Christmas Pai

We have been lazily enjoying the holidays in northern Thailand in a town called Pai (pie). During a shopping expedition to Carrefour in Chiang Mai Jessica made sure to pick out a two foot tall plastic tree, lights and decorations so we would be properly outfitted for Christmas. We set it up in our gorgeous room in the hills above the town. Combined with the chilly nights it felt almost like we were back in New England.

We have been loving the atmosphere here. Though it is now heavily touristed it's still a charming town in a valley surrounded by towers of amber and gold tree-covered mountains. On Christmas eve there was a full moon. It stunningly illuminated our walk down the hill into town.

Christmas morning we awoke to a room (and town) without power! We opened our stockings (smartwool socks) and had our Weetbix breakfast on the porch. Though the sun shone on the verdant greenery of our resort, it was a deceptively cold morning and we stayed wrapped in blankets. In what Jessica refers to as "a Christmas miracle" the power came back on and we started the festivities.

What I mean by that is Jessica started the festivities. First she turned on her extraordinarily large collection of Christmas music. Then she made a "Christmas buffet of Hors D'oeuvres" which consisted of crackers, nori flavoured tuna, pickles, wholegrain mustard and cheddar cheese. This was followed by blood orange mimosas. She set a blanket on the floor in front of the tree and we tore into our gifts.

Since then we have been trying to decide what to do and where to go. Our visas expire on the fourth so we need to be in Laos by then but we are completely unmotivated to move on. Yesterday we moved to a cheaper bungalow at a sweet little place called Farmer Home. Our room feels like a tree house and when we step out the door we are greeted with a spectacular view of rice paddys, mountains and Wat Mae Yen. Slowly we are plotting our course.
Until then...

I feel betrayed by the climate

I am in Mae Hong Son right now. It is supposed to be chilly. Warnings about needing socks and sweaters were given.

It is positively sweltering.

Chiang Mai is lovely.

We've been doing a lot of wandering. Jessica is getting acquainted with the maze of streets quite well. Last night was the Sunday walking street market which is a never-ending carnival. There are blankets laid out along the streets with handmade clothing, bags and candles. Food vendors set up wherever there is room and turn out handfuls of waffles, fried taro cakes, fresh steamed corn, pad thai and candy floss. The noise levels are high with the calls of beggars, children's singing and the amplified karaoke of the blind. Divine! It took nearly five hours to walk the market because though it is called the Sunday walking street it actually lines several side streets as well.
Of course we went to the summit of Doi Suthep. It is still a calming place to gaze out across the horizon and listen to the chiming of a million bells. The colours right now are stunning.


Today I went to the Thai Farm Cooking School. (Our instructor, Tommy, is above showing us fresh galangal) After visiting a local market we drove to the organic farm where we learned about the different herbs, fruits and vegetables we would be using.


This was a highlight for me and really made the whole experience worthwhile. The cooking instruction was very basic, but having the opportunity to see the roots and other ingredients in the ground was very interesting. (Photos are of a banana tree and a "pea eggplant")


On the ride home I had a great conversation with Alice, from Seattle, about her seasonal gig in salmon country (Bristol Bay, Alaska). She had just decided to move to San Francisco with the contents of her backpack. Now that's an adventure. I wonder what the best city would be for the contents of MY current backpack...

BEWARE of Shaven Head Child Pickpocket

We crossed the border into Thailand through Poipet. This is the most hateful place on earth but surprisingly the crossing was hassle-free. And, defying my worst fears, there was a posh double decker AC bus waiting for us on the other side. There was even an amusing sign to occupy us while we waited to depart:

Though the bus blew a tire (scary) we still managed to arrive into Bangkok by 9pm. Found a room with relative ease and set out in search of sustenance.

We spent several days in Bangkok. Longer than expected, but this was due to the fact that we found the cinema in the Siam Paragon shopