Wayyy up North

After Sukhothai, I caught the bus up to Chiang Mai to spend 10 days exploring the North! I arrived and headed to stay with a DOC acquaintance and found her accommodation to be very comfortable and very relaxing! It’s so nice and exciting to have DOC contacts all over the globe, because you never know what cool things could happen or what kind of people you’ll meet!

Anyways, back to Chiang Mai and the surrounding areas…

So I arrived on the 9^th, and having some time to kill before all the festivities started so I met up with Marie and Emilie again for some adventures!

We took a whole day and went to Chiang Rai- about 3 hours North of Chiang Mai. Once there we visited the famous White Temple. There really are no words to describe this amazing structure. It’s entirely white and so detailed that you don’t know where to look or what to focus on! It’s set up so that you start in “hell”, a super creepy expanse of body parts and demons leading up to a bridge. Once you cross the bridge, you get to heaven, where angels and less demonic figures live. Then inside the temple is a sci-fi overload of… weird pictures. The artist of the White Temple intended it to be like the Mecca of Thailand- a place where Buddhists would make pilgrimages to in order to worship and pray. It was very interesting but so beautiful and mesmerizing!

(The White Temple)

We also visited some hill tribes in the northern mountains and hung out at the Golden Triangle for a while. The Golden triangle is the points where Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar (Burma) intersect. So I never set foot on these countries, but I got to see them all!

(Hanging out at the Golden Triangle)

Our big adventure was to Doi Inthanon National Park. Well we took the scenic route to get there, which translates to us arriving at the park 5 HOURS LATER! Along the way we stopped to hang out at a river, saw some elephants, and saw some beautiful views from the mountains!

Once you get high enough, the smog from the fires and the pollution dissipates and you can actually see the bonnie blue sky! We made it up to the Highest Point in Thailand and took some selfies to document the event! We also went and explored the gardens and pagodas and it was stunning! It was also about 65 degrees F on top of the mountain… the coldest temp I have experienced in 7 months! I had goose bumps! Well heading back down the mountain, we took an alternate route and arrived back in the city only a mere two hours later!

(One of The Royal Pagodas in Doi Inthanon National Park)

We also went to the Grand Canyon and worked on our cliff jumping skills! It was really cool to hang out in a canyon, jumping and swimming, and just enjoying the cool water on such a hot hot day!

(The Grand Canyon)

I went to this city mainly to hang out and experience Songkran. This is the Buddhist New Year and is quite the event! It “unofficially” started on the 12^th and concluded on the 15^th. Essentially the whole city turns into a water park during the day. People are driving around and throwing buckets of water on you, shooting water from squirt guns, and it is utter mayhem! Driving around the old town, you couldn’t go ten feet without getting drenched by Thai holiday-goers and falang wanting to take part in the fun.

The 13^th of April was the first official day of Songkran and it also happened to be my birthday! J So what did I do? I went and hung out with some elephants at the Elephant Nature Park. This was such a neat experience! I learned all about how the park rescues and cares for the elephants and how the park is working towards educating other elephant parks and sanctuaries about proper elephant care. It was such an insightful day and I loved getting to experience elephants in their natural habitats. We fed, bathed, walked with, and watched as the elephants roamed around and played. I couldn’t have asked for a better birthday!

(Cha Cha and I wishing you a happy Songkran!)

The rest of my time in Chiang Mai was spent hanging around the city, visiting more temples, checking out the many shops and stores and just enjoying my final days in Thailand.

I couldn’t have asked for a better way to end my Thailand journey. I am so glad that I stayed to experience more of Thailand and it’s culture. I met some great people, tried so many new kinds of food, and generally enjoyed the laid back lifestyle that Thais enjoy. It was great to see more of this beautiful country and I am glad that I had friends all along the way to spend that time with. My Thailand journey is now over and after 7 long months full of trials and tribulations, I am glad to be home. I learned a lot about myself and about the world and I am so thankful to everyone along the way who helped me and cared for me.

(Wat Chedi Luang in the Old City)

Ancient History

After a wonderful five days of finding sand everywhere, getting sunburned (I never learn), and relaxing on the beach, I boarded the night ferry from Koh Tao to Surat Thani. This was very… interesting… The ferry was a cargo boat that had a giant room filled with bunks. It was a restless nights sleep to say the least. The company I booked with provided me with transportation from the dock to the airport and with that I took my first domestic flight to Bangkok. From there, I booked a bus to Sukhothai, roughly a 5-8 hour ride depending on the bus. Due to unfortunate circumstances, I missed my bus and caught the next one, arriving at my guesthouse in Sukhothai at 3 am. Bleh. 

(At Home Sukhothai)

I stayed at the At Home Sukhothai Guesthouse and was very impressed. It is a comfy and cozy little inn that the owner transformed from her childhood home. Breakfast was included, which was delicious, and had I known how HOT it would’ve been, I would have booked a room with aircon. It was ridiculously hot and I didn’t get a full night sleep the whole time I was there.

My first day there, I walked around a bit and found some great little eateries and met some neat expats! All older westerners hailing from Germany, Sweden, and Norway! They offered me beer, great conversation, and tips about the city. One such tip being not to bicycle around the UNESCO World Heritage site in the devil fire heat of the afternoon. Best tip ever. So I rented a motorbike and set off in the setting sun to check out part of the historical park.

I only had time to tour the Northern area of the park before it got dark, but this was one of my favorites! Wat Si Chum is the highlight of the north and it is magnificent! There is a GIANT Buddha enclosed in a small space and it was unreal! You have to pay a 100 Baht entrance fee to the northern part (mainly just to see Wat Si Chum) but since Old Sukhothai is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, I didn’t mind. The North is a bit farther out of the way but most definitely worth a stop.    

