Welcome to the Jungle

December 24, 2016August 9, 2017Leave a comment

Cross zip lining off the bucket list! Our first tourist excursion in Chiang Mai was spent flying through the trees, gawking at cute little gibbons, and taking in the beauty of the rainforest.

There are a few zip lining tours to choose from (Dragon Flight, Jungle Flight, Eagle Track) and with ads for the Flight of the Gibbon posted on every other tuk tuk, I was a bit skeptical at first. However, after reading a number of positive reviews and watching a video or two, we were persuaded (mostly by the chance to see gibbons).

Included in the 3999Baht per person fee, you receive hotel pick up and drop off, approximately 2-3 hours of zip lining and trekking through the rainforest with a small group and two “Sky Rangers”, a yummy lunch accompanied by delightful Thai music, and a quick trip to a waterfall.

Zip lining was more exhilarating than we had imagined and to top it all off, we got to see gibbons playing in the trees!!! Our “Sky Rangers”, Zen and Thorn, were fun-loving and did an outstanding job of making us feel safe whilst instilling the right amount of fear (for jest). It was worth every penny and we would do it all over again in a heartbeat.

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To book your Flight of the Gibbon adventure, click HERE.

3 rainy days in Chiang Rai

December 22, 2016August 9, 20172 Comments

Chiang Rai is a city about 3-4hrs north of Chiang Mai. Sean and I planned to stop there for a day or two on our way to the national forest park, Phu Chi Fa. Our original intention was to go hiking up the mountains to watch what is supposed to be an amazing sunrise. Unfortunately we could not predict the weather and a storm forced us to change our initial plan. We turned rainclouds to rainbows and made the most of our time in the northern town of Chiang Rai.

Here are some of the highlights:

White Temple

Wat Rong Khun, known to tourist as The White Temple, was created by Chalermchai Kositpipat as an art exhibit in the style of a Buddhist temple. Easily the most “majestical” temple I’ve seen thus far, this sparkling shrine was especially spectacular on a dark and cloudy day. The white buildings are covered with fragmented glass giving them a beautiful shimmer and glow straight out of a fantasy. My favorite part is the mural inside the main structure (or ubosot). To get there you must pass the concrete sea of outreaching statue hands and cross over the bridge of “the cycle of rebirth”. A large mural of flames and demons covers the walls in the ubosot. Dispersed throughout are idols of western culture – Michael Jackson, Harry Potter, the Terminator, Jigsaw, and superheroes – representing the evil devotions of mankind. For 30Baht we inscribed out names on a small, silver ornament to be hung with thousands of others, leaving our mark in this enchanting edifice.

Black Temple

Almost the polar opposite of the above, the Baan Dam (or the Black House) is a museum/art studio created by Thai artist, Thawan Duchanee. We immediately felt a dark and eerie vibe consuming the museum grounds when we arrived. Dark clouds and heavy rain pour definitely intensified the creepiness of the snake and crocodile skins, buffalo horns, and animal skulls adorning the walls and tables. In spite of the sinister decor, there is something hauntingly enticing and beautiful about Baan Dam. Definitely worth checking out!

Cat n’ a Cup

Apparently there are quite a few cat cafes throughout Thailand but this is the first one that Sean and I had seen. The name says it all – hangout with some cats while you drink your cappuccino. I wouldn’t consider myself a cat person but I do love animals and being without our dogs for so long (and also learning of Trump’s victory that very morning), I needed something cute and cuddly to cheer me up.

Reggae Home & Bar – (Facebook page)

The best night in Chiang Rai was spent getting drunk and making friends with some locals. We were wandering through the streets looking for a place to have a drink and recalled a small reggae bar in a nearby alley. As we approached the bar, we were quickly beckoned in and offered free food (meats on a stick and pad thai). The bar was pretty much empty but it had a chill vibe and the young owners couldn’t be friendlier. Apparently it was their very first day and we were their very first customers (aside from a few friends there for support). We ended up staying for hours – drinking beer and taking shots.

Night Bazaar

Aside from the few scattered bars, there is not much of a nightlife presence in Chiang Rai. Wanting a low key evening, we headed to the Night Bazaar for drinks, a light dinner, and some window shopping. Most of the food stalls served hot pots and your standard Thai dishes. We opted instead for bugs and beer. We scanned over the grasshoppers and cockroach-like bugs and settled on the safer looking silk worms piled on a paper plate.

