Chiang Mai

From the south of Thailand I took a plane north to Chiang Mai to visit another friend. I made it to my hostel a bit later due to a flight delay, but before heading to bed we made plans to have brunch the next day. We met at a restaurant and I had waffles, eggs, bacon, and hash browns. I realized it had been over a year since I had anything close to that, and it was nice having it again after so long. I rested at the hostel and later we met up to work out at the gym. Like the workout in Ioannina, it was good to be doing it again and mixing different kinds of physical activity. We then got ready to go to a street market in the old city that only opens on Sundays. It is so massive that we walked around for a couple of hours and only saw parts of it. The variety of things being sold and the level of detail and craft were impressive. Along the way we ate some snacks, including more miang kam, which my friend had not tried before, and visited Wat Chedi Luang, a historic temple that also houses a pagoda built over 700 years ago.

During my time there I joined him at the co-working space where he works. He showed me two of the games he has been working on, and they were quite amazing. One of them in particular he has been developing for a few years, and the level of detail and complexity left me in awe. Almost every developer starts out with the idea of building video games, and that was how my brother and I started. But only some actually continue in that field. At the space I was able to work on my blog and a few other tasks on my laptop. I had not been in a room with computers and other people working since I left my job last April. While I felt productive and was able to get a good number of things done, I also felt that this kind of environment is not something I would like to return to full-time after my travels are complete. The work I did in community centers and schools is something I enjoyed a great deal more and is the direction I plan to start in.

Like any new city, I got to try many delicious foods. Between my friend, his girlfriend, and one of his friends who joined us, there were lots of great recommendations. The food ranged from traditional Thai dishes, like noodles from a cart by the sidewalk and papaya salad at another restaurant, to very western meals like my first breakfast. One evening, when it was just him and me, we went over some of the books we had read and exchanged recommendations. I talked about how I only really started reading a few years ago, despite my parents being avid readers who constantly encouraged us to read. He kindly asked me why, which led me to share that perhaps I didn’t always find the right books, or felt the weight of my parents’ deep love for reading, or something else entirely. He learned a bit more about my family and my life growing up, and we both enjoyed the thoughtful conversation.

My friend’s girlfriend works at a tour company and shared how the elephant sanctuary was her favorite. I learned then that the area has quite a large number of them, some better than others, especially in how they treat the elephants. The memory of the first time I interacted with elephants when I was seven, while visiting my aunt in California, came back to me, and I decided it was something I wanted to do. After a two hour journey, we arrived at a river and a clearing where we could already see the elephants. We heard from the team about the sanctuary, the animals, and how they work with them, including how these elephants have been domesticated for generations and how they differ from wild ones. Afterwards, we fed them and walked alongside them through the forest. In the afternoon, most of the group left, as only two of us had chosen the full day experience. We gave them a paste we made ourselves and observed them. It was the closest I have ever been.

On one of my last days, we went to a club my friend had been looking forward to taking us to. He made it clear that this was like nothing I had been to before, and he was right. The venue was a mixture of a restaurant, nightclub, and concert hall. The entire place was set up with tables. There was no fee to enter and no charge for the table. You paid for food and drinks, which were brought to you. When you felt like it, you stood up and danced. At any given moment, about half the people were dancing by their tables. The music varied from DJs to live bands, some of which included choreographed dancing. My friend in Chantaburi had said that Thai culture integrates other cultures into its own very well, and this was a great example of bringing very different elements into one cohesive experience. It reminded me of clubs and shows I have been to in other places, without the downsides of not being able to sit, having to hold your drink, being bumped into on the dance floor, or hearing only one style of music.

On another night, I went on my own to watch a Muay Thai fighting event. I have always been interested and have thought multiple times about joining a class. It was admirable to see the skill involved and what the fighters endure during both the fight and their training. This was the first time I had seen a live fighting sport, and at times I felt unsettled watching two people hitting each other right in front of me. Still, like any sport, it was well controlled and carried out with a great deal of caution. I would still like to try classes at some point.

Chiang Mai was also a good balance of full days and quieter moments, including good opportunities to meditate. A memorable one was at a meditation center at Doi Suthep temple. I am grateful for the time with my friends and for the care and presence they shared while showing me around. From here I head to China, where the weather will be colder, but I am well prepared with the jacket I bought in Vietnam and a few extra things my partner will be bringing as we take the next part of this journey together.