renting bikes for 200 baht (Rs. 270) a day. He didn’t have the bike I was looking for (which damn bike? That I shall talk about in a later post) so I opted for a Honda Click — a 110cc regular automatic scooter.
The Honda Click I got
Tip: It’s advisable to take photos of whatever vehicle you rent in Thailand, be it a a bike, car, jet ski etc. There so many cases of scams or renters accusing you of a damage you may not have caused and seeking a lot of money. I’m not saying this agent looked like he was going to pull one on me but you never know. At least having evidence in your hands helps.
I rented a bike because I needed to go to a temple called Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai’s most famous temple. I also knew it was a bit of a drive there and taking a taxi would have cost me 600 baht/Rs. 830 or more (that’s what they were quoting anyway). So renting a bike seemed like a better option.
But what I didn’t know was that it was perched on top of a hill and that it was 17kms away.
So I set off quickly after getting a few directions and filling up a litre of petrol (40 baht/Rs. 55)… and then some more directions after taking a few wrong turns.
Only a few (mostly family) will get the reference
I was finally on the right path and I drove past Chiang Mai Zoo and the Night Safari to enter the foot of the hill. What I also didn’t know was, how beautiful the drive was going to be!
I absolutely loved it! Tall trees on either side, the sunlight barely making it through the trees, dried leaves on either side of the road, professional cyclists biking their way up hill… it was just lovely. The road was divided into 2 lanes going up and 1 lane going down. There wasn’t much traffic going up as most people were on their way down. I really wished I had stopped to take a few photos but I just couldn’t! It was already 5pm and I had to drive 7kms uphill on a 110cc scooter before it got too dark. (Not taking photos of the uphill drive was one of my biggest regrets of this trip but I’m definitely coming back to Chiang Mai to do it right.)
By 5:20pm I finally reached my destination. Took a left, went a bit downhill to the parking area, then walked back up and then saw I had even more climbing to do.
(Taken on Nokia E72)
I was quite knackered after I took a few steps with my camera bag and the tripod on either shoulders. Panting for breath, I stopped for a while…
Took me a while, even though it wasn’t many steps
… took a few photos, drank some water and then made my way back up.
Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep (‘wat’ in Thai means temple)
There was a sign board pointing to a ticket counter for tourists, but when I went there, nobody was to be seen at the counter. I didn’t wait as it was already late, so I went inside the temple after leaving my shoes outside (as is the requirement).
Some renovation work was going on
There were a lot of Buddha statues at Doi SuthepAn emerald statue of Lord Buddha at Doi Suthep
By the time I had gone around the temple, the sun had nearly set. After I felt I had clicked enough, I went down, got my shoes and stepped out of the temple.
Taken at 6:20pm
I was dreading the ride back downhill as it was quite chilly on the way up. And the fact that I was only wearing a T-shirt and shorts, it was only going to get chillier on the way down with the sun all set.
But I braved the chill factor and still made my way down in the dark. Until I saw this…
Chiang Mai city at night
I drove a bit further down to an observation deck.
It was a hassle setting up the tripod in pitch darkness, not to mention changing lenses too. I played around with the camera’s settings to try and capture the starry sky.
This is the best I managed with what I knew of the camera so farPlaying around with long exposure shots
By the time I slowly packed up all the equipment (it was dark, so I had to be careful) and left the observation point, it was 7:30pm. It was a pain to carry the camera tripod around but I wouldn’t have been able to take these shots had I not used it.
I made my way back down and by then, the evening had come alive with locals thronging the side streets. I stopped on the side when I saw a fairly large ‘food court’. It’s something I saw a lot of in Chiang Mai. Community eating. A stretch of food stalls serving a variety of dishes at very economical prices with enough tables and chairs for the groups of people — from school kids to young adults — who throng to such places.
I saw a ‘dosa’ stall but it was nothing close to the one I’m used to having with curry. These ‘dosas’ (some here even call it ‘roti’) are mostly sweet and can be filled with all sorts of delicious high-calorie stuffing.
I chose a banana & egg filling(Photo on the right was taken on Nokia E72)
The batter is fried (margarine was used here) and then folded in with the filling, cut into squares and then topped with condensed milk and sugar if you want. I said ‘I want’ 😛
At 20 baht (Rs. 27), there’s enough for two… but I enjoyed having it all. I tried to get back to Loi Kroh road after that but being new to the city, ended up taking a few wrong turns. Not that I was complaining, I loved Chiang Mai. It looked lovely with the lit up fountains in the canals that divided roads. Again, I regret not stopping and taking photos.
As I did near Loi Kroh, I stopped at another road with food stalls lined up by the canal.
Just after I took the above photo, I hastily packed up and set off. And then I hear something fall onto the road. I quickly moved to the side of the road and I knew the tripod bag had fallen off because I had placed the strap on the open hook the Honda Click had below the seat. But just as I was about to turn — “CRRRAACCKK!!”
A car ran over it. I quickly ran towards it as the vehicles slowed down seeing this dark long object on the road. I picked it up and I could already feel pieces move inside the bag.