Chiang Rai Beach

Don’t be deceived, Chiang Rai is far from the ocean and not at all like a beach. Instead we found a path along the river and small huts where we could sit back, relax, and drink a couple beers. The ‘beach’ was quiet and empty with the exception of a few locals napping in huts nearby. I could have easily sat there for hours enjoying the breeze and the occasional boats passing by, but sadly we had to catch bus back to Chiang Mai.

Trazy offers a one day trip from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai. Interested? Click HERE for details.

Thai Massages

December 20, 20164 Comments

When it costs $6-10 USD for an hour massage, why wouldn’t you get them ALL THE TIME?!? We’ve now spent over a month in Chiang Mai and have had our fair share of rub downs. One thing we’ve gathered from our numerous experiences – Massages are like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get.

It is rare that we leave a spa with the same experience. A lot depends on the masseuse/masseur which come in all shapes and sizes: little old grandmas, young men, even younger girls. Nonetheless, it is impossible to predict their skill level based on appearance. Sean received a weak, lackluster massage from a strong looking dude while I was left pounded and tenderized by a petite lady. Sometimes they put the perfect amount of pressure in just the right spots and other times they lackadaisically slather you with oil for 60 minutes.

Your surroundings can also play a major role in the overall experience. Nothing beats a dim room with the AC blasting, mellow tunes, and soft scents of lavender. On the contrary, a loud group of Chinese tourist, seeing a mouse run up the wall, or a chatty staff can ruin the best back rub.

Despite the uncertainty of each massage, it is hard to complain when they are so freakin’ cheap. With only have a couple of weeks left in Chiang Mai we will continue to take our chances.

We’re BAAAACK!!!

December 18, 20162 Comments

After a few weeks of traveling through Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur) and Myanmar (Yangon, Nyaung Shwe, Bagan, and Mandalay), we are back to our apartment in Chiang Mai.

Back to pad thai, khao soi, cheap massages, TV (with HBO), decent wifi, and most of all…back to blogging!

The hardest part about being back is figuring out what to do with our first day.

Here are the items on the agenda:

Blog! (This being the first post of many) – I am so behind and have a bunch of drafts yet to finish. Time to get back to work.
Watch Rogue One: A Star Wars Story – The Thai subs may get annoying but this is our only chance to see it in theaters. Plus, movies here are super cheap (about $4-5 USD).
Chow down– Pad kra pao for breakfast, khao soi for lunch, and pad thai for dinner. Perhaps a mango mania smoothy at the mall, too.
Pedicures – You don’t want to know about the number Myanmar did on our poor feet.
Massages – Massages every day for the rest of the week.
Going through expenses – Not because we want to, but because it is necessary. Fingers crossed we have enough money for Vietnam in January.

So much to do, so little time.

Burgers and Burritos

November 28, 2016November 28, 20162 Comments

The two types of cuisine we knew we would miss most while in Asia: burgers (specifically In-N-Out) and Mexican food.

Burgers

Most cafes/restaurants in Chiang Mai serve burgers and there are even a couple McDonalds and Burger Kings in the city. We’ve gotten the craving for a good ol’ fashioned cheeseburger a couple of times thus far. While they served as a much needed break from Thai food, neither burger hit the spot.

Smith Residence Burger

Our apartment building has a restaurant with authentic Thai food. They also make a decent American breakfast. Since we’d be staying here for a couple of months, I figured I’d give their burger a try. All of the necessary elements were there – bun, meat, cheese, lettuce, tomato – but it was far from what I was craving. The burger itself was small, the patty was dry and flavorless, and the cheese was cold.

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Damn Good Burgers and Fries

Don’t let the name fool you as it did us. They were more like so-so burgers and acceptable fries. Though it was much better than the one at Smith Residence, the cheeseburger was nothing to get excited about. I might eat it again if I were desperate, but there are other burger joints to try first.

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Mexican

I knew it would be impossible to find Mexican food that would compare to what we have in California, but sometimes a girl just needs a burrito. We’ve tried two of the higher-rated restaurants around Old City – El Diablo and Loco Elvis – both were better than I was expecting.

El Diablo

The food at this hole in the wall is just ok but they serve a strong-ass margarita to make up for it. The more drinks you have, the more authentic the food becomes. The chips are thick but surprisingly tasty and the salsa isn’t much unlike that of a California Cantina.

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Loco Elvis

Thai people love Elvis! The chips here were inedible and the salsa was warm, but the pork chimichanga was something that I will go back for. Especially since they have live music and karaoke on certain nights.

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Taco Bell – sort of.

