For this portion of our trip, we embraced slow travel, which exposed us to several new experiences – including a few less touristy ones.

Bangkok again (sigh!)

We returned to Bangkok with hopes of catching an overnight train to Chiang Mai. Unfortunately, we realized too late that we weren’t the only ones trying to get to the lantern festival, which is a huge event in Chiang Mai. Since only third-class tickets were available (i.e. no beds or air conditioning) for this fourteen-hour journey, we bought second-class tickets from a third party for the following evening. And then we kept our fingers crossed that they were legitimate tickets.

We tried to make the best of the situation and found a nearby hotel room, then ate our way through Chinatown. We enjoyed our food so much – crab with glass noodles, oyster omelettes and custard cream buns, washed down with cheap beer – that I almost didn’t mind being stuck in Bangkok.

But we can’t seem to be able to escape Bangkok without at least a few strange experiences. That night, a woman down the hall started screaming in Chinese at 2 a.m. in three short, separate outbursts, for reasons that will forever remain a mystery. And yes, I was too chicken to venture into the hall to investigate for myself. Elise slept through the whole thing.

Then, desperate to kill time the next day, we ventured to the Unicorn Cafe. What a trip – the slideshow below gives an idea of how over-the-top it is. We had rainbow-colored cake and hot chocolate – both had marshmallow unicorn horns on top. You can even rent unicorn-themed onesies to wear while there.

That afternoon, at the Taling Chan floating market, we endured bad karaoke accompanied by an older woman (or perhaps a ladyboy, I couldn’t tell from my vantage point) dancing in a cheap “ballet meets nightclub” outfit. The whole experience felt out of place and completely bizarre.

We couldn’t handle any more adventures, so we went to the train station. There, we succumbed to watching a few hours of cheesy Thai game shows and reality dating shows projected on a big screen in the central terminal. Imagine our relief when we finally boarded the train and the conductor accepted our tickets! Bangkok, I dislike you but I’ll grant you this – you are not boring! But I might’ve lost my mind if I had to stay a minute longer.

En route

Our train was old. For example, the cover for the light fixture was attached to the ceiling with bandaids. But I kind of liked it that way. The beds were clean, and we shared our compartment with an interesting hippie French couple.

What is it about train travel that feels so magical? At dusk the next morning, I awoke and pulled back the curtains of my sleeping berth. The urban landscape had transformed itself to jungle vegetation, and I savored the moment by propping up my pillow and watching palm trees and monkey pod trees go by. 

Later, we lazily trudged to the old dining car for breakfast. It was another magical moment, eating a simple breakfast of coffee and toast with the windows flung open and the bright sun streaming in – accompanied by a music soundtrack resembling a Thai equivalent of reggae. There was something simple yet special about sharing that moment with random strangers – and it reawakened my senses to how fortunate I am to be on this amazing adventure.

Chiang Mai

Loy Krathong and Yi Peng Festivals

Loy Krathong, or the Festival of Lights, is celebrated at this time of year throughout Thailand (described more below). In Chiang Mai, it coincides with their Yi Peng festival. This is a full moon festival with sky lanterns, traditionally celebrated by the indigenous Lanna people.

Wats (temples) all over the city adorn their landscape with candles and illuminated lanterns for the festivities. On the first night, we wandered through a few wats and then watched a beautiful ceremony for novice monks at Wat Phan Tao. Unfortunately, it was mobbed with people and felt claustrophobic at times.

We walked to the river to watch Loy Krathong. Krathong are floating baskets made of banana leaves, flowers, and topped with three sticks of incense and a candle. Participants release them into the river in a ritual that signifies letting go of the bad in your life and welcoming in the good. It creates a beautiful setting but, here too, the streets leading to it and the banks of the river were crowded. By the time we returned to our hotel, we both felt pretty cranky.

The next night, we went to a Yi Peng festival outside of the city. The organizers did an incredible job with the decorations and the food. There were demonstrations of Lanna and Akha (hill tribe) traditions, including dancing, handicrafts, and fighting methods. We released krathong into a small pond in a much more intimate, enjoyable ceremony than the previous evening.

The actual lantern release was an amazing experience! We enjoyed figuring out how to successfully launch ours – though an early attempt burst into flames! It was absolutely magical seeing thousands of lanterns drifting toward the sky. Participating in Yi Peng has been on my bucket list as long as I’ve had one, and it absolutely lived up to my expectations.

Other Chiang Mai Experiences

We spent a very special day at an elephant sanctuary, assisting with the care of three elephants (including the cutest three-year-old!). We cut their sugar cane into smaller pieces with a machete and took them for a walk on the beautiful grounds. Then we gave them a mud bath and rinsed them off in their swimming hole. We also fed them protein rice balls that we made. Ethical sanctuaries provide a really important role in improving the treatment of elephants in Southeast Asia. Unfortunately, not all organizations do what they claim – we highly recommend the parent company Elephant Nature Park and its satellites.

I cashed in my birthday gift from Elise – to take a northern Thai cooking class together. We loved it! First, we went to the market to learn about the staple ingredients, and then we made five dishes. Fortuitously, one of our instructors had been an au pair in Westminster, Colorado, and was able to tell us exactly which ingredients we can anticipate finding back home (as well as good substitutions for the more difficult ones to find).

We took a Muay Thai class – and we have the bruises to prove it! It was fun, and we have a new appreciation for its difficulty.

We went on an overnight meditation retreat led by two Buddhist monks. The introductory seminar reinforced that Buddhism is considered a philosophy rather than a religion (since there’s no deity) and that meditation does not need to have any religious connotations. In the afternoon, we changed into white clothes and were challenged to be silent for the rest of our visit. We practiced traditional meditation and learned new techniques such as walking meditation. On the second day, we woke up at 5:00 a.m. to begin several sessions of meditation. According to the monks, we progressed from baby meditators to wise baby meditators by the end. Elise and I plan to continue building on our practice.

One of us got a Sak Yant tattoo – a traditional bamboo tattoo administered by a Buddhist monk in a special ceremony.

One of us experienced her first true Thai massage and can attest that you really do feel like a human pretzel.

Impressions

I didn’t love the city of Chiang Mai. Besides the occasional teak structure, there isn’t much of an architectural aesthetic here. It seems like the 1960s saw a big building boom here (with the same ugly, basic concrete vibe typical in the West). Chiang Mai has an unusually high number of wats, though (over 300), and they are all gorgeous.

Yet on another level, I can see why Chiang Mai appeals to so many western expats. There is plenty to do and lots of cheap, yummy food. You don’t have to hunt far to find nice coffee shops or boutiques. The cost of living is incredibly low as well. But it is too hot and urban for my tastes.

After 10 days of adventures in Chiang Mai, we hopped on a plane to Elise’s last destination before returning home. Guess where!