So... Thailand (part 4) temples & night markets

WAT to do in Chiang Mai for a day? Lots!

(see more of my temple photos at roymauritsen.com)

Sunday... i headed out to enjoy the city. I had no map, no agenda, just a full day to wander. As I mentioned in my other post.. I have very good direction sense, all I need is a few landmarks to get my bearings and I'm good. I think it's okay to get a little "lost" when exploring. So with cameras in hand, off I went.

The temples are amazing. And there are so many of them. the architecture and detail are amazing, the grounds are tranquil, once you step through the threshold from city street it's instant peace. There are some rules when visiting temples, so always be respectful. It's commonplace to take off one's shoes and leave them outside (in NYC they would probably get stolen.) and wear respectful clothing that covers shoulders and knees, being the most basic. I'm not a really religious person, but I am always respectful of other's religions. Whatever your religious beliefs are, these temples are truly beautiful.

Then by 4pm on Sunday... the streets start to get a little crowded as vendors begin to set up shop.

The same streets that I had walked that day, full of cars and trucks, scooters and tuk-tuks were filled with crowds of people later that night.

I loved these night markets!

 Hey look... elephants! A little foreshadowing for the week ahead. 

Even some of the temples would be open at night, allowing vendors to set up there as well. Mainly huge food courts.

The Three Kings Monument

Musicians would take up space in the streets to play.

These guys were rather creative about it.

All sorts of performances were going on!

This guy... this guy was awesome!

A didgeridoo band in Thailand? This is TUKU and they were so amazing I bought their CD on the spot!


More on TUKU here:

After wandering all day and night.. it was time to get ready, for the next day I would be among the elephants!

Coming next: a week volunteering at elephant nature park! 

So... Thailand (part 3) First Night in Chiang Mai

The First night in Chiang Mai

Y'all read about the hotel here, right? if not, catch up. I'll wait.

Okay, where was I? Right. So... Thailand.
I got into Chiang Mai around 5:30 pm local time Saturday. Got the hotel and after a quick unpacking (and a much welcomed shower) I was ready to do some exploring of the area that evening. Cathay Pacific had kept me well fed throughout my plane ride, so I wasn't even that hungry by the time I had landed.

I have a very good sense of direction. I can attribute this to playing video games for many years, games like DOOM, Duke Nuke 'em, Quake, and a myriad of dungeon crawlers. Plus a lifetime of tabletop Dungeons & Dragons. This has given me profound mental mapping skills. I'd even call it a superpower.

 I tend to keep quite a pace while on vacation. I'm not one to rest on my laurels for long. Still wet in some places from my shower, I excitedly set out to go see what I could see.
My ultimate goal was check out the Saturday night market. As I wandered about, I came across my very first Wat (temple). You never forget your first wat.

Wat Phan Tao

It was a surreal and magical start to my trip. I never got back to see this place in the daytime and I'm sort of okay with that.

It was wonderful walking around Old City at night. Unlike say...NYC. I felt very comfortable- it  was enjoyable to see all the people walking along the streets coming in and out of  the various cafes and open bars. It felt safe too. not any real traffic noise, no honking, no sirens, just the occasional pitter-patter of little tuk-tuks  and scooters zipping about  Here's some random street shots while on my quest to find the night market....

And then I found the Saturday night market. Wow. WOW.  Every Saturday and Sunday night a section (several city blocks) are shut down to traffic, and vendors setup shop in the street for the evening. It was like a festival but without all the questionable, over-priced carnival rides.  The streets are overflowing with people, artisans, crafts, souvenirs, bands, food and more people- for blocks... and blocks. It's massive. And it's awesome to behold (unless you have issues with being in large crowds of people, then this is probably not your scene). I loved it. It was incredible. I could wander around looking at... All. The. Things... for hours! This was just the Saturday night one. The Sunday night version is, I think even more expansive and it is set up in a different section of the city, though it's much of the same vendors and stuff as far as I could tell.

Then I made my way back to the hotel. It was getting late, I 'd need to get a decent night of sleep if I was going to spend the whole of Sunday exploring what else Chiang Mai had to offer.