Tag Archives: Chiang Mai

Homestay and trek north of Chiang Mai, Thailand

July in October (i.e. a return to Thailand)

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Hi Everyone,

You take a step back and then two forward . . .

I dug through my backup hard drive to find some shots from the three day/two night trek I took in July north of Chiang Mai, Thailand.

We were a group of twelve from all over the world: Spain, Denmark, Taiwan, France, and the U.S.

Enjoy!

Taken in the hangout area at the first of the two “homestays.”
The john.
Flushing system.
We 12 shared this large room.
It turned rainy.
! ! !
Stopped for a chat.
With this wonderful weaver.
And her friend.
Stopped by a school.
And a village.
Walked through rice paddies.
Swam in mountain pools.
Drank Chang and listened to the local musician (singular).
Breakfast.
I bought a few things from her.
Part of what we saw along the way.
The gang.
The 3 fun Spaniards.
Rode on an elephant; it wasn’t nearly as nice as in Laos. This guy was hungry! And they wouldn’t let him eat.
The last part of the trip was floating downstream on a bamboo raft; this group had WAY more fun than my group! We were much too calm and tranquil. : )

Off to a yoga retreat for my last 2-nights in Thailand and SE Asia.

Aloha,
-sj

Made it to the movies! (a l o n g one . . . : )

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Hi Everyone,

It’s Friday evening in Chiang Mai, and I made it to the movies! (the 2011 European Union Film Festival) There’s an Italian one (“The Last Pulcinella”) playing as I type, but I figured watching two movies was enough!

What’d I see? “Above the Street, Below the Water” (2009); this Danish film was a bittersweet tail of changing relationships. I’d recommend it . . . but not for kids. Next came a German movie, “Run if you Can” (2009) about an unusual threesome. Also good. Also not for kids really.

How did I get there? With my orange scooter that I rented for 150 baht from a place across the street from the hotel (where I could have rented one for 250 and had it delivered to me; I figured I could handle the walk across the street and save 100 baht! : )

How much did the movies cost? Nada! They were free. And the soda and popcorn was a whopping 55 baht. Some things in Thailand and really, really cool.

“Okay, what else have you been doing?” You ask.

Well, I went on a three-day, two-night trek up into the mountains north of CM.

But before I tell you about that, I gotta (yes, gotta : ) tell you that some more magic happened Monday night after I posted my last glob entry. How the way back to my hotel I ran into one of my new friends! I’d met this nice lady and her son and girlfriend during the cooking class. We’d ridden the same vehicle to the place and hung out with each other all day. Then, when it came time to leave, they threw me (not literally, but almost) into another bus since I was a lone duck. I got to quickly say goodbye to this nice British lady, but not the other two. And here it was, around 10 p.m. and I was on my way back to the pad to eat SJ-made phad thai and mango sticky rice when I ran into her! She told me how her son had been so disappointed that he hadn’t gotten to say goodbye . . . I’ll just to to the hotel, I said. And I did. While she went searching for a place to change their plane seating, I found their inexpensive-but-very-nice-350-baht-a-night hotel. Introduced myself to the proprietor who was playing cards with a group of fun-loving women, convinced them that I had indeed just seen the mother . . . and was not a mass murdered, and gained entry into the building. Up one flight and there they were enjoying their specially made food with a Chang. : ) We had a fun visit (with the mom too who returned quickly unsuccessful with her mission) until my eyes were drooping so heavily and my stomach was growling incessantly . . . but, I think my noodles tasted so much better having been tempered with a helping of new friendship. So it goes . . .

Okay, the trek. “What was it like?”

Well, it was fun; it was muddy; it was lazy; it was goofy; it was a great success.

It’s so amazing how you can throw 12 complete strangers together in the back of a truck (they have a special name for it that I’m too lazy to look up, excusez moi, s’il vous plait), stir a little, add some heat, and cook up a tasty stew of new friendships. By the end of three days, we were practically kissing cousins.

“What’d we do?”

We walked. Through rice fields (with water is “regular” rice, without is sticky rice, so they say . . ), down muddy paths, up paved roads, through Karen villages, and in a bamboo forest . . . and we hung out–till noon the second day. We played cards, smoked bad cigarettes (well, some of us watched, but it was fun), learned goofy Karen jokes, listened to locals play some intruments, tried the instruments ourselves (one was a 7-string somethingorother), ate rice, lots of rice, and noodles, and well, drank Chang beer . . . oh, and we swam in two different swimming holes with waterfalls (the water was mostly clear). At the first one, the water was quite strong and two of the darling Spaniards almost got washed away (for real), but our 25-year old Karen guide moved the quickest he ever did during the 3-days and “caught” them and then got them to safety. His name? “Call me potato,” he told us the first day. And we did. I lost track of how many times the lovely Spanish ladies yelled, “Potato! Potato! There’s a spider! Potato!”

