Tropical Storm Tour: Thailand Part 17
Saturday, June 20, 2015
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Some beautiful Thai calligraphy inside a large gong at Wat Sareerikkatart Sirirak in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
A large gong and a chedi at Wat Sareerikkatart Sirirak in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
A gorgeous interior at Wat Sareerikkatart Sirirak in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
I started off the day by stopping by Wat Sareerikkatart Sirirak around the corner from Be-Beez Guesthouse. This place was dominated by a really bright gold chedi and a temple with really gorgeous interior–complete with someone passed out asleep on a couch with the bottom of their feet in plain view. I was surprised to see that–especially in a temple–because it is a faux pas to show anyone the bottom of your feet on this side of the Earth, as the head is considered holy and the feet are unclean.
Passed out cold at Wat Sareerikkatart Sirirak in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
A glowing jade Buddha image at Wat Ou Sai Kham in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
More street art in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Next, I headed over to May Kaidee’s for lunch, where I was the only customer and there was only one guy working. I ordered the always yummy Pad Thai and a side of rice to “pad” it up a little more. After relaxing inside Wat Ou Sai Kham (across the alley from May Kaidee’s), where I checked out an entrancing jade Buddha, I headed out on a walk whichever way the wind took me. I circled around what appeared to be Chinatown, absorbing the explosion of colors within some day markets and a night market that was just being set up. I saw a kid carrying a traditional Thai stringed instrument and wanted to ask him if I could snap a photo, but he was walking in the opposite direction across the street and there was too much traffic.
A bustling street scene in Chinatown, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
A mass of gnarled power lines in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
The ubiquitous 7-Eleven in Chinatown, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
I walked east on Thanon Loi Kroh through an area of Chiang Mai I’d never seen before, with an odd mixture of massage parlors, touristy shops, girly bars, high-rise hotels, food stalls, souvenir shops, etc. At one point, I saw a seedy-looking bar / massage joint right next to a big, super glitzy restaurant with a bunch of white families eating dinner. It’s so strange to a westerner to see that kind of juxtaposition, but it’s normal in Thailand. After three or four hours of walking around, I headed back to May Kaidee’s, where I passed on the cold buffet for the road bicyclists, opting for a bowl of hot, delicious Panang Curry instead.
A side gate at Wat Mahawan in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Stringed instruments and masks in a shop in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
The power grid and a temple gate in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Heading back into Be-Beez to sleep, I was kept up from about 10:00 pm to midnight by a young guy and girl who had just checked in the two rooms next to mine. They kept talking loudly out in the hall, slamming doors constantly over and over, banging stuff around in their room, and were just generally acting like a clueless nuisance. They woke me up two or three times throughout the night. One of the times, at 3:00 am, I stepped out into the hall and nicely asked them to talk more quietly. They went into their rooms for a little while, but started back up again later. I don’t think they slept the whole night, and I only did off and on, thanks to them.
Words and photos ©2015 Arcane Candy.
Its funny to hear that you were sleeping at night, I understand why but you had to change your living patterns for this trip.