Robin & Karen Living the Dream: From Koh Chang to Chiang Mai, Monkeys & Wats

Since we are so fond of eating, we decided that we needed to get some more exercise so we walked up a very big hill to the Kai Bai Lookout for some great views of the islands. On our way back we heard what sounded like a sick cat and it turned out to be a large group of monkeys foraging for food in the forest. Many of them came close to the road we were on as well as across the road and up on the powerlines - it was great fun watching them and we were quite relieved that they did not seem to care about us or coming near us.

We attempted a hike to the Kai Bai waterfall, walked on a muddy forest trail for at least 20 minutes. Robin grabbed a tree for support and unfortunately it was full of spikes and he fell and almost took me out. Luckily no serious injuries. We got to a spot where there was a 6 to 10 foot drop with only a rope to hang onto and we decided we are too old for this! We turned around and headed back along the way seeing a rubber plantation up close which was interesting.

Rubber tree

Pile of rubber balls

Something that I love to do, but unfortunately Robin does not, is snorkeling, and so I was quite excited to do a snorkelling tour from the islands. We booked a four island snorkelling all day tour. We were picked up in a wooden large wooden boat and cruised for an hour until we got to Kho Rang, which is an excellent place to snorkel. Throughout the day. I was in the water in three different places, seeing amazing multicoloured fish, corals, and sea life. Luckily we had been chatting with a German couple who had a GoPro and who later sent me some footage from our experience.

One last sunset at the beach and the next day we headed back to Bangkok. An overnight stay (& the hardest bed we have ever slept on) & a taxi to the train station for a 10 hr journey north to Chiang Mai. We chose seats in the second class air-conditioned train car with reclining seats for a cost of $77 for both. The train was full with full, once someone got off at a stop, someone else got on and took their seat, mainly local Thais. There was lots to see along the way - rice fields, tarot, corn, lots of birds, including Asian storks, water buffalo & cows, lots of trees with huge leaves, bamboo, some huge Buddhas - never a dull moment.

Hand cultivated

Snake fruit, like strawberries, but not!

On the train

Rice fields

Ruins

Rice fields being burnt

Storks

Big water lilies

Many flooded fields, ? Rice

Western toilet

Thai toilet, you stand on the”blocks”
& there is always a “bum gun” hose for cleaning your butt,

Camera out the bathroom window

Water buffalo

We made it!

We took we arrived at the train station at 7:30 and took a Bolt taxi (like an Uber) to our hotel - the Tapae Place for $2.80! We are here for eight nights and the hotel cost $23.50 CAD a night! The beds are hard, but the room is large & clean, the air conditioning is excellent, we have a nice mini fridge and we looked out our window to behold an amazing temple (Wat) right there. We are enjoying the breakfast buffet with many options for a mere $2.40 a day.

Our view from our window!

Tapae Gate, the “old city” was walled with a moat, this is one of the gates into the old city

As we’re not very good at sitting still of course we’ve been out exploring the city every day. Our first stop was the Talat Warorot, Chiang Mai‘s oldest public market. Everything from. household items to vegetables, fruit flowers, beautiful paper, lanterns, incense, dried fish and fruit and every day clothing and traditional northern Thai clothing, and souvenirs. And of course, food.

Great soup restaurant, Michelin Bib Gourmand

We took in the Sunday night walking street market - blocks and blocks of outdoor stalls, selling everything a a tourist could ever want for as well as at least 4 Food Court areas set up in different temple grounds. We managed to stuff ourselves with Chiang Mai sausage, shrimp & pork dumplings, salad rolls, and kiwi ice cream. All while sitting on very low chairs and low tables. To top the night off, I had another Thai massage, sitting in a chair - along with literally dozens and dozens of others lined up along the street. It felt like a Guinness world book of records attempt at as many outdoor massages in one place as possible!

We still talk about the cooking class we took in Bangkok 15 years ago so we booked a cooking class here and had a wonderful day. We prepared a soup, a stirfry a curry and mango with sticky rice - was a feast!

Making curry paste

Market tour

Much to Robin‘s dismay we headed out on a temple touring day. He likes to say that a temple is a temple as he reminds me a lighthouse is a lighthouse after seeing so many on our maritime trip. We walked from one temple to the next putting on 20,000 steps, but we saw all the major ones. Wat Phan Tao is built of teak wood which is unusual & dates back to the 1880’s.

Wat Chedi Luang was built in 1441 & partially collapsed during an earthquake in 1545. On the grounds, there is a 200 year-old rubber tree that is absolutely huge and a temple that only men can visit as it holds a city pillar. There is also a jade replica of the famed Emerald Buddha.

Robin is standing at the base of the tree

Our next stop was Wat Phra Singh, over 700 years old & Chiang Mai‘s most revered temple. Beautiful mosaics on the wall and a monk doing blessings where he also ties a knotted string around your wrist. All of the temples hold photographs or wax statues of the monks that began the temple. The wax statues are very lifelike and a bit creepy.

Our last major Wat stop was at Wat Chiang Man, which holds a 1800 year-old crystal Buddha and a 2500 year-old marble Buddha.

Everywhere in the city, there are colourful hanging lanterns and things are being cleaned up for the upcoming Loy Krathong festival this weekend.

Red trucks, shared taxis

We booked a day tour to head out of the city to the Doi Inthanon National Park, we stopped at two impressive waterfalls and on to a Karen tribe (originally from Myanmar) traditional village with houses on stilts up in the hills. They grow rice, greens, flowers, strawberries, fruit, and coffee. We sampled homegrown coffee, tea made from coffee shells, flower tea and butterfly pea tea. We saw rice being hand thrashed, and dying on a tarp.

Wachirathan waterfall

Karen village

Thrashing rice

Coffee bean plant

We stopped at the highest point in Thailand at 2565 m where the temperature was a chilly (according to the Thais) 19°C. Here there was a stupa erected for the last king of Chiang Mai and Buddhist come here to pay their respects.

Our next stop was to see the King & Queen Pagodas, surrounded by gorgeous gardens, erected in honor of the late King Rama 9 & Queen Sirikit. It was a long day that included stopping for lunch and at a market, but it was nice to see another part of Thailand.