First Impressions of Chiang Mai, Thailand
November 5, 2016
Although I’ve been fighting a cold since we got here, we’ve been out to explore every day and have made some first impressions of Chiang Mai, Thailand. Without a set schedule or routine this week, we eat and nap when we need to and jet lag doesn’t seem an issue any more. There are a couple of topics I would like to share. The first has to do with how we feel about living in a studio apartment in the city. The second is why we are living in a studio apartment in the city of Chiang Mai.
Smith Suites
This apartment is better than we expected. The building is secure. Even the gate to the street is closed at night. We have a king size bed, a small table with 2 chairs, a kitchenette with 2 burners, a fridge and a microwave. The bathroom has a shower with a hot water dispenser, toilet and sink. Everything is new and clean. There are lots of cupboards and even little shelves and drawers in the bed so all of our stuff fits easily. I am enjoying living simply. It feels like when we travelled in our trailer. Everything has a place and you really only have what you need.
The maids come in twice a week to clean and change the bedding. I’m really having to adjust to having my sheets changed so often! We had an opportunity to move into a one bedroom apartment starting next month, but we decided to stay here and continue living small. It was in the other building and although we don’t have anything to sit on beside wrought iron bistro chairs, or the bed, we have a lovely outdoor space.
There is a pool on the 8th floor overlooking the city and the mountains and a workout room on that level with bikes, treadmills and weights. The yard on the north side of the building is large with grass, flowers and orchids growing on the tree trunks. A plant covered pergola has tables and chairs with a light for evening relaxing. It is shady most of the day. This is important because our south facing window lets in a lot of heat that makes the air conditioning essential. I like to turn it off and go outside. The temperature has been around 30 by day and down to about 21 at night, but not as humid as I expected. My hair loves it. We had one rain shower this week, but are entering the traditional dry season. It should be a few degrees cooler with almost no rain.
This is primarily a long stay building. I think it has 42 units of studios and one bedrooms. There is big book exchange shelf in the lobby as well as an indoor sitting area. After noon, you can buy cold beer 620 ml for $3 or coke for .50. There is usually someone at the front all day, as well as the man who looks after things outside. I watched him trim individual leaves off the plants outside today.
Chiang Mai City
If you have to live in a city, then I think this is the right one. The old city is a couple of blocks north of us and is surrounded by a moat and a ring road. Many of the historical buildings, museums and several markets can be found there. This ring road can be a challenge to cross since pedestrians do not have the right of way on the road and driver’s do not own their lane like we do at home. Here, it’s every man, tuk tuk, songthaew, bicycle, car, and bus for himself. Red lights usually have 3 or 4 cars go through, even after those who have the green have started. It’s scary to watch but we haven’t seen any accidents yet.
Most of the neighborhood traffic are scooters, a few cars or tuk tuk’s- which are like a 3 wheeled motorbike with a double seat behind for paying customers. The songthaew is a truck with a topper. It has 2 benches along each side. You can hail one to take you where you may need to go. Some have a set route like a bus, but some base the route on their passenger’s destinations. They cost $1-2 a trip.
Our neighborhood
We also have a couple of roosters in our neighborhood. The sound of the fan running all night seems to block most of the other city noise.
The streets closest to us are more like alleys. They are paved but don’t have sidewalks on them. There are often cars and scooters parked along them and sometimes food carts. Drivers are on the left here so I just have to remember to walk on the side that makes me feel uncomfortable. There are pots of plants along all the roadways and trees in every yard. From the pool you can see a roof of a building that is entirely covered with plants so that you can’t tell what kind of surface it really is. The smell is taking some getting used to. It’s not bad, just different from home.
There are so many little businesses in every block. We found coffee shops/tailors/tattoos/massage places/cold drinks/little food carts/and bars. There are at least a couple of guesthouses on every street as well that mostly those offer a room with a fan or AC. One advertised a room with an X box. These seem popular with backpackers.
Food and services
We have calculated that eating out is almost the same price as eating in. A full egg and toast breakfast is about $4 with coffee. Last night we had panang curry with chicken and rice and pad thai with prawns for 165 Thai Bhat. That is $6.31 Canadian for 2 dinners. We ate that in a restaurant in the sister complex to this one.
We can have our laundry washed and dried across the road for about $1.50/kg. That seems worthwhile to me to provide a job for someone.
I’ll share some pictures for now then tell you more next time about our visit to a grocery store, the British Legion meeting, the expat’s club, the night market and our first wat visit.
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- Grilling fish and scooter block the way.
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- Small streets nearby
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- Orchids growing on the trunk
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- Bloom’s restaurant across the street
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- L’Opera bakery menu
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- Amazing electrical system
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- Songthaew. Passengers sit in benches along the side of the box.
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- Small wat or temple
A Personal Tour of the Great Wall of China and a little lunch!!!