: ) Yeah, it made us all smile too.

“And the rest of the 12?” you ask.

A family of five Danes–a really beautiful family, two teenage boys and a fiesty 11-year old girl. She’s strong! She often lead us as we walked. A pair of three who met while backpacking. One is a French former model (male). And two live in Arizona, though they met in Burma. Yep, makes sense in that goofy happenstance way that traveling and meeting people just somehow works out so perfectly.

5 Spaniards, 5 Danes, 1 French man, 2 women from Arizona (an American young lady who’d been studying in Singapore for a year and will be returning “home” soon and a Taiwanese lady who calls AZ home–where she teaches Art, “K through 8,” she explained), and moi, the smiling, laughing lady from Kauai . . .

And on the trek, we also rode elephants. I enjoyed it overall, but my heart didn’t feel like they were treated well. Our little guy was so hungry; he kept stopping to eat leaves, branches, whatever he could grab. We gave him two bags worth of bananas and sugar cane . . . but something just didn’t feel completely right.

And we rode these long bamboo poles (about 7 or 8, I think) that were temporarily strapped together with strips of black tire. There were four of us to a raft. The group I was with (the 3 backpackers) was fairly tame; we sat, laughed, got wet bumps, but generally, played it cool. The three Spaniards and eldest Danish boy (who speaks very good German AND English btw) had a rip-roaring time! They rolled the raft several time, got dunked even more, and even took the bamboo poles and steered their way down. The guide looked a bit terrified at the end (for real! his eyes were BIG when they came in ! lol ; )

It was definitely a trek machine . . . a very well organized and oiled machine cranking out one batch of 12-tourist-trekkers after another. Some mastermind has organized the movement of this chain of people from one Karen hut and one Karen “7-11” to another. And they all seemed to be having a good time. And the natives? Well, I think they’re definitely making use of their resources (the terrain and themselves). We often hung out with the small family at the two places where we stayed overnight (we 12 slept in the same hut; there were groupings of 3 mats under the corresponding mosquito nets. The rustic toilets had the kind of basin that you stand on and squat . . . there were large containers of water from which we’d scoop water to pour into the tiny bowl . . . you get the picture).

Tomorrow I head out for BKK where I’ll do heaps of laundry and get myself organized for the next 8-week portion of this saga (Cambodia where I’ll volunteer teach).

The rest of the evening promises some fun scooter riding and some food . . . maybe a heap of tasty noodles. Today I found the wat on the hill 16 km to the northeast of town, along with some sleeping dogs, waterfalls, and pretty scenery.

I’ve enjoyed this part of Thailand; yes, it’s been my favorite so far . . . but I do still remember fondly that trip along the River Kwai . . . and the fun boat ride in BKK, and, and, and . . .

Didn’t read through this, so please excuse me for my missssspellings and Freudian slips.

Do hope you’re all well and enjoying yourselves wherever you are–having a good meal, watching a good movie, reading a good book, or just hanging out with friends and family.

Aloha and a bientot,

sj

OMG! There’s an European Union Film Festival that happens to coincide with my stay in Chiang Mai !!!!!

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Hi Everyone,

Yes, I just “by chance” passed by a place with a pamphlet with the “happenings” for art in the area, picked it up thinking I’d give it a look-see. Found a *cool/hip hotel/restaurant/bar/whatever and decided to set a spell and drink in the day . . . when I opened this flyer and discovered the following ! :

http://www.facebook.com/EUinThailand?sk=app_203351739677351

It looks like I’ll be able to see several films on Friday the 22nd of July, the night before I leave Chiang Mai for BKK (and the final prep, i.e. laundering, getting ready for the Cambodia and teaching leg of this trip.).

How cool is that???? I’m so jazzed. Where is it? On B-1 on the map. That’s all I know. But this determined girl will figure out a way to convey that information to the tuk-tuk or taxi driver . . . or, gasp!, I may have a scooter then . . . but how to return it before I fly out the following day? Oh, those are details to work out a lifetime away from now. Something will come to me, inspiration will find me, or, I’ll just “figure it out.” lol I love how I’m learning to just be quiet for a moment, listen, and the answer comes; it always does : ). Oh, that relates to everything, doesn’t it?

