I'm Going to Chiang Mai...

...in December for three weeks, then southward to Sukhothai, Lopburi, and Bangkok (then maybe a 2-nights train ride to Singapore). The second largest city, or the Rose of the North, is a keystone of any journey to Thailand. With a population of just 160000, Chiang Mai is deprived of the traffic jam and pollution that infest Bangkok. It boasts more natural forest cover than any other northern provinces. I plan to engage in biking, hiking, bird watching in addition to visiting culinary school (which offers day cooking class) and spa. More than 700 km northwest of Bangkok, Chiang Mai is the home of over 300 temples, almost as many as in Bangkok, but due to much smaller and condensed size of the municipal area, the temples constitute a circumstance that makes the city visually striking.

Most of my friends have ended up staying in Chiang Mai longer than planned because of the high quality and low price of accommodation, food, shopping, and the cool nights, and the friendliness of the people. I was surfing the net and found Soho Bar, which (in its own word) is the smartest gay venue in the entire city. Soho has a garden bar and a lounge, but what makes it special and catches my attention is the limited accommodation it provides. I e-mailed them and a very friendly Paddy Linehan promptly attends to the inquiry about accommodation, which is a suite with a sitting room and bathroom for 950 bacht a night (about US$23). Discount is available for staying a week. It has very nice ambience and is serviced daily.

I have a feeling that Chiang Mai will be less toursy spot than Bangkok or Phuket so my copy of Buddhist Scriptures will come in handy to prepare me for the few of the ornately decorated temples. The most famous ones include Wat Phra Singh, which houses the Sinhalese Buddha; Wat Chiang Man, the oldest temple dated c1300; Wat Chedi Luang (with an enormous ruined landmark chedi) and Wat Phan Tao (entirely constructed from teak). Wat Jet Yod and Wat Suan Dawk, a little out of town, are both over 500 years old and have fascinating histories.

A trip to the top of the 1676m-high Doi Suithep will be the trip's highlight. The peak presides over the west of the city and is the home of Thailand's most revered temple. Increasingly popular are trips to the excavated old Chiang Mai settlement of Wiang Kum Kham, southwest of the city. These 13th century ruins were only recently re-discovered. Chiang Mai is also a good launching point for hill treks which include river rafting, elephant riding and visits to hill tribe villages. Being a free traveler I am, I hope I can do without a guide, but who knows?

I will keep everyone up-dated with the details and mechanics of the trip. Stay tuned. Happy Memorial Day weekend to everyone!