November 3, 2016
I’ll let Peter share his version of our arrival in Beijing Airport and I’ll start at the part where we actually meet up with Michael and Grace that I talked about previously. They had graciously agreed to give us a personal tour of the Great Wall of China and then take us out for lunch. Our outbound flight for Chiang Mai didn’t leave until 6 pm and our luggage had been forwarded so we had all day.
Journey to the Wall
It was about 6:30 am when we left the airport. We headed off in their Toyota Landcruiser to Mutianyu. This is a restored area of the wall that is north of Beijing. This is not the most famous views of the wall, but it is not as busy. Michael and Grace live in southern Beijing so they had not been to this one either. It is not as popular, and therefore they felt it would be less crowded. There was a clear blue sky and the temperature was around freezing. They said it was the first clear day in about a month without cloud and high levels of pollution. On the way there, I was amazed at how easily drivers just go with the flow. Scooters, bicycles, pedestrians, cars, buses and even donkey-pulled carts all seemed to coexist with relative ease.
Traffic near Beijing. Lanes are just a guideline.
Lane markings and left turns on green lights just seemed to be guidelines. Fortunately the traffic was travelling at a reasonable speed so adjustments could be frequently made.
Need a toilet in China?
In the USA you ask for the restroom. In Canada you ask for the washroom. In China and Thailand you ask for the toilet. At the visitor center at MuTianYu the stalls were marked poddy or squat. There were a couple of poddy stalls which were regular toilets for tourists but the majority of the stalls contained toilets where the porcelain bowl is below floor level. You stand on either side and squat to prevent you from having to sit on a seat touched by someone else. There was toilet paper in the hand wash area, but none in the stalls. Fortunately my hiking pants have a regular emergency stash. The paper is disposed of in a basket, however, and not in the toilet as we are used to at home. These squat toilets flush, but some places have a pail of water nearby and you are required to add your own to flush it away.
The Wall itself
We took a shuttle bus up to the top of the road, then wandered past the market stalls which open at 7:30 am.
Marketplace at the entrance.
A chairlift took us to the top of the ridge where the wall followed the rugged hilltops as far as we could see in both directions. This section of the wall was originally completed in 1404 to protect the resources and rich trading center of Beijing from invaders from the north. There are watchtowers with 360 degree views at regular intervals. They have perfectly arched doorways and windows. There was also some housing for soldiers with separate quarters for the general.
The top of the wall itself is much wider than I expected. You could drive a carriage along it, except for all the steps. The spectacular fall colors, crisp clean air and clear blue skies only added to the experience of standing on a all that is over 600 years old. It was designed to be functional but it is beautiful as well as it follows the hills for thousands of km.
The four of us walked up and down hundreds of steps, admiring the views and construction from many angles. I had decided to check my tripod in our luggage because I expected to have way too many people around to use it effectively. It was getting busier when we left about 11 am but I have many pictures without anyone in them.
We finished our visit with a toboggan ride down the chairlift hill. The plastic sleds had brakes on them that worked really well. I was surprised how much control I had. There were a couple of ladies ahead of us who were much more nervous about gaining any speed so we often had to stop and wait for them, but it was fun nevertheless.
Photo Gallery
Click on individual photos to see in a larger view
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- Wall snakes over the ridges.
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- Watchtower
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- Had to pack clothes just for this day. -2C All worth it.
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- More steps
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- The text towards the hilltop is about paying tribute to Chairman Mao
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- Michael and Grace-our generous hosts
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- steep steps between sections
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- Such rugged terrain to build upon
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- “Guards: at the bottom added to the experience
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- Grace, Wendy, Peter, Michael
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- Incredible engineering
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- Phone panorama
Back to Beijing
We drove past small farms and orchards on our way back to the city. There were many little shops set up along the road and many people doing manual labor in the fields. Micheal and Grace shared with us about the discrepancy in lifestyle between the country and the city. Housing in the city is becoming very expensive, however, so many young adults either live with their parents, or their parents have to help them buy a house. Rent is not relatively as much, but most people want to own their home. We also saw lots of large company buildings. The majority of the signs we saw were in Chinese and in English as this country tries to develop a more global image. Even though the Chinese speak in many different dialects, their written language is the same for all.
Hadilao hot pot restaurant
We parked below a shopping area in a northern section of Beijing. There were many security people whose job it is just to direct people in the parkade and watch the vehicles. We saw many more people working here, in the restaurant and at the Great Wall attraction that we would see at home.
The 5th floor is all restaurants and we waited in the lobby of the Haidilao Hot Pot Restaurant for a table. While you are waiting you can have your nails touched up, your shoes shined or a game of chess, all for free. We got a table right away so didn’t get a chance to advantage of these services. The service we received once seated was quite amazing. I guess in China, only exclusive private restaurants offer much for service This franchise wanted to treat everyone very well.