Kay den, that’s it. Just wanted to share the “good news.” That’s how it is, isn’t it? When something good happens, we want to share it. Why? Because we’re excited, happy, just plain jazzed that Wow! something else good is happening!!!

And in that vein, I hope that you too have good news to share. Maybe it’s just the wonderfully simple satisfaction that comes from a tasty meal. Or a store clerk who looks at you and smiles. Or the simple joy of knowing that you’re alive, and that that’s the u l t i m a t e gift, to be alive. (Would love to hear your good news: )

I’ve written a few of you who took the time to write such nice and encouraging things in response to my last glob entry . . . the main gist is that I am so very, very thankful to be on this adventure. And by that I mean, the ultimate adventure, which is l i f e. This trip to SE Asia is but a metaphor for the BIG thing, the real thing, the (excuse me for my repetition), the ultimate thing. To be in a human body living on this earth, meeting each and every one of you precious souls . . . ah, it doesn’t get better than that, does it?

Please know that I sincerely am so very thankful to know you, whether it be for a blink-of-the-eye, a long afternoon, or for a lifetime. Each and every one of you is so very important to me, and I don’t say (okay, type : ) that lightly. I really, really mean it.

And oh, the cooking school deal was a blast. I’ve got **”Susan-Jane-made” Phad Thai and mango sticky rice waiting for me back at my pad. We had sooooo much to eat that nearly all of us got “to-go” (plastic bags with a rubber band, such a practical way to pack leftovers!) baggies for din-din.

And with that, I’m signing off . . . and oh, get this, the hotel has on channel 48 a French TV station !!!! Last night I stayed up late watching a funny French film with English sub-titles. How cool is that!!! Yes, gifts keeps falling to me from everywhere I look. And yes, I don’t take any of them for granted. I am very, very thankful.

Love, love, and more love to you all,

sj

* http://www.morooms.com/

**got a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? maybe that’s what I’ll do “next,” make Susan-Jane-made whatchamacallits!

Just arrived in Chiang Mai and love it already!

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Hi Everyone,

I arrived today, made my way to the hotel (which I’d found online using latestays.com), and right off the bat liked it that they had a flat rate to the hotel–no mystery with the taxi driver taking the long route (like in BKK) to make more baht. I even paid the women at the airport who were running the show. : ) Okay, all my women friends are smiling; I can feel it.

And as soon as I got squared away at the hotel, i.e. unpacked, got the safety box reset for my only little personal code, spocked (i.e. “checked”) out the pool (nothing to write home about in too great of detail, but it is wet . . . and there IS one), I set out to explore the city. After walking only a few yards, I saw a sign for a Thai Farm cooking school endorsed by the Lonely Planet. “What’s this?” I thought, so I took the turn and before you can say piggely wiggely, I’d booked the last spot with the group tomorrow (through Nicole, a lovely woman originally from Belgium with two lovely Thai/European daughters by her side).

You can check it out at: http://www.thaifarmcooking.com/. Looks really fun! And . . . maybe I’ll learn something!

Then, I continued on my way and found wat (temple) after wat. There are m a n y! I think Friday (my last day here) will be the day to rent either a scooter or bicycle and explore the area ( and many wats) on wheels.

Okay, I hadn’t been here long . . . just a matter of hours, really, when I realized that I prefer this city to Bangkok. Maybe it doesn’t have the groovy transportation that BKK has (the BTS and MRT), but it just feels better. Literally, it feels better against my skin. And when I realized that I really needed to buy another chip thing for my camera, I found that the people are really nice and helpful. No, 7-11 didn’t have them like one lady thought, but they told me where to go: “Na ba sa.” What does that mean? Your guess is as good as mine. But heading of in the direction that the clerk at 7-11 pointed, I held those words in my head, “Na ba sah.” And then, when I asked a smiling young guy, “Na ba sa?,” he pointed in the same direction and said, “That way, then right.” And how many minutes? He thought long and hard . . . “Maybe five?” And on I continued, for about 10, it felt like, which was probably 2. : )  Then I asked another smiling Thai man who said in perfect English, “The night market is two blocks down. Take a right in two blocks. But why do you want to go there? Today you go to the walking street market.” Because I need a da kine for my camera. “Okay, okay,” he said.

And as I continued on, I heard the beautiful sound of monks chanting. Glancing towards the sound, I discovered that there was yet another wat. And this one was the surrounded by the most enchanting light. Yes, of course I changed my route for the sake of stopping and listening. It was beautiful, calming, a refreshing sound in this second largest city of Thailand. And then, the most adorable young monk turned, caught my eye, and we exchanged the simplest of smiles. “Yes,” I thought to myself, “It feels better here.”