(Wat si Chum)

After trying to sleep in a bit longer, very unsuccessfully I might add, I ate breakfast, filled up my water, and with selfie stick in hand, headed off to see the rest of the historical site! I spent the morning in the main part of the park. This part is so much easier to find and is enclosed in a fence, so you cant get too lost. Within this area are countless Wat, Stupas, Chedis, and Buddha statues! Let’s talk terminology for a second, it might be helpful…

Wat: a Buddhist temple in Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos and typically is a large room enclosing a large image of Buddha.

Stupa: is a Sanskrit word (and can be found in all Asian cultures) meaning “heap” and is a mound-like structure containing various relics of monks and is a place used for meditation.

Chedi: an alternative word for a Buddhist stupa that is mainly only used in Thailand.

Soooo anyways… The main part of the park is a must see too! Once again, it’s a 100 baht entrance fee, and once again… UNESCO… so once you are in, take your time and enjoy walking, cycling, or driving around the park! Wat Mahathat is at the center of the main part of the park and is the spiritual center of Sukhothai. It is very much alive and visited by Buddhists to this day.

(One of the many temple complexes in the main part of the park)

There are so many structures that I felt like I was in a maze trying to navigate through them! All are unique are special in their own ways! At each location is a little sign telling you the name and history and showing pictures of what the original and restorations look like. As with anything, time weathered these amazing structures and some had to be restored. Most were fixed up quite nicely, but with others, it’s pretty obvious. Sad face.

There is also a Western and Easten park and once again you have to pay 100 baht to see them. But if you’re like me and get lost going down side roads, you can get in and around the park without paying! Hooray! No one will stop you and check to see if you have a ticket, so enjoy the ride.

(Time has faded them, but the details are still there!)

Sukhothai is Thailand’s own Angkor Wat and being built around the same time, it is easy to see the similarities between the two. Since I didn’t make it to Cambodia this time around, Sukhothai was a wonderful alternative to Angkor Wat. Also, if you’re coming from Bangkok and headed farther North, and want to experience some history, Sukhothai is the place to do it!

Under the Sea

Well I have another “favorite” to add to the list of reason I love Thailand. Koh Tao. Oh yes, this little tourist trap is quite the wonder! Yes it is crowded with tourists and Western things, but it holds so many precious finds!

First off, it is a prime place to learn to scuba dive, and this is what makes it so popular with the tourists. Everyone should take the chance to do a simple “Discover Scuba Dive” course. If you have the time, money, and interest, get a full certification! Cause when in Thailand right?! There are at least 66 different dive shops situated around the island, making it difficult to choose the right one. Some shops offer accommodation with the dive course, some don’t. That’s where the differences end really. All are PADI certified and recognized, and all of them have certified hundreds if not thousands of people.

(Marie, Emilie, Mitch, and I getting our DSD on!)

We chose to stay and dive with Coral Grand Divers. This is a decent little resort up on the main beach and our stay there was pleasant. I had an unfortunate run in with some bed bugs and a spider the size of my face (not even a joke, this thing was massive and I screamed a little bit) the first night there, but once moving rooms, everything was much better! The staff was very helpful and kind in helping to get me moved and with everything else.

Then came the Discover Scuba Diving course! Whoo what an adventure! Our instructor, Mitch, was phenomenal! He went over all the equipment, safety, and rules of scuba with us before actually working with the equipment. Next we practiced the skills in the pool. We practiced breathing and getting familiar with the art of breathing under water. After struggling with the equipment and getting used to carrying around scuba tanks and vests with all sorts of gadgets on it we swam in circles around the pool learning how to control our depth.

Break for lunch.

(Photo credit: Marie Bordeleau)

Finally! To the ocean! After a hearty meal, we headed off to sea on the Diving boat. We were accompanied by other groups doing various other courses- one was a Master course, one a Safety and Rescue course, a navigation course, and then there was our little trio of DSD.  Being the newbies, it took us a bit longer to get acclimated to art of scuba, but once we started descending the rope and the world under the water opened up, man was it breath taking! We were not any more than 15 meters under the water, but even at that depth there were so many wonderful things! The coral, the fish, the random cement blocks! Everything was amazing!

We went to two dive locations, the second of which was called The Japanese Gardens. Mitch told us that this was his favorite dive site because this was his first dive location. It was gorgeous! Spectacular! Astounding! The coral here was so colorful and it was all so different and unique! The fish were equally amazing. There were the usual simple little fishies and then there were larger, more colorful fish! You know Gil from Finding Nemo, well he was there, but he was so large! Much larger than I’ve ever seen those fish! Also the rainbow colored angel fish and long nosed fish that dart in and around the coral and people were there greeting us.

It was such an unreal experience to be under the water and looking at the world from a different perspective. It was an experience I’ll remember forever, and now… I want to get a full certification some day!

After a full day of adventuring, we were utterly spent from our time under the water, but we came home with more than just pruning fingers and salt water in our eyes.  We have memories that will last forever!

(Our wonderful modes of transportation around the islands)

The next day, my friends and I rented some kayaks and set off to a nearby island, Koh Nuang Yang. It was about a 30 minute trip of rigorous work there, but once arriving, we hiked and swam, and snorkeled in the crystal clear water! There’s a sandbar connecting the islands and it is a popular place to visit for the amazing view from a top one of the island’s peaks. After hanging out for a few hours, we started the trip back to Koh Tao, this time going at our own pace- aka, it took about an hour. We stopped to take photos and jump off the kayaks, and marvel at the wonders around us.

(Koh NuangYang)

On Koh Tao, I saw some of the most beautiful sunsets ever, met some fantastic people who shared their love for diving with us, ate the best Massaman curry, and was able to explore with some good friends. I couldn’t have asked for a better start to my April adventures!