A memorable interlude Chiang Mai
How I spent a memorable interlude in Chiang Mai.
With almost one year of absence, returned to Bangkok in Thailand, I was feeling on top of the world to be back in this breathtaking country. Oh, Golly Gosh how I love this part of the world! Seeing happy smiling faces. The local people greeting me with “Sawadee khrup/ka (hello).¨It Always sounds so much more beautiful in the Thai language.
Once I had spent time reacquainting myself with the ¨City of Angels¨, I decided to fly up to Chaing Mai, which is the largest city in the north and also the capital of the Chiang Mai Province.
If you are into temples, this is most certainly the place to visit. With over 300 Buddhist temples, I doubt very much you could complain, in fact, you could very quickly get famously ¨Templed out¨ Of course, there is far more to this remarkable place than just temples.
Chiang Mai and the surrounding areas abound in flora and fauna. There are lush jungles, incredible mountains and breathtaking waterfalls. Together with all this are the fascinating hill tribes principally the Akha, the Palong, the Karen, the Lahu, the Lisu and the incredible Longnecks.
Since I have mentioned wildlife, there is just one thing I would say. Please, whatever you do, don't go to the Tiger Kingdom, the sad animals are merely drugged up to the hilt, for the Tourists to have stupid photos taken with them! It is horrific the way some people abuse these beautiful creatures.
And please DO NOT ride the Elephants. Those terrible seats that they put on the Elephants back cause a lot of pain, and the only way to ride an Elephant is bareback and very close up to the head. Read more about this in the right-hand column
I love this city and have been many times. When I went to book a train, as luck would have it, the train was full! So I consulted with my friend Mr Google and managed to find a super cheap flight. The airline that I chose is Vietjet, which in fact I had never heard of, but they were great. Hey ho and here we go! They depart from the central Bangkok Suvarnabhumi airport. A deciding factor since the old airport Don Muang can sometimes be a bit of a nightmare and not so accessible.
Please note (I have added a link for Vietjet in the right-hand column)
And so my story of ¨Four days in Chiang Mai¨begins.
I arrived at the Chiang Mai international airport. Unfortunately, my good friend who was going to collect me was still tied up in a meeting. Without much ado, I chose to take a taxi. I gave the company the address but my dear readers, It is necessary to mention at this point, that the sullen looking taxi driver didn´t instil me with much confidence. Although he said he knew where my place of destination was, I had my doubts. For some unknown reason the Thai people will never utter the famous words ¨I DON´T KNOW¨ I can only conclude that they don´t want to lose face, which is a very Asian thing. Although I love the Thais with a vengeance, this small facet of their personality, can at times also be very frustrating
We arrived at the city, and as predicted, the guy didn´t have a frigging clue! He drove straight past the turning and continued in the opposite direction. I began by politely informing him that we needed to turn round. But naturally, he completely ignored me. Since we were going further and further away from my hostel, I then insisted even more so, on the error of his ways. Blow me down with a feather if he did n´t start shouting at the top of his head and screaming that we were going to the right place.
In my younger days, I will admit that I was hot-headed and flew off the handle quickly. Thank goodness I have mellowed with age, and it takes a lot for me to lash out. At least that what was I thought until confronted with the above mentioned Prat-head driver. I replied that he should stop yelling at me and that we were going in the opposite direction. He continued to bellow his head off.
All of a sudden I lost it! Oh Dear Lordy, I went for this man shrieking like a hellcat and most certainly not using the Queen´s language. I hollered for him to stop the rotten taxi and to give me my luggage. To which the numpty replied with ¨You pay me, you pay me¨ Can you imagine the scene? By now I had reached boiling point! And with my new or should I say re-found foul mouth I hollered that if he didn´t give me my F.....g luggage, I wouldn't F.....g pay him. Plus I threatened to call the police.
I know I sounded the same as a nasty she-dragon, but there are times when a Granny has to stand up for herself.
The lousy Sh.. rapidly changed his tune when he saw how mad I was. Naturally, as always, the magical word ¨Police¨ did work wonders. He reluctantly gave me my luggage, and I grudgingly threw the money at him. I started the long walk towards my hostel. The joke is that to top it all, it began to pour with rain. I marched forward, mumbling to myself and swearing like a trooper about the Thai taxi man. The locals must have thought that yet another deranged foreigner had arrived at their town.
A couple of hours later, when I had settled into my dear little hostel, and I had delighted in a tasty vegetarian meal, I started to wonder about my sudden aggressiveness! Perhaps there is truth in ¨Let sleeping dogs lie¨
I am happy to say that Backpacker Granny was back to her usual, happy go lucky self. As most travellers will tell you, when you first visit a place, you check out the best restaurants, bars, attractions, etc. Consequently when you return you head straight to your familiar favourites. Such was the case with me when I went back to Chiang Mai, and I set out to my little Thai cafe to enjoy a yummy and very western breakfast. Just in case you decide to visit Chiang Mai, The name is Sailomjoy Thai Restaurant. They do Thai and Western dishes, and the prices and service are excellent.
While I was sitting there, I started to recall the very first time many years ago when I came to this little place. What a crazy marvelous time.
I remembered that I walked into the cafe and was wondering if I had made the right choice when! Sitting before me at one of the tables, was this incredibly gorgeous Denzel Washington lookalike. I couldn´t believe this vision of male beauty.
To top it all, he was giving me the biggest smile imaginable. Now I ask you girls, what would you have done in my situation? Yes, you guessed correctly! I returned a wide cheeky grin and hoped I looked sexy and alluring! Whether I did or I didn´t, who can say? But the next moment, he politely introduced himself as Charles, informed me he was from the States, and promptly invited me to join him for breakfast.
Oooooo Mann, I have never sat down at a table so quickly. I mean, let's face it! This type of invitation doesn´t occur to grannies all that often. (Especially from a drop-dead delectable male.) I was determined NOT to give him time to change his mind!
Sometimes a complete stranger crosses our path, and within minutes it feels like we have known them all our lives. That is precisely what happened to Charlie and me. For two whole weeks, we became inseparable. The days were spent exploring the temples, the markets, the hills or just lazing around the pool at Charlie´s hotel. In the evenings we went and gorged on delicious Thai food and got heady afterwards on some exotic cocktails. We dined, we danced, we loved, and we laughed, It was a very magical time that will stay with me forever. Today Charlie and I are still the best of friends. We often meet up in some part of the world to catch up and reminisce on that particular point in time.
As I sat there in the same little cafe and relived the interlude that I had spent with my much-loved friend. I began to ponder on what it was that made me crazy about traveling. Visiting different countries is a continuous adventure. However, far more important are the people you meet along the highway. There are the friendly and fun ones, the crazy and weird ones and even the nutters and the baddies. They are all a concoction of fascinating beings. Nonetheless, in general, they are merely ships that pass in the night.
Once in a while, a perfect stranger who stands out from the crowd comes along and brings joy to your life. That person was and always will be Charlie.
Fly Vietjetair