Quesadillas, burgers, and burritos!!! We didn’t try this cart but had to snap a photo. Not sure if the line was long because the food was good, or if the tourists were drunk. My bet is on the latter.

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Aroy Aroy – Thai Cooking School

November 25, 2016November 26, 20163 Comments

Gordon Ramsay, who? The master chef within us has awoken and we are ready to take on the culinary world! Ok, maybe I exaggerate…but our skills have reached a new level after an incredible day at Aroy Aroy Thai cooking school in Chiang Mai – http://aroyaroyschool.com.

There are many cooking schools with great reviews to choose from but we decided on Aroy Aroy for two main reasons: 1) they take you by riverboat to get to the market and 2) the dishes I wanted to learn most were taught in their ‘Chef’s Favorites Course’.

We arrived to Aroy Aroy at 9:30am to meet our teachers, Chef ‘A’ and Chef ‘O’, and the other students (11 total). Shortly after settling in and chatting with our new peers, we jumped on the boat for a short trip up the Ping River to the Warorot Market.
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Chef ‘A’ guided us through the market while teaching about the Thai culture, flowers, ingredients, etc.

After about an hour, we returned to the cooking school by boat, put on our aprons, and were assigned to our very own cooking stations.

Our first dish, som tom (my favorite spicy salad), was the perfect starter. The key is in the sauce which requires the perfect combination of fish sauce, tamarind, and palm sugar – three ingredients found in many Thai dishes.

Next up, the most well know and most popular Thai dish in the world, pad thai. I was amazed at how quick and easy it was to make pad thai that tasted better than any take-out I’ve ordered in LA.

Finally, the meal I had been waiting for – KHAO SOI!!! The deep red color of the soup comes from slowly adding coconut milk to the curry paste as it heats in the wok. The more curry paste, the spicier (and the more delicious if you ask me). Sean’s bowl was especially yummy!!

We were satisfied and stuffed after the khao soi, but there was still more to learn. After the soup, we moved on to stir fried chicken and cashews. The ingredient that sets this stir fry apart from the rest is the roasted chili paste.

No meal is complete without dessert! We ended the day with a simple Thai specialty – mango sticky rice. Sweet mango is hard to find back home but here they are a dime a dozen. When combined with sticky rice and topped with coconut milk you get the perfect confection.

By the end of the day we could barely move (but it was totally worth it). We gained new friends, a wealth of knowledge, and about 5 extra pounds.

Thanks to Chef ‘A’ and Chef ‘O’ for being such wonderful teachers. And a special shoutout to Roy, the owner, an expat that came to Thailand to retire. His love for food brought him into the cooking school business. Aroy Aroy is a true gem!

My dream to cook khao soi has become a reality and I am filled with joy (and food).

10 Things I’ve learned in Thailand (so far…)

November 15, 2016November 15, 2016Leave a comment

Wearing make-up is a waste of time. It will sweat off the moment you step outside. I have a tinted moisturizer and have only been using it for its SPF30 properties. Beyond that, waterproof mascara is the only thing that will stay on your face. Basically, forget trying to look presentable – it’s not going to happen.
My hair hates Thailand and Thailand hates my hair. “You have amazing hair” – a compliment that has never been bestowed upon me. There are girls that can let their hair air dry in humidity and still look like they just stepped out of a salon. I am not one of those girls. Without a hair dryer, flat iron, and cool, dry weather, I am the Lion King reincarnate. Thank God for hair clips, hats, and bandanas!!!
Just because it looks delicious, doesn’t mean it taste delicious (see our satay eating experience in my Chinatown Letdown post).
Adversely, food that looks disgusting can be some of the more delicious fare. Sausages fall far down on my list of favorite foods but there is something about the spices and herbs in the wursts here that give me nightly cravings. They may look green and brown with black spots but damn, they taste divine.
The best meals are served from a cart. Not only are they fractions of the price but they have been the tastiest meals I have had. The pad thai dishes ordered on the street have surpassed the same dish eaten from a restaurant, cafe, or bar.
It doesn’t have to be cold outside to enjoy a hot bowl of soup — but it does help to have a fan pointed in your direction. If there is one thing I have fallen hard for in Chiang Mai, it is a hot bowl of khao soi (My new love). I could eat it all day every day for the rest of my life – no joke.
Beer is best served over ice. Unless you like warm beer…
Thai people don’t sweat. I’m over here in a tank top sweating bullets while bro is bundled up in a jacket, eating a hot bowl of soup, dry as a bone. WTF?!
Thailand is cover crazy. The coffee shops and bars play a lot of popular music but they are all cover songs – many times with a slower, jazzy vibe. One bar/coffee spot in Nimmanhaemin area of Chiang Mai, Dude, Coffee!, had an entire Maroon 5 mix playing. Sean surprisingly tolerated the tunes because Adam Levine wasn’t the one singing.
Keep Wet Ones/toilet paper on you at ALL times. I already knew this, but I continue to remind myself because it is the most important lesson of all. You never know when the bubble guts will strike – and the last place you want to be is standing over a squat toilet without wipes.

