Chiang Mai – Part II

Yes, I returned to Chiang Mai for a couple of days.

I was starting to get a feel for the city and develop my own routine.

The best place for a Western breakfast was the Sompet Market – You can grab two fried eggs and a smoothie at Addy’s Happy Smoothies for under 40 baht.

Chiang Mai is a big city with many neighbouring villages.

To make the most of your time in C.M.:

1. Hire a motorbike or a bicycle.
2. Get the app: “Maps.me” and download the map of Thailand.
3. Scroll around the map and look for interesting places.
4. Go explore.

That’s what I did.

Here’s how it worked out…

I decided to take the 107 North to a lake called Huay Tung Thao; I was told there was a system of trails that were great for biking.

The lake itself was peaceful and is a place where Thais come to escape the noise and bustle of Chiang Mai for picnics, bike rides, fishing, etc.  It’s surrounded by sunflower fields and sandy trails that appear to be for 4-wheelers; they were slippery and fun to navigate on two wheels but not incredibly safe.

The next day, my mission was to get up the mountain (Doi Suthep) on foot.  I knew about the main roadway (see my post “Chiang Mai – Part I), but I saw the markings of a trail on Maps.me that would indicate a walking trail; “The Pilgrim’s Path,” it read.  Let the search begin.

I biked to the west side of the city, into the shadow of the mountain, and up increasingly steep roads, guided by my iPhone and the app.  My legs burned and my breath was heavy as I trucked on, wondering if this trail even existed.   Coincidentally, I passed by two girls from Washington, DC who were also tired but determined to seek out this trail.

Sure enough, the trailhead was situated at the edge of the wood, near a communications tower at the end of a dirt road.

The Pilgrim’s Path was well-packed with a moderate incline; nothing too crazy.  Within 40 minutes, Gill and Katherine and I arrived at Wat Pha Lat, a beautiful and serene Buddhist temple intertwined in Nature.  It was quiet and peaceful, with the only noise coming from falling stream water and the birds singing in the forest.

 

Dragged out of my quiet state of contemplation, I remembered the date: November 25!  The eve of Yi Peng, the Festival of the Lanterns!  I needed to hurry down to the city join the festivities at the Ping River.  I can assure you that scaling down the mountain is a heck of a lot faster than going up.

Read my next blog post for full coverage of the 2015 Lantern Festival!