The Art of Travel: Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai is in northern Thailand and is the jumping off point for most travelers in this region. It's in the mountains and the scenery is stunning. And it comes complete with just over 300 temples. Swear! The town is small but is known for great shopping and after my stay, I don't think it's going to have to worry about its economy for a while.

Because I wanted to get out of town and explore (and because I was now traveling by myself), I hired a guide so they could arrange everything. To say that they were attentive is a vast understatement. I wasn't allowed to do anything (open my water bottle, carry my purchases, bargain, etc.) and they asked me 50 times a day if I was happy and all was well. They also changed guides so I would have experts in what I was doing that day. Nice but one night I told them I was going to stay at the hotel just so I could go to the night market by myself. Night markets are very cool - they open at 6 and close at midnight so everyone (tourists and locals) go there to eat or do shopping. You can also get a massage or foot massage for about $4.00. Now, who among us can pass up an opportunity to cruise through the market for a while and then get an hour-long foot massage? Not me.

As far as I know, every entrance to homes and hotels in Chiang Mai is from a narrow and unimpressive alley. I mean from the Mandarin Oriental on down. I have no idea why but here's the one to my hotel - the Rachamankha. It's a gorgeous and small resort that I want to live at. There are only 23 rooms and each one is like a cocoon. Designed and owned by an architect, every detail is exactly right. And here's how cheap Chiang Mai is - the best room is $135/day.

The front entry.

The courtyard which all rooms face.

Entry to the rooms.

How you get on an elephant's back. I know you've always wanted to know. They lead it up to this platform and you step on.

My dutiful elephant handler.

After you get off the back of this animal that has spent the last hour trying to toss you off your seat while slamming your brains from side to side you don't care if they lead him off by his ear. Though, I think I may have lost points with the driver by first losing one of my sandals and then the small Nikon along the way which he then had to stop and retrieve.

Bamboo rafting is very cool. You get a little wet but who cares when you can get this low in the water with no impediment to shooting. Shame there wasn't anything very interesting. But the peacefulness of being poled down the river is pretty fabulous.

I'm sure you've always wondered who made those big paper umbrellas so here she is! I was bored in about 3 minutes.

I also think it's a law here that no driver can take the same route twice and you have to go down at least 5 small alleys as well as back-track at least once per trip. It's so weird! Even if you're with the same person and going from the same Point A to Point B, you're going to go a different way. So, I gave up after a day of trying to find landmarks. It didn't really matter because you were going to take a tuk-tuk and it was going to cost less than $2. Tuk-tuks are my new favorite vehicle. They're probably about the size of a Smart car and are a combination of a scooter with a cart attached. Mufflers don't seem to be important here so they all have a loud tuk-tuk sputtering sound as they cruise around.

On the way to the falls. Most homes are tucked into the hillside.

I trekked up a 10-tier waterfalls (440 meters total height) with 3 guides. 3??? One to carry my big Nikon, one to tell me every known fact about each plant along the way (of which I could understand about 30% of what he was saying) and 1 to anticipate my every need.

Now it's getting ridiculous. They're rearranging the rocks in the water crossing to make it easier for me.

And they didn't like the sandals I wore so one of the guides made me wear his hiking boots. Lovely aren't they? Shame they didn't fit me so I clomped around all day like I was a child wearing my father's shoes.