Thailand Naturally (page 2 of 13)

CHIANG RAI REGION

In the year 2562 of the Buddhist calendar, the sun keeps shining over Chiang Rai. Truth be told, it’s been shining for quite a while now. So much so that the rainy season hasn’t really shown up yet, even though it’s been long-awaited and even hoped for over the past few weeks. When you bring it up, locals’ first reaction is to lament that many fields can’t be properly irrigated for rice cultivation. And you can totally understand why, knowing how important this staple food is in Asia.

For our part, after an excessively cool and wet spring, we’re relieved to be doing most of our sightseeing under a sky that’s often kind and offers plenty of brightness. Sure, it’s not always the bluest at this time of year, but we barely even noticed.

Our first day is spent exploring the countryside and visiting two waterfalls at different sites. Admittedly, the flow isn’t the most spectacular, but we still find some refreshment and that tropical environment our eyes never tire of.









We only explored a few of the 9 levels of the second waterfall, both because of the low flow and to save our energy for later.







We did take precautions, though, by buying 3 kilos of mangoes for 50 baht (less than 2 €). Mango season runs from January to early July, and if you’re arriving at the end of it, you might as well go all out.



It’s really best to buy fruit from roadside stands because local producers sell good-quality products at low prices. It’s even more enjoyable because you get to share friendly moments with simple, down-to-earth people. Just one smile can light up the whole exchange.

When a number is displayed, it’s the price per kilo in baht or sometimes the price for a bunch of bananas or a pineapple. When two numbers are shown, one is the price in baht, and the other is the number of kilos you get for that amount.

Don’t bite off more than you can chew: while mangoes keep well for a few days, bananas and pineapples spoil quickly, even in the fridge. Over time, we’ve learned to prefer small bunches of ripe little bananas and pre-cut pineapple for almost immediate consumption.

And here are the first (but not the last) promised flowers:

😏Looks like jojoone1 didn't do the 1.5-hour uphill hike to the top of the little mountain to see the source of the spring!

🏴‍☠️Don’t worry, I didn’t do it either—I turned back halfway.

After seeing the photos, I’m not even sure we’re talking about the same water sources—NAM TOK outside Chiang Rai, 20 km south of the White Temple.

There are tons of trees in the jungle, some over 400 years old!

Aaaaah! (Feels like waiting for *Game of Thrones* episodes again😛)

This is starting off strong... What photos! I love waterfalls—you’re making me even more excited!

Hurry up with the next part (and thanks for sharing your vacation with us).

The flowers and fruits of Thailand, what a delight!

It's always nice arriving in BKK by taxi from the airport. The heat, the smells, the taxi's amulets. The tall buildings with their ads, the interchanges, and the toll booths. Recently one morning, it took me 2 hours to reach my hotel. That kinda spoiled the fun.

I love waterfalls—you’re making me even more excited!

https://youtu.be/41Cdst1qmBA

We embraced the Mekong, the lifeblood of a large part of Southeast Asia. Some of the hills lining its banks offer a direct view of Laos.





Often, a temple is built there, housing the remains of a chedi that has stood since time immemorial.











The monk on duty immediately notices we’re friendly special envoys from VoyageForum and hurries to bless us. We leave with our first fabric bracelet, supposedly to keep until it falls off on its own.

The city is packed with remnants, several dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries. The most striking is a large stupa, restored after the earthquake on May 5, 2014.



It’s surprising (and delightful) to come across magnificent stone Buddhas in plots between gardens, sometimes tucked away in anonymous alleys. Past and present coexist here, as they often do.





Our last visit to a grand temple on another hill by the Mekong is cut short by a sudden storm. Before that, another monk insists on blessing us, and we leave on slippery tiles, yet with the feeling that nothing unpleasant can happen to us now.

I absolutely love these two paintings!

Were you still on vacation? While others are working

It’s always such a pleasure arriving in BKK by taxi from the airport. The heat, the smells, the taxi’s amulets. The tall buildings with their ads, the interchanges, and the toll booths. Recently, one morning, it took me 2 hours to reach my hotel. That kinda ruined the vibe.

What you’re saying is pretty harsh. Besides my role as a GO on VF, my job once I’m there is to put together a full travel journal. It’s all work, really! Especially since this time we’re gonna smash the photo count for one of our journals.

