Chaing Mai

Hi,

This last weekend was spent in Chiang Mai and it was amazing. We left early Friday morning at 1:30 AM and arrived in Chaing Mai around 8 o'clock. We checked into our hostel but left shortly after to attend the cooking class that was first on our schedule. A tuk tuk picked us up and drove us to the market where they would show us what foods we were going to use. Then we took the tuk tuk over to the cooking teacher's house. (A tuk tuk is how people get around in Thailand and its baiscally a mix between a taxi and a bus.) The first of the seven courses was soup. We had 3 or 4 soup dishes to choose from and I made a Hot and Creamy soup.

 I made mine too spicy so it was hard to eat but it was really delicious. The second course was a noodle dish. I made Pad Thai and I was so proud of myself. I also made a Massaman Curry (first a curry paste then the actual curry dish), Cashew Chicken, Thai Spring Rolls and the best thing I have ever eaten, Mango Coconut Sticky Rice. It was the greatest thing I have had in a while.

Massaman Curry

Heaven

The class was over by 3PM and I vowed I would never eat again. So we went back to our hostel and while some of my group went to get massages, I took the best nap of my life. 

When I woke up from my nap, we went straight to the Night Bizzarre in Downtown Chaing Mai. This was one of the many night markets. I bought some stuff but not a ton because we were going to another market the next night. I tried to barter but it's harder than I thought. 

That night we somehow got hungry again around 9PM and went to an Italian restaurant. It was heavenly eating something that wasn't rice. Living in small town like Phichit, you come to appreciate the things you took for granted, like diversity. The next night we had Mexican food which was also the best thing ever.

Saturday was eventful. Our first stop of the day was Panda Tours where we would ride elephants (didn't even see a panda). Our tour guide was very energetic but I was just glad he spoke English. When we got to the elephant sanctuary, we changed into some blue jumpsuits that were beyond fabulous.

This is a baby elephant and when you feed him a banana, he kisses your cheek!

We got to feed the elephants first and learn how to control them. We practiced getting up on them and it was so funny. To get up on a bareback elephant, you grasp its ear and the skin flab near its front leg and you hop on its foot and it lifts you to its shoulders. It was really scary and cool. We rode the elephants for an hour or so through the jungle and in a river. At the end of the ride, we got to bathe in the river.

It was probably the coolest thing I will ever do.

Later that day we drove up to the Tiger Kingdom. They have tigers there of all shapes and sizes. You have to choose which size of tiger you want to take pictures with and then you pay accordingly. The baby tigers were the most expensive so we just did the medium sized tiger because it was the cheapest. 

I promise this tiger is alive. The group pic was taken after the one of me. They only allow you to be in the room for 15 minutes and it went by really quickly. Especially with the six of us all wanting good photos. 

The rest of the night was spent at the market and at the Mexican restaurant. Pretty solid day. 

We were leaving the next day but first we went to the LDS church around the corner from our hostel. We wore headsets and the missionaries translated the meeting for us. It was pretty great. 

Our last stop before home was in Chaing Rai at the White Temple. 

There is so much detail it blew my mind. It was so beautiful. The temple had a theme of Heaven vs. Hell so there were a lot of creepy looking statues and morbid sculptures.  

 

I bought this little ornament for 30 baht and you are supposed to write a wish on it and then they hang in on those things in the background. So that was fun.

We drove home and the drive was long and I didn't get a lot of sleep. Not much to tell. 

But this weekend was all around amazing and best weekend in Thailand so far.

XOXO,

Susy