After a while, I continued on my way to find a Kodak store, and get a memory card for my camera. Ah, just what I wanted, I thought, as I passed a bead shop with strings of hanging rope on the side. Yes, my turquoise/citrine bracelet broke again! This time it was on the boat yesterday after returning from the “famous” beach from the movie The Beach. But in the way that told me that these stones are still to stay in my life, they fell right below where I sat on the bow of the boat, landing on one of two black backpacks belonging to the English people onboard. That is, they all landed there except one citrine. Seems one of the five citrines needed to take a walk-about.

“What the heck are you talking about Susan Jane?”

Well, believe it or not, I saw this bracelet during a meditation while I was in Idaho earlier this year. I told my husband, “I think I need to go to a consignment store and find this bracelet which I saw in meditation.” And on April fool’s day (I kid you not! lol), we did go to a really cool consignment shot in Sun Valley, Idaho (which just happened to be the day of their fun sixth anniversary party complete with free pupus and pleasant jazz, original art by an incredible young artist named  . . . oh, I hope I’ve got this right, Ashley Dreyfus . . . ) where I looked at their jewelry section and saw it! It’s the one you saw in an earlier post. The one on my wrist outside the jewelry shop which repaired it.

So  . . . to finally get to the point, I bought some wire/string/something or other for 50 baht just down from the store with the camera chip. I think I may just tie it around my neck rather than have it repaired yet again.

Oh, and to back up, earlier while wandering around (and at this most wonderful Sunday market that the Thai man told me about and that I’d already been to), I’d decided to have a snack. As I sat on a child-sized chair at a comparably sized table and ate a most delicious vegetarian noodle something or other (covered in sweet and sour sauce with crunchy garlic to boot!), I heard this lady and her son speaking something that sounded like German. Meanwhile, the little blonde, blue-eyed kid of about five years old kept turning around and s t a r i n g at me! (I just smiled back : ). We three just happened to get up about the same time, so I struck up a conversation, “Is that German I’m hearing?” (said in German, of course)

“Yes, but we come from Austria so we have a heavy accent,” she said with a smile. And with that we struck up a fun conversation, visited a bit, and then parted ways.

After running into her three or four more times in the matter of minutes! (and this is a BIG market), I realized that I needed to give her my card. Who the heck knows, we might just meet up again in Austria . . . or on Kauai. Anything’s possible.

And . . . in that same way, I struck up a conversation with an Aussie family as I was down by the night market, “You do know about the special Sunday market, don’t you?”

They didn’t. And as we five walked in the same direction towards this most incredible market, we discovered that we had something in common: a love of Kauai. This beautiful family from Melbourne has been to Kauai twice and will most certainly go back again someday. Yep, time to pull out another card!

Warning Tony, we might just have the w o r l d show up on our doorstep some day! : ) But hopefully, not all at once . . .  : )

Okay, the point of this entire missive/entry/glob post (plug in the word(s) of your choice), is that I’ve safely landed in Chiang Mai and have a good feeling about the place. Anyone thinking of taking the CELTA course in Thailand, you might want to check out the school(s) here. Maybe you too would like the feel of the place better. : )

And I thought I was going to tell you about the Krabi area . . . that’ll have to come at a later date. Suffice it to say that some people find it very beautiful. I found it very interesting. I really enjoyed the people I met and loved it when a group of young German kids asked, “Are you German?” No, I’m American, I replied to their befuddled faces. Hmm, next time I might just answer in the affirmative and see how long I can get away with it. : )

I also got many chances to speak French. Pretty cool, really, this mix of people from all over the world who converge at these southern Thailand destinations. One young man from China was intrigued with how I was able to dive “deep” while snorkeling. Not sure if he understood my explanation, but a part of me gets a chuckle (and pleasure) at the image of him trying; I hope he succeeds!

I’ve borrowed another photo from online. This one’s of the market that’s currently taking place about 18-feet away from where I sit.

Oops, it wouldn’t let me add it . . . go here if you’re interested: www.flickr.com/photos/fortes/89943055. Maybe it’ll work . . . maybe it won’t. If not, just google the Sunday market in Chaing Mai, and I bet a zillion of photos will  come up.

Okay den, signing off. Gotta get to bed at a decent hour so that I’ll be ready to join the cooking lesson train. Now that’s a ride, I don’t plan to miss!

Love to you all; sending wishes of peace and contentment wherever you may be and with whomever you may be.

In the light,

Susan Jane