Looking Back on One Month in Chiang Mai

We've really enjoyed our time here and are sad to say good-bye. There's a new pensée here for anyone who wants to read Rowan's thoughts on how we're learning to travel (or maybe, to be more accurate: not travel). But for now, here are some photos of some events we've enjoyed, experiences we've had, and serendipitous items of note. (Click on small images to enlarge; use arrow keys to move around the enlarged image.)

First off, we must return to Shirl's birthday, which was officially on December 16th. Rowan was somewhat anxious because, well, gifts were small and resources limited. However, he found the Chiangmai Playhouse for an evening's entertainment. They came through with many fun song and dance numbers that entertained us to bits. Rowan had set-up the evening to be a birthday celebration but by the time we had seen the last act and exited from the restrooms, it seemed as though not much was going to be done by the Playhouse, despite a cryptic note from the reservation fellow that they had been told of her birthday.

But boy were we ever wrong! When we came out, we had to exit back down the stairs. There, waiting for us, specifically for Shirl (photos 1, 2, and 3 below), was the entire cast waiting to sing Happy Birthday to Shirl! Wow. It was stunning and remarkable. One of the key cast members walked up to Shirl with a cake and candle (photo 4) and presented it to her for her birthday wish (photo 5). I don't think something that incredible could happen in the United States (at least, not without a lot of money and planning). That was really the high point of the month. We were both floored at their generosity.

We've already done an entry for the little Christmas celebration we had, so let's skip to the next fun and unique thing we discovered. A few nights before New Year's Eve, Rowan noticed a lot of lights in the sky, floating upwards, as if multiple stars had exploded or there was an alien invasion imminent. We could not figure out what they were until we went out on New Year's Eve and discovered a couple actually lighting a Wish Lantern in the parking lot near a night club. They make these light-weight lanterns out of rice paper and bamboo, then put a little kerosene-soaked disk in the bottom. Once lit, it's a miniature hot air balloon that floats up with the wishes you've put into it. We discovered they just sell all the materials on the side of the road for anyone to buy for only 100 Baht or US$3.20 per lantern. It's delightful and makes the sky look incredible because thousands of people are doing the same thing all around the city. What a fun tradition.

We then walked over to a club where we'd been invited by some expat folks we'd met early on. The Thais like to party hardy and this place was so unbelievably loud that we couldn't take it for very long. But this picture of our good friend Steve shows a little of how packed and raucous the night was. It was fun for a while but we actually started to get nervous we were going to have some serious hearing loss, so we pooped out. Then again, that's what we always do on New Year's Eve anyway, so what else is new?

Speaking of expats…After we exited Bali, we started to notice that there were nearly no other foreigners traveling. On occasion, yes, the European or Australian or Canadian, but never other Americans and typically not anyone who you'd look at and say, "You're not from around here, are you?" (That is, white and speaking English.) Other parts of Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, even Singapore, kept us asking, Where the hell are all the backpackers? The couples taking a year off from school? The explorers? They are not to be found.

At least, until we got to Chiang Mai. That's when we discovered we're not alone here. Do expats and especially Americans looking to permanently drop out love it here. They are everywhere! It's like everyone who was traveling just decided to stop here and get a retirement visa. That's what they're doing folks. Retiring to Chiang Mai or at least, spending a remarkable amount of time here. So we finally met folks who had stories to tell and suggestions for where to go next. The picture on the right is a huge pot-luck breakfast we attended of a group we'll just call The Fellowship of Expats (to keep things anonymous) that had wonderful food and great folks. (This is why we'll miss this place!) And so tomorrow, January 11th, we're off to Luang Prabang, Lao (or Laos if you're older), for the next leg of The Big Trip. We'll update you on that and leave with one last thought.

One aspect that is different in each place we visit and something we're very aware of is how the cats are treated. Everywhere we go there are street cats. In Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia and Manila, Philippines, the cats have it rough. We typically would "adopt" some cats, which meant buying food and feeding them as best we could. Our house in Bali had its own cat, who we also fed but he did have a pretty good life overall. Singapore just didn't have street cats likely due to government programs to not let them multiply (although people did have them as pets). In Thailand it is very obvious the culture supports the cats, even if they live out on the street. They are usually not too afraid of people and are consistently well fed. People leave food out for them and I spotted this one black cat taking advantage of the offerings left out to have a chicken feast, once he could grab it safely. Many other times we've seen cats just hanging out with the locals, clearly enjoying their status. It's one of the many reasons why it's relaxing here. They love cats and that says a lot about the culture.