A quiet week in Chiang Mai

Neither Liz nor I quite realized how exhausting the last month had been until we took up residence in Chiang Mai. Once ensconced in a fairly comfortable room, we took a morning walk around Chiang Mai's old town til the sun got too hot to push ourselves. After napping the rest of the day away it hit us that we were beat. Since then, we've been taking it easy, realizing we have a full month here, we'd seen enough temples to last us a while and we could hardly afford to take a tour out of town every day.  After four days at Jaidii Hostel, we moved next door to La Mer, which offered AC, TV and free breakfast, all for under $15 per day. Finally living under the ideal budget of $100 a day I'd thought was a good goal, if unrealistic for the English-speaking part of our trip.

                                                                  La Mer Room 106

Funky, ruler of The  Funky Dog  Cafe resting from a hard night of Guard Duty.

        

Not that we lack for things to do. Saturday morning was a coffee-klatch for the Expatriate's Club. We wandered over just to see what sort of person an expatriate was. Many a lot like us, retirees looking for a cheap, comfortable, interesting place to live. Many were involved in professions that didn't require a First World home base. Case in point: "Ric" Richardson, a writer of historical novels from Australia. If you google him, that's Kevin Richardson. He's been here 16 years after a two year writing assignment to write Thailand travelogues. Many others, mostly European, see this as a great way to escape harsh home winters. Snowbirds, in fact. Lots cheaper than Florida, great food (I may have mentioned that point before), exotic locale, friendly locals. Am I talking myself into something here? We still have a motorhome in our future, but even the southern states can get a little chilly around January...............

Mike and Australian author KevinRichardson

The  Old City of Chiang Mai is in fact a tourist's paradise. If you're into temples, there are a several. If you want to see good native arts and crafts, they fill the streets every weekend. Liz is entranced with their hand-loomed textiles and the design of native-sewn clothing. Museums of many types are nearby, even extensive used book stores just a few blocks away. Just down the street is a fresh-food market. Unfortunately, longan, lychee and mangosteen are just past their season. I'm having to make do with dried longan. The everyday flow of natives and tourists on the quiet side streets provide a constant entertainment, best enjoyed with an iced coffee or fruit smoothie. There's a movie theater near the airport, though the selection is a little out of date. Even a couple of golf courses we haven't investigated yet.      
    

 "Show me what Democracy Looks Like. This is what Democracy Looks Like." (in Chiang Mai). Women workers meet. 

Market scene

Somphet (Outdoor) Market scene
Note the little blonde girl.
Our guide told us the Hmong were believed to be descended from Mongols

Christie, a teacher of disabled children in California takes time off to see Asia. She loves to shop!

Chiang Mai has a lot of Temples

This brick roof is somewhere over a thousnad years old.

I counted 8 Sleeper Coaches like this one morning outside a Temple. Where do they come from? China?

Handsome monk changes himself so as not to be a source of temptation.

A few days ago along with 3 other couples we took a day tour to Thailand's highest mountain, Doi Inthanon, all of about 2500 meters high, a couple of very pretty waterfalls, the obligatory couple of native villages and a shrine erected to the occasion of the King and Queen's sixtieth birthdays. How can it feel to be the sort of person who thinks "I think I'll have another shrine erected in my honor."? Anyway, it's pretty spectacular with a superb formal garden. The waterfalls, though not large, are dramatic with several levels of fall. At the base of one, Liz spotted steps going up. The lady cannot resist such an invitation! Damn things must have gone a kilometer, mostly at 45 degrees. Cardio for the day accomplished. Liz's sales resistance crumbled at the villages. Handwoven "waterfall" cloth finally did her in. Beautiful stuff,  loomed right in front of you. She's also fallen for some of the local styles. And why not, she looks great in them. We'll take some more tours, though not at the rate we've been doing them elsewhere. Gotta get some pictures of elephants, though, just to prove we've been there.

                               Waterfalls are so romantic. See the Couples before the Waterfall.

Are we dressed Not to look like Tourists?

Portugese Couple in our Tour

Couple not in our tour

Austrian Couple in our tour

Chinese Couple in our tour

Our Thai Tour guide and Austrian Lady, a Project Manager for Marketing

Couple not in our Tour

Couple Not in our tour. They might be from almost anywhere and speak almost any European language.

Karen Hilltribe Home

We did not see a Karen girl with this Neck Jewelry.

Karen women that sold coffee grown in their Village as part of our tour.

Kettle for Karen Coffee

Orchids in the Karen Tribe coffee Stand

Pahn our guide explains that Unmarried women wear white and Married Women wear color. Note the weavers behind him. 

Woven Cotton Scarves by the Karen.

We bought just one for $7. If you want one, let us know before April 1.

Bye Bye, Karen Hill Tribe

If you pee in National Park, $30 fine.

Monument at Highest Peak in Thailand

From Top of King's Pagoda looking across to the Queen's Pagoda

King's Pagoda

Pagoda Garden

Queen's Pagoda

Granite Buddha inside King's Pagoda

Brown Tiles tell Stories about Buddha inside the King's Pagoda

Purple tones in stories about Buddha inside the Queen's Pagoda

Inside the Queen's Pagoda

Got to the airport shopping center yesterday. A four story edifice to do any city proud. Saw "John Carter" in 3D. Every bit as much fun as "Avatar".They don't have the number of screens a comparable cineplex in the states would but theater quality is very high. We paid $8 each for a ticket that would cost $12 at Great Lakes Crossing. We selected our seats before entering the 300 seat theatre for a matinee with only 20 in attendance. We had to pass through a metal detector. After the previews we all stand for the Thai National Anthem and admire the visage of the King. Then we watch an Isuzu pick-up truck commercial.  Is this the pick up assembled in southern Thailand as part of a GM joint venture?

Laundry business drying clothes for $.75 per pound

Tourist Family passing by our Hostel

The stores in the mall are also high quality with two grocery stores (that we saw, may easily be more, the mall takes up better than a city block), bookstores in several languages, more restaurants than you could count, plus at least three food courts, the usual mix of fashion, luggage, shoe stores, etc. Bringing up a question. Everywhere you look in Thailand, food, good food is available. Yet it's very unusual to see an overweight Thai.

Typical shopper in the Central Airport Plaza grocery store?

Coffin Store

 The End

Profuse pics and captions courtesy of Liz. I don't have that kind of patience.