Wat Phra Singh

November 13, 2016November 13, 2016Leave a comment

This is most sacred wat in Chiang Mai. We passed it on our way to lunch and decided to take a detour. What was meant to be a quick 20-30 minute meander became a two hour tour (and we didn’t even go inside the main temple room).

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I got lost (metaphorically speaking) in the temple gardens wandering from tree to tree, reading each proverb and reflecting on their teachings.

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As we were about to leave, a novice monk or “samanen” asked if we could sit and talk with him so he could practice his English. Som, a 19 year old man originally from Chiang Rai, decided to become a monk when he was 12 years of age. We chatted about his life and daily duties, his hometown, California, food, the weather, and loud tourists. In the end we exchanged thank yous, bows, and said goodbye. Within minutes he had moved on to another pair of visitors. Our only regret was not asking to take a photo with him.

I was born in the reign of King Rama IX

November 13, 2016November 14, 2016Leave a comment

On October 13th, a week and a half before our trip (and one month ago today), the world’s longest reigning monarch, Thailand’s revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej passed away. A somber and mourning mood could be felt immediately upon our arrival into the country. The airport walls, city streets, and even shopping malls are brimming with billboard sized pictures of the beloved king. Memorials can be found in most establishments and temples, candles line the streets of the night markets, and people wear all black or pin black ribbons to their shirts to commemorate his majesty.

It is astonishing to witness a country so devoted, loving, and loyal to its leader (especially with all that is going on in the states right now).

Thailand will be in mourning for 1 year and no celebrating (including live music) is to take place for 30 days. The nightlife since we’ve arrived has been nonexistent – bars that are typically jam-packed have been quiet and empty.

Things are about to change now that the 30 days have passed and tourist season is coming into full swing. While we are excited to hear some live music, the kickback bar scene that we’ve enjoyed will soon be rampant with young, rambunctious travelers ready to drink, bump, and grind. Hopefully they will be respectful of the Thai people in their time of grieving.

The Rose of the North

November 11, 2016November 11, 2016Leave a comment

Chiang Mai is everything we were hoped for, and then some. It didn’t take very long for us to become smitten with our new home (for the next couple months). Friendly locals, bustling night markets, delectable eats, cheap massages, and temples galore – what’s not to love?

The Smith Residence

Our apartment is just outside the old city, south of Chiang Mai Gate. We have decent sized room with a microwave, TV, fridge, spacious bed, and a well working air conditioner. Sean has to get on his knees to take a shower (guess it doesn’t always suck to be short) but besides that, we are pleased with our accommodations. The complex also has a rooftop gym and pool that is open from 6am-9pm.

Transportation

Tuk tuks wait on every street corner and while there are a few standard taxis, most people get around using red trucks with oversized campers (songthaews) that serve as mini busses which can take multiple riders at a time. They are not metered but are a bargain when compared to tuk tuks.

Food, food, and more food

We have barely scratched the surface when it comes to Northern Thai cuisine. Khao soi is my obvious go to (My new love) but there is so much more to be discovered.

Of course we had to hit up the notorious “lady with the cowgirl hat” for her khao kha moo (slow stewed pork leg). It was some of the juiciest, tastiest, most tender pork I’ve ever eaten!

the woman, the myth, the legend – number 1!!!

khao kha moo from Khao Kha Moo Chang Phueak

Here are some other noteworthy dishes we’ve had so far:

Chicken Noodle Soup from Buathip

gai yang from SP Chicken

Thai rotee with banana and chocolate

Smoothies are a typical refreshment here in Thailand. Our favorite so far has been the mango mania smoothie from Mango Mania in the MAYA Lifestyle Shopping Center. It was thick and sweet and could cure any heat stroke in three sips.

Italian, Mexican, Irish, fast food – they have a decent variety to choose from. Aside from the occasional American breakfast, we’ve only eaten Thai. At some point I’m sure we will crave a burrito or some tacos but I predict a disappointing experience. Stay tuned for that…

EFFIT, LET'S GO

travel like there's no tomorrow

Category: Travel