Unemployment Part 4 - Northern Thailand

Our trip (the plural here being Dakota, Michael, Drew, Jordan, and I) was part of a bigger travel group through Contiki. For those of you who have heard of Contiki, you'll have some preconceived ideas about it - namely it consisting of 18-20 year-olds who drink themselves into a stupor on random beaches. This isn't entirely inaccurate, though we knowingly and deliberately chose a trip that was more cultural and less adventurous.

In Thailand 'more cultural' means that instead of heading south from Bangkok into the party island-hopping scene, we took an overnight train north to Chiang Mai. Overnight trains are a pretty foreign concept to people outside of Europe and Asia. My perception beforehand was that they were archaic - an old-fashioned way to slowly get from one point to another while trying to avoid getting Agatha Christie-style murdered. And while still slow, even in Thailand they are quite comfortable, modern. and also pretty cool. Especially if the trip is with a group of good friends and new friends (effectively taking over an entire car), and especially if the Contiki trip manager, Shan, gives you her backup Halloween costume a week in advance.

Not pictured - Jordan parading the suit up and down the train car at 10 pm.

Each seat on a Thai overnight train flips down into an agreeable bed. Though I should point out that sleeping conditions aren't that great, especially on the top bunk (as Rhiannon has pointed out in her travel blog). We had a good 15 hours of food, cards (in one of the strangest revelations of the trip Emma from Sydney knew how to play Euchre!), and monotone train rumble to get to know our fellow world travelers.

In Chiang Mai the next morning, the majority of our group went on a 4-5 hour trip to an elephant sanctuary. The pictures from that looked really fun - bathing with elephants, feeding elephants, sliding down muddy hills with elephants - but Michael and I decided to stay behind and enjoy our hotel pool, a massage, and Chiang Mai's curiously fun 3D Art Museum with Emma and Shan.

Philadelphia meets Thailand.

Most scenes have a 'Take photo from here' spot that emphasizes the perspective.

"But I don't want to be shown a whole new world."

Northern Thai food holds a strange, cult-like fascination among foodies. With its eclectic mix of spices, fresh veggies, pork (mainly deep-fried but also minced), and mango sticky rice that makes my mouth water as I type this, it really does stand out. Chiang Mai, being the largest city in northern Thailand, is the epicenter for this culinary genre. That evening we took part in a cooking class hosted by Perm and his immodestly named "The best thai cookery school," which begins in the Chiang Mai market before mini-busing to his facility nestled among idyllic rice paddies.

Learning about ginger or something.

This one is really hot, and this one...is also really hot.

Not a bad view to mince garlic to.

In probably the most miraculous part of this experience, every single person in our group lit a fireball and no one got injured. 

Does food taste better or worse after a near death experience?

That evening we went back to the market, which sounds tame and wholesome until you realize that it was to watch a ladyboy cabaret show. This might seem ludicrous to some of my more conservative readers, but it's actually an extremely entertaining show filled with lights, dancing, strutting, comedy, overtly feminine dress and makeup covering covertly masculine frames, and just a little bit too much crowd interaction...

But first Michael and I had to get our feet nibbled at the night market - strangely satisfying.

Dakota really embracing his Thai Rihanna.

A bunch of guys from our group, including Michael and I, were dragged backstage, forced to put on wigs and dresses, and then paraded around on stage for several minutes. I hated it in the moment, but remember it now with only moderate disgust.

With the shame of the night before fresh in our minds, we set off from Chiang Mai, leaving much to be hopefully explored on future visits. Our last stop in Thailand before crossing into Laos was Chiang Rai, the oldest city in Thailand. I don't remember a whole lot about Chiang Rai, other than a few interesting stops in and around the city. First, Cabbages and Condoms. This pit stop restaurant and shop and small peacock zoo (?) was set up to promote family planning and HIV/AIDS prevention with the idea that "condoms should be as ubiquitous as cabbages." Anyway we stopped and took a group picture.

Nothing screams sexual safety like cartoon condoms. 

Second was Wat Rong Khun, more commonly called the White Temple. It's strange, out in the middle of nowhere. It gushes with eye-catching sculptures and shapes, not to mention a shininess that made me feel like I needed blinders just to walk through it. 

Manicured. Serene.

Oh, this is not what I was expecting.

Seems a little ornate for a Buddhist temple.

Are those hands?! 

And finally, Chiang Rai's lovely little night market, where the spiciest hot pots were served over burning coals. As if we needed more heat added to our oppressively muggy environment.

Very thankful for approximate English translations at most night markets in Asia.

Next up:  we go very remote on a riverboat trip down the Mekong in Laos.

Cheers!

Bonus:  more Asia animals!

In most versions of my memories of this trip, I don't regret missing the elephants.
But looking at pics like this summons creeping remorse.

This bird bit my finger ten seconds after this photo. I don't think I contracted anything.

Our northern Thailand coach bus had a creepy knockoff Finding Nemo theme. We lovingly called it "Searching for Gleemo."