I *would* feel bad for your taxi trouble, but this time, *we* had massive traffic jams and a taxi driver who was half-asleep, clueless, and practically useless—nearly made us miss our return flight. That’s not just ruining the vibe; you feel like a pressure cooker for long, *long* half-hours 😕

The on-duty monk immediately realizes we’re friendly special correspondents from VoyageForum and hurries to bless us. We’re now equipped with our first cloth bracelet, supposedly to keep until it falls off on its own.

Hope you’re patient... Mine’s been stuck on my wrist since... 2015...😏 (While my husband’s fell off after just a week!)



(Thanks for the little video sneak peek!)

I absolutely love these two paintings!

Hi Chantal,

The first one is typical of Nan Province, further east compared to Chiang Rai.

The second one reminds me of Moïse BB...🙂

Yes, this baby in its nest of swaddling clothes seems safe from everything, protected, just like Moses 😄

The city is filled with ruins, several of which date back to the 13th and 14th centuries. The most striking is a large stupa, restored after the earthquake on May 5, 2014.

The less noticeable ones will have to wait for the next earthquake to collapse for good; this one is unlucky enough to be behind the market, in a back courtyard. Yet it’s not as tall as its big brother...

Hi Joël, Phew! The travel journal’s just getting started... I’m joining you for this new trip! 😎

We’re squeezing a rest day into the itinerary, partly justified by the massive pool at our hotel. We once ran into a Chinese family there whose rise into the middle class must have been recent. It’s fascinating to see how a person can spend hours spitting into the pool drains every five minutes—after an impressively vigorous throat-clearing, no less. The noise level wasn’t bad either: we couldn’t miss their conversations, even if we couldn’t understand a word. No point in trying to be polite—they’d look at you the same way they’d look at a dog approaching them (and given what they do to dogs… ). Thankfully, there’s hope the younger generations will improve, since they’ll surely model their behavior on the stellar example we Westerners set (yeah… uh… well…).

For lunch, we still made a quick trip to Chiang Rai Beach, along the banks of the Kok River. With no tourists in sight, the setting was incredibly peaceful, and a friendly young woman served us a delicious homemade fried rice at the only open beachside shack.





In the evening, we skipped the night market and flashy restaurants, opting instead for a hearty and delicious pad thai at a small, unassuming family-run spot. If there’s one tip to share, it’s this: it feels more authentic, it’s relaxing, the interactions are better, and in the end, you think, "That was so good!"

Hi there, and thanks for this travel journal! Well done! And how do you say hello? Anne, who’ll be reading you

Good evening to you all, and thank you too. And Anne did the right thing because she’s going to see loads of photos! 😉

We’re inserting a rest day into the itinerary, partly justified by the huge pool at our hotel. We once ran into a Chinese family there whose rise to the middle class must have been recent. It’s fascinating to see how a human being can spend hours spitting into the pool drains every five minutes—after an impressively vigorous throat-clearing, no less. The noise level wasn’t bad either: we couldn’t escape their conversations, even if we couldn’t understand a word. No point trying to show them the slightest politeness—they’d look at you the same way they’d look at a dog approaching them (and given what they do to dogs… ). Fortunately, there’s hope the younger generations will improve, since they’ll surely model their behavior on the fine example we Westerners set (yeah… uh… well…).

For lunch, we still made a quick trip to Chiang Rai Beach, along the banks of the Kok River. With no tourists around, the setting was incredibly peaceful, and a friendly young woman served us a delicious homemade fried rice at the only open beach shack.





In the evening, we skipped the night market and flashy places, opting instead for a hearty and delicious pad thai at a small, unassuming family-run restaurant. If there’s one good tip to share, it’s this: it feels more authentic, it’s relaxing, the interactions are better, and at the end, you think, "That was so good!"



But where are the photos of your meals??? :)

Lol! Let's bet our pad thai and fried rice pics wouldn't knock readers out of their chairs! First off, we’ve got choices to make, and we already know this travel journal’s gonna be the one with the most photos. So, choices, right? Second: we often blow past our planned schedule because we’re dawdling and soaking up the people, the scenes, the landscapes. The food arrives, and we dive in like a couple of coyotes. Oops, forgot—slurp—to snap the pic, yum! Third: we’re often in the shot ourselves, and we’re not gonna show *too* much. This is a travel journal, not the family album!

In hindsight, it’s a really beautiful image shaped like a gnome’s or magician’s hat! We saw a few like that in the country. The day a senior monk or someone from the ministry makes a decision, the monument escapes a premature demise. It’s sometimes just a matter of luck. We all know that in this region, things shake up from time to time.

Thanks for taking an interest and leaving a comment.