The waitress brought us aprons to wear over our clothes and covered our coats on the back of the chairs with a heavy cloth to keep them clean. She even left a little glass cleaner package for Michael and I. Grace and Michael ordered off an ipad. The waitress brought us plates of thinly sliced beef, kidney and mutton, shrimp, tofu, mushrooms, large slices of potato, strips of kelp, slices of cow’s third stomach, a bowl of some kind of greens and finally a bowl of raw duck’s tongue.
Two large pots of soup were placed into a well in the center of the table. One was spicy and one was more plain. All the other items were cooked in the broth. We filled a bowl with a variety of items chosen to flavor our cooked food. Some of the flavors were familiar and many were not. There was garlic, sesame oil, crushed peanuts, spice mix, chili peppers, just to name a few. I wished I had taken a picture of the other items because by the time we worked through the meal, I was too overwhelmed to remember.
We tasted a rice “wine” that was 55 proof, and some Chinese beer. It was quite a mild flavored beer but that is all that is available in China. Michael said that he had tried several craft beers when he was in Canada and preferred them. The waitress also brought us a Chinese drink that tasted like thick iced tea and another drink that was creamy, warm and kind of purple colored that is made from beans. We spent a couple of hours trying everything.
Just before we left home I saw a quote by Anthony Bourdain from CNN who talked about eating in another country required you to apply the Grandma rule. “Eat whatever is on your plate, ask for seconds, smile and say thank you.” That was the rule we applied and to our surprise we had a delicious lunch. We were delivered back to the airport by 4:30 with plenty of time to go through security before our flight to Chiang Mai.
Video clip from lunch
The truth about sleeping on a plane and how we got on the Great Wall of China
November 2, 2016
Experimental Selfie before take off.
Sleeping on a Plane
I follow @JohnnyJet on Twitter. He offers travel tips and ways to save money on travel. I have appreciated many of his suggestions, except for a couple on this trip. He tweeted his views on how to sleep on a plane. They made so much sense as I read them. Bring slippers or cozy socks. He talked about business travellers changing into pajamas for the flight, then changing back into their suit just before arriving. He shared his views on using a sleep aid like melatonin as something that might make you too dopey in case of an emergency. Since we had a 12 hour flight from San Francisco to Beijing that left at 1:30 am, I was so ready to try all of these ideas.
Now I have to say that the suggestion to have noise cancelling headphones was fantastic. I found some Bose comfort 20 in ear headphones. They were expensive at $279 but I can use them for everyday music listening and they really did cancel the engine noise on the plane. This plane still used the double holes for the headphone plug. Bring an adapter if you have one.
I also brought a neck pillow. It’s old but it clips onto my day pack and is filled with little beads. I saw some at the airport that were inflatable that would take up less space, but I haven’t tried them for effectiveness. A light neck scarf helped me when the temperature fluctuated on the plane. Air China provided us with a small pillow, that I kept in the small of my back, and a blanket. I had brought a pashmina to use as a blanket or to pad the armrest, and it would do double duty as a wrap in Thailand if I had to sit in air conditioning too long.
The cozy socks were an epic fail. I did take my shoes off, but once the plane takes off, you can’t get at your feet to put anything else on. Maybe passengers in business class can manage it, but I couldn’t.
The thing I would add is to put all of your sleep-on-the- plane items in one mesh or plastic bag. You can then pull everything out and leave it under your seat while your carry on or day pack goes in the overhead bin. Otherwise, 12 hours is a long time to sit with a big bag stuffed in the little place where your feet are supposed to go.
We sat in a window and middle seat so one could lean against the wall, as recommended, but our aisle seatmate fell asleep at takeoff and awoke 8 hours later. He didn’t drink a single thing on the plane and never had to get up to use the bathroom. I hate to wake someone up, but there is no way to get out of an economy row otherwise. Getting out to change from pajamas to clothes would be right out of the question. We are sitting in the 2 aisle seats in the center section when we return, which should solve that problem. Even 2 seats together in the center section gives you 2 options to exit for a stretch.
And lastly, take a full water bottle. Those little cups they serve don’t hold nearly enough to keep you hydrated for your adventures, even if you do have to get up and use the washroom as a result. I must admit, however, that I did sleep for about 6 hours of the flight. They served dinner at about 3:30 am but I had a pretty decent nap after that.
Our plane took off for Beijing on time and I was surprised at the flight path. It followed the coast of North America, crossed over the Aleutian Islands and flew through Russia to China. I guess it is shorter over the northern part of the globe and this route was reassuring as we were always fairly close to land.
Going to Beijing
I know you have been wondering why we flew to Beijing on our way to Chiang Mai. It is story on its own, but I have other stories ready that come later so I am combining this one with the flight. The main idea is that you just never know how things will turn out when you talk to people.
We met Michael and Grace in September in Kicking Horse campground near Field, BC. They were from Beijing and were camping for the first time ever Their stove and fuel bottle didn’t match so they wanted to cook over the fire. The problem was wet wood, no ax and no fire building skills. Grace saw our fire and came to borrow our ax. The way she picked it up showed definite inexperience so Peter-Bachelor of Phys. Ed. in Outdoor Pursuits- offered to help. Grace had stumbled upon the best fire maker in the campground They enjoyed the fire but cooked their meal on our back up stove, which we sent with them for the remainder of their trip through the Rockies and all the way to Yellowstone.
They returned the favor by cooking us a Chinese breakfast the next morning. We had fried eggs with soy/fish sauce, smoky pork sausages, pickled kelp and noodle soup, which isn’t breakfast food usually but it was on this day. When we explained our plans to travel to Thailand, they invited us to visit if we came to Beijing.
The most suitable flight for us from San Francisco included a 13 hour layover in Beijing, China. I thought that was enough time to either sleep or go out and do something. You can book tours to the Great Wall from the airport. I emailed Michael and Grace to see if this was the best use of our time and they offered to pick us up and take us there themselves. That is how we got a personal tour of the Great Wall of China on our way to Thailand and that is the subject of my next blog.
Finally packed and to the airport in San Francisco
November 1, 2016
Car lights on the bridge at twilight
This blog describes our last day on our road trip to the airport. My next one will share what I thought I knew about sleeping on a plane, and the truth.
Packing
I thought that packing everything a couple of weeks ago, then driving to California would make the day of leaving simple and stress free. While I felt less anxious on the days leading up to our departure, the day of our flight was another matter.
We had each packed a large, wheeled duffel bag. They are a great size for holding the clothes, shoes and extras we thought we wanted for 5 months of living…things like umbrellas, cards, extra camera supplies and a roll of toilet paper, which did in fact need on our first night in our hotel. The downside of these bags is that they are heavy due to the hardware of the handle and wheels. We were close for weight at home but had added and deleted a few things on our way. Without a scale, it was difficult to come with an exact measure for the airport weight.
We also had Pete’s golf clubs in their hard case. His shoulder and knee have been feeling much better and he found a golf course and driving range near to our location in Chiang Mai. He was looking forward to a winter of practice. He was also looking forward to a winter of playing his guitar while I was learning to better photo edit. We had checked on line, and the airline stated that both the golf clubs and the guitar would count as checked luggage. Since Air China allowed 2 free checked bags per person, that was a possibility, as long as we weren’t overweight on our other bags.
Guitar on a Plane
I also looked at stories online about how other musicians manage their guitars on flights. Sandwiched on a luggage cart is not really how you want it to travel. Most said that they took it as a carry on, kept the guitar in a soft case, then spoke nicely to someone on the plane about storing it in a coat closet or overhead bin. At the very least, it could be gate checked with the strollers and car seats. If that was possible, then we had space for the extra weight in another checked bag. If it wasn’t then we needed a carry on size bag for the things that might make our bags overweight.
Who would think so much energy could go into solving such a minor problem? In the end, we took along a carry-on size bag that was needed for the 3 kg we were over in our other bags. We checked it with the duffel bags and the golf clubs in the cargo and took our day packs and the guitar onto the plane. For both flights, the stewardesses were more than happy to find a safe place for the instrument to travel in the passenger part of the plane. The only preparation needed was to loosen the strings and Peter wrapped a yoga mat around it inside the bag for extra protection.
Golden Gate National Recreation Area
Once everything was loaded we began our final drive to the airport. Our flight was at 1:30 am but we wanted to spend a few hour in San Francisco first. Melissa took us on a quieter back road to the Bay area. We joined the 101 and turned west toward the Point Bonita lighthouse.
Pt. Bonita lighthouse
The first few viewpoints were packed with people late on this Saturday afternoon but it didn’t matter as the views from just above the lighthouse were spectacular. You could see back to the bridge and the city, the coastline south and west of the city, as well as the lighthouse. The light is functioning and it is still used by ships to find their way into the harbor through the fog.
City view from the lighthouse
The fog was rolling in along the horizon as we watched the sun begin to set into the clouds. We returned on another road back to the Golden Gate Bridge and drove over it. Knowing the engineering that went into its construction and the number of men who died building it , I am always in awe whenever I get close to it. We found Melissa’s top secret parking place and walked under the bridge for a few more photos of the area at twilight. The fog made the far side disappear at times. There were surfers in the waves that curl around the rocks and the bridge. It had cooled from 25 degrees in Stockton to 16 degrees in SFO, but the wind didn’t feel as cold as usual there. It was a perfect end to our road trip to the airport.
And it’s foggy again