I reach my hotel room and instantly assessed the damage…
Yup, it’s broken alright
… “Oh crap” moment #5
It was beyond repairable. So I just trashed it in the bin.
The irony was, I was thinking about picking up a really good tripod as the Canon 7D is a slightly heavy camera but decided to manage with the one I was carrying for two reasons. One, I had already spent enough and two, it would have definitely been heavier. But now, I had to get one!
It’s like God heard my thoughts and assumed that’s what I wanted. (God, if you are reading this, thanks — but this is not exactly the way I wanted it to happen!)
Instead of dreading over my loss, I went out for dinner. Back to the Night Bazaar it was. I had seen some very tempting fare the previous night so I decided to eat from Anusarn tonight.
Anusarn market, near Night Bazaar
Dinner: Honey baked duck and a glass of Chang beer
I also had a bit of deep-fried crab cakes. They were okay, nothing exceptional. The duck was nice though.
After dinner, I checked out the Night Bazaar one last time (photos in previous post) and then called it a night as I had to wake up early to first, give back the bike and then, waste precious time looking for a new camera tripod.
A lot of the internet cafes there serve alcohol
(Something I saw on the way back to my hotel room)
After I got back from my tour, I rested for a bit as I had hardly slept the night before. But I knew I couldn’t waste time sleeping as I planned to leave Chiang Mai tomorrow evening & still had lots more to see. As I laid in bed, I thought to myself how tiring going by overnight buses would be the next few days. I decided since I had to head to Phuket the next day, then to Krabi and then back to Bangkok — I’d go back to consider flying.
I went out to a net cafe and tried for a ticket at all the budget carriers from Chiang Mai to Phuket and from Phuket/Krabi back to Bangkok. While I got the latter on Nok Air (1950 baht/Rs. 2,725), all the budget carriers were full for the Chiang Mai to Phuket route for the next few days. So I thought I’d stick to taking the overnight bus one last time when heading to Phuket.
I was feeling quite hungry after the mediocre lunch at the Elephant camp. So while walking on Loi Kroh road, I saw some tempting barbeques at the Ramming Lodge restaurant…
Left: Reasonably priced BBQs; Right: I really wanted to try these coconut dumplings
… and promptly sat down, ordered the sea food barbeque, fries (which I couldn’t finish) and a Singha. Dinner cost me 320 baht/Rs.447 (including tip).
After that, I walked down Loi Kroh road to head for the Night Market.
Foot massage chairs on Loi Kroh RoadChangklan Road: You can find a Burger King, Mc Ds and a Starbucks here… in case you want your fix of American junk
I crossed Changklan Road and stopped by a few stalls selling the usual stuff (souvenirs, fake goods, bags, T-shirts etc.) I picked up a funky ‘Chiang Mai’ t-shirt for 180 baht/Rs. 250 (bargained down from 250 baht/Rs. 350). They had quite a few cool designs incorporating the elements Chiang Mai is famous for — including the pandas at Chiang Mai Zoo.
I walked around the area and saw a sign board pointing to the Night Bazaar.
The road that leads up to Anusarn market
I walked into Anusarn market which is essentially a part of the extended Night Bazaar area. Anusarn is predominantly a food court with options ranging from Indian to (real) Chinese among other cuisines.
Anusarn market, adjoining the Night BazaarI was tempted to go in because it said ‘fusion’… but I was already full
I mostly took HD videos of the Night Bazaar so I’ll try and extract the stills and put them up temporarily.
I like to call this photo: ‘Bulb-heads’
The Night Bazaar is essentially an open flea market selling everything from handicrafts to funky gear, bags, souvenirs, cool T-shirts, 500 baht Rolexs and more.
Chang had sponsored an open concert… and no one bothered to see the guyChiang Mai Night Bazaar
And as you step out, there are more stalls selling more of the same. I picked some more T-shirts (I believe 3 but none costing more than 150 baht/Rs. 200 each).
On the lane outside the Night Bazaar
Leaving the Night Bazaar, I walked around the area some more, saw where the Japanese and Koreans hung out, checked out some cool bars with live guitar shows and decided I had walked enough and… then walked back to my room.
But as I walked back, I realized how I much I liked Chiang Mai. When I researched on Chiang Mai, most of the websites I visited only showcased the temples and kept talking about it being a historic city and I assumed it was going to be like that. Old and decrepit buildings, undeveloped roads, unorganized traffic, etc. — and man, was I wrong! Chiang Mai has everything you need — but in small doses.
It is a bit laid back. But I guess that’s why I liked it.
After I checked in, I really didn’t have much time to sleep as it was already past 6am and my tour van would pick me up by 8am. So I went downstairs for breakfast with my laptop in tow.
The lobby of Rux Thai Guesthouse, where they have a restaurant
The breakfast isn’t included in the room fare but my pancakes with ant-tipped honey and coffee cost me 100 baht (Rs. 130, including tip). The van picked me up at 8am and went around collecting all the other tourists from nearby hotels.
I’m not usually the ‘package tour’ kinda guy because the ‘sights’ sometimes offered really don’t interest me and they often include places where you are expected to spend money (souvenir shops, handicraft shops, casinos etc.). But whatever, our first stop was the Maesa Elephant Camp, 20kms from Chiang Mai city.
You can read about the place on their website but we were there for a slew of activities, first of which was the elephant show. Basically, the elephants perform a variety show for us. From greeting us, kicking around footballs, lugging around wood, to painting (which you can buy) and other things that are intended to entice a chuckle from the audience. Amusing, if you are a kid — or one whose easily amused.
I know, I know — they’re elephants and it’s not easy to train any animal to do things like that but you can get a drift how the show is by the several videos visitors have put up on YouTube.
When I started shooting, the autofocus just froze on the camera (“Oh crap” moment #3). This put me off-mood immediately. Mostly because I had my friend, Jyothy Karat‘s 70-200 f2.8 lens mounted on and I thought it was the lens’ fault. It was upsetting because me and Jyothy’s lenses are like a bad omen. I’ve always had bad luck with them. Anyway, I switched off the camera and after a while, it was fine. I did manage to take a few photos of the show but I accidentally deleted them upon return. The only photo I have is this:
Seriously, this is all I have from the show
So instead, you can check out photos from the camp other people took!
By 11am, it was over and we moved on to our next activity — an ox cart ride! Yup, an Indian flew to a different country to take an ox ride! Needless to say, the back-breaking ride was a complete waste of time for me. Even the woman from Montreal who sat next to me found it terribly annoying.
It was hot, sunny and very bumpySome resort near Maesa Elephant CampThe ride lasted nearly 10 minutes near some village
When we finally got off the ride, it was at some village where stalls were set up with items on sale by the villagers there. I walked with the lady from Montreal, Christine her name was, through the stall as we waited for our next activity.
Which was another ride but fortunately, this was on elephant. Me & Christine got into ours and felt this was way better. Weirdly, as we talked more, me and Christine shared common interests. She, like me, was travelling alone, has her own blog (it’s in French) and is recording a lot of footage from her travels to put up online one day.
The fairly long elephant ride was actually enjoyable. Especially when it went into the river. I’ll post the HD video of it later.
The ride takes you all round the camp and follows a nice path
By 12:30pm we were back to where we started the ox ride. I insisted on tipping the mahout since Christine paid for the bamboo shoots the elephant was fed (you’ll see it in the upcoming video).
We then had lunch at the camp restaurant. It was a buffet lunch consisting of food that tasted more like the Indo-Chinese food you get here. Mediocre except for the fried chicken.
An adorable Taiwanese girl who was part of our tour group
After the mediocre lunch, next up on the itinerary was bamboo rafting on the river surrounding the camp.
Yes, we were all given traditional farmer hats and no, we couldn’t keep them
It started off well… until we got stuck near some shallow rocks.
Our bamboo raft got stuck …… but nothing that a bump from another raft couldn’t fix…… and we were soon back on our way
The ride was smooth and quite relaxing…
Our raft ‘driver'(?) didn’t bump his headThe view from the bamboo raft
… but after half-an-hour or so, it got quite boring and with the hot sun, me & Christine were kinda itching for it to get over so we could get back to our air-conditioned van.
(I have HD videos of the rafting and I will put them up later… once I figure out how to edit video properly)
We eventually did get back to our van. Next stop, a village inhabited by the people of the Kayan tribe (Wikipedia link). The ‘long-neck’ tribe gained mainstream attention after National Geographic did a documentary on them (or at least, that’s how I got to know of their existence). Originally from Myanmar, fearing the military conflicts in Burma, a lot of Kayans fled to neighbouring Thailand where many of them sought refuge — as tourist attractions.
A Kayan girl with her childMost of them make a living off of handicraftsIsn’t she pretty?But you tend to wonder if they were actually happy being there
Again, just like the Tiger Temple at Kanchanburi, the settlement of the Kayan tribe in North Thailand by the Thai government has also drawn controversy. Accusations have been made against these ‘human zoos’ because the ‘village’ actually looked like a bunch of huts/stalls manned by a young girl selling all sorts of souvenirs. Some items made by them, others surely mass-produced. There was even an entrance fee (which I didn’t have to pay).
Christine pumped a few hundred Thai baht into the village economy out of sympathy
Freedom aside, I just hope the income the ‘long-neck’ people earn from tourists really do end up in their pockets and not in the hands of the Thai tourism department.
After I took a few videos (which by now, you know you won’t see for a while) we left the ‘village’. I thought the tour was over as I really wanted to get back to Chiang Mai city — but there was one more stop.
At some orchid farm. Not really interested in knowing much about the place while the talk was being given by our guide, I simple walked around and played with the 50mm lens.
They had a small aquarium at the farmI love how these slightly out-of-focus shots turned outLeft: f2, 1/250, ISO100; Right: f2.8, 1/400, ISO100 — both taken using 50mmTaken exactly at 4:00pm (I checked the camera info)(Not a whole lot of variety in the colour of the flowers there)Yes, her againI don’t know why this dog was given a sweater in Chiang Mai’s heat
After this, we were finally done. The tour van dropped us back at our respective hotels and Christine and I exchanged business cards so we’d keep in touch with each others escapades.
