The trade off: Oceans for Mountains
Oh you silly lads, did you really think I’d just laze around the beach my whole trip!? Ha!
The night after the full moon party, I lay in bed and started drooling over the fact that I could, be in Chiang Mai tomorrow. The full moon party showed me what I did and did not want in my vacation, and most of the things that I did not want were in the south of Thailand. I knew up north the cities would be more geared towards Thai’s, not foreigners, and I was sick of getting treated like a tourist. Also, my towel was getting smelly from all the ocean water.
So it was decided, in those last sleepless hours in my cheap as dice bungalow, when the sun came up I would set off to find some culture.
Awoke and took the 11 o’clock ferry to Ko Samui, free shuttle to the airport included. Met a Thai woman and her kid, who liked to run unescorted around the airport. Her and I got to talking, and we chatted until the flight.
I really wonder what the people in the airport thought of a 2 year old kid crawling over a 19 year old American sitting with a 35 year old Thai woman.
Is that his son!?
And so it was my epic return to the Bangkok airport, and I felt a little craftier this time around. Bright faces of people whose trips were just begining, but ha! I’d been here a week. Bought cheap $50 flight to Chiang Mai, I wandered around the airport gawking at the many, many characters who come through the airports of Thailand.
When we landed in Chiang Mai I knew something was different. No angry touts for taxi rides, the smell of the sewer seemed to be staying underground. Prices were lower, temperatures were cooler. People were slower paced than in Bangkok, and on less of a drinking binge than in the south islands. I had fallen in love with the dam place already.
The city of Chiang Mai is surrounded by a moat, and was used to protect the city from Burmese invaders. It’s gorgeous and bohemian, and I love it completely. To celebrate my newfound culture I got a big hamburger, fries, and a soda from the most American looking restaurant in town. I plan to spend a few days here before moving on to Pai, and soon I need to start thinking about the real adventure which is crossing through Laos and into Vietnam.
Even with my newfound travel savvy, I’m still up to my old habits. I write this wearing the most wrinkled shirt in Thailand.
I promise pictures soon, I tried to take some at night but they didn’t come out very well.
G’day everyone, it’s more like Thailand up north.
Tags: Thailand, Laos, Vietnam 2006
bumwaiter
Meeting people can be difficult. However, having talked over our mutual experiences in China, Lena and I came to like (and now crave) what we termed the “blessed silence of utter foreigness.” I found that staying put with a beer and something to read usually brought people to me. It helped being more experienced with the natives and having advice to the backpackers and passers-through. Free advice usually translates to drinks.
I remember meeting a Danish watch salesman and his wife in Beijing. They provided better company and conversation than the group of young Austrialians drolling over the near model beautiful ladies.
I also remembering sitting in silence in a Qing era courtyard listening to the five or so languages spoken around me. Experiences you don’t get in America.
Just put yourself out there and see what happens. That’s what I do and you’re doing now. Hostels bring a together the strangest groups.
I’m so glad/proud that you’re a mountain/local culture kinda guy rather than a rave/drunken beach party kinda guy.
Hi John, WOW what an interesting account! Sometimes a night in a hotel with some amenities doesn’t hurt. Larry King and crew can be a welcome diversion. So much history out there it is almost like we are part of it. Hang in, love the updates!!!!