2/11/09

Subject: Chiang Mai
You probably thought you'd be hearing next from Bali. Well, we had a change of plans. Decided to head north and do our Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia loop and then climb Mt. Kinabalu in E. Malaysia- and maybe do a jungle trek- before plopping our tired bodies onto a beach for the remainder of our days here. So we flew to Chiang Mai on Tuesday.

Backtracking a bit: We enjoyed several days of easy cultural immersion after our arrival. Our Danish expat friends live in a comfortable bungalow on the west end of Kuala Lumpur, and they dine outdoors every day on a covered patio; we had Danish Smoerbrod (breads, cheeses, meats, tomatoes) for breakfast every day and gin tonics and yummy homemade meals most evenings. During the day, Jed and I did some exploring locally and in Kuala Lumpur. Much as I hate to admit it, we spent a fair amount of time in a couple mega malls; they seem to be quite popular here, and are a feast for the eyes (and stomach) - and air conditioned. Jed bought himself some Crocs, which he now finds to be the ultimate travel shoe. I've been a believer for some time now; love my Crocs! On Sunday, we joined our hostess, Jytte, for a reflexology session. We'd never done that before. I can't say it was relaxing, exactly. It actually hurt a bit. But it is supposed to hurt to be effective in improving circulation. We may do it again here in Chang Mai. There are hundreds of shops offering massage, reflexology, and all kinds of other services, mostly for roughly $5/hr. But I got ahead of myself here....I meant to tell you first about an outing we made on Monday with our hosts. They took us to "Crab Island" (I forget the actual Malay name, but located in Staights of Molucca). We took a commuter boat to the island- we were the only Anglos on it- and landed on this island that was quite remarkable. There is a lively community there consisting of simple but tidy houses (almost all had an altar in front, with incense burning). There were a few shops and a bank and a school- but mostly restaurants. As you might guess from the name, crabs are plentiful there, and we had some for lunch. We also saw whole families shelling shrimp. There are also 2 fishing villages and several fish farms nearby, and we took a small boat out to one of the fish farms for a tour, They farm grouper, sea bass and snapper there, and export much of it live to China. Most interesting! On the way back to KL, we visited a grand mosque, the largest in SE Asia, and drove a bit around some hills dotted with some rather spectacular mansions. Peter and Jytte (our hosts) were familiar with one of the most grand ones, as they had a role in the construction. They own a business that installs systems to provide free hot water by recovering heat produced (and usually wasted) in air conditioning systems.

So...NOW we are in Chiang Mai, Thailand. This place is very popular with Anglo tourists. We've not seen very many Americans (I don't think- how can you tell unless you hear them speak?) I know for sure we've seen lots of Danes, some Aussies, some Germans and some French....Anyway, it's a very interesting place. Many fabulously ornate Buddhist temples, some dating back to the 13th century. Shops of all kinds, tailors, massage, lots of restaurants, and LOTS of scary traffic- especially the motorbikes. It's perilous being a pedestrian. Last night we went to the Night Market, which goes on for blocks and blocks of stalls selling native handcrafts and jewelry, clothing, shoes, and decorative items. Fortunately for me, I don't find much of it too tempting. Today we checked out the Thai Cooking School, where you can attend a full day of instruction and eating for $33/person. I think Jed will probably do that while I make a more thorough tour of the temples, and perhaps find a yoga class. We are exploring our options for the next leg of the trip, which may include some trekking. I know I will be ready for some rural experiences after a few days in this delightful but noisy city. Oh, by the way, Starbucks is here too. And no, we did not go there for our coffee. We found some excellent coffee at a local place.

Jed will follow later with some of his impressions.