Chiang Mai

The trip up to Chiang Mai took about a day. I chose to travel in the VIP bus, which sounded real cool, like me. It was pretty sweet, big leather reclining chairs, airplane-style entertainment and loads of snacks and drinks- shame I didn’t get a good picture. The morning of my move to the north I woke up quite sick, which was less cool. It took me out for a couple of days but I still really loved my 5 days in Chiang Mai! …

Cute old man running the Hostel:

🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 (the BEST!)

Being able to buy Thai prescription medicine instead of strepsil:

🔴🔴🔴🔴⭕️

That medicine including anti-biotics (which I didn’t take):

🔴⭕️⭕️⭕️⭕️

Food:

🔴🔴🔴🔴⭕️ (SPICY!)

Vibezzz:

🔴🔴🔴⭕️⭕️

Polluted air:

⭕️⭕️⭕️⭕️⭕️

7-eleven experiences:

🔴🔴🔴🔴⭕️

MEETING ELEPHANTS!!:

🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 (the BEST! P2)

It was dark by the time I got to my Hostel: Chiza. The man running it came out of his little shop that was right next door, selling beautiful dresses and bags that his wife makes 🥺❤️. It was a very warm welcome, with a whole array of drinks and snacks that I was free to take at any time with no charge, very sweet. I had booked a bed in a female-only dorm for six, but because I was the only woman there he let me have the two-bed dorm all to myself. This turned out to be such a blessing because I only got more sick and was coughing so much! In the two days that I spent there resting some girls came and went, without me keeping them awake with my disturbing frequency of coughing fits. I figured I might as well see what the pharmacist recommended instead of just going to the supermarket and getting random stuff. I just accepted whatever she gave me and looked it up when I got back to my room. 2/3 was pretty good but the other was anti-biotics, which I didn’t even take when I felt like my tonsillitis was going to kill me in previous years. I tried to give it back to them but she just laughed and said “I’m sure you’ll need it at some point” which honestly could have been interpreted as a threat. I guess I’ll hold on to them for a little while…

During my days of illness I did wander to a cute little park, chattering away to Bas between my sympathetic sickness sounds. I also went to a cute cafe and tried to set up this darn website, which I managed eventually with Dad’s help (shout-out to lego.dougal.nl). Also planned the next couple steps of my trip: The Chiang Mai Zoo, Botanical Gardens, cooking class and walking with elephants.

The zoo was disappointing because their whole shtick is having a panda, which I wanted to see. But there was no panda! And no koala bears either and “orangutan dead”. So yeah, helaas pindakaas. It was still interesting to be the only one walking through the park, everyone else was going round in golf-carts or taking this taxi-bus thing. One of my highlights was realising sheep are exotic here and so they had an enclosure and there were at least 20 different turtle-esque animals. Also a really big crocodile or alligator or whatever, which was even more scary when I realised they’re actually native to where I am. No swamp excursions for me!

The botanical garden was really lovely and it was a beautiful day. I found some inner peace strolling through endless greenery in all shapes and sizes. Highlights were the “breathing garden” with all types of plants that stimulate fresh and full breaths, which was real! And the red-clay path which you had to walk barefooted and was actually quite a nice relief after all the walking from that day.

The cooking class was at an extraordinary location and I had a lot of fun learning how to cook…

… some Thai dishes, haha! (I cook!😤🔥) Hopefully I can remember what to do when I get back! I left feeling very full and very content as I had loads of laughs with the people in my class/group.

Then there was meeting the elephants. It took a couple hours to get to the sanctuary and we got picked up around 7AM, but that didn’t ruin any of the fun. It was a no-touch sanctuary, which is rare, but seems most ethical. We were dressed as local farmers, so the elephants would see us as the same as their caretakers. Suspicions were raised when non of the actual care-takers or tour-guide wore the outfits though. More cooking-skills added to the itinerary as we made the elephants some food (mashed up fruit, grass and rice- yum!). We got to feed them from up-close and then went on a 3/4 hour hike through the jungle, walking side by side to these magnificent mammals. They are stunning, cunning, silly and very funny. This was definitely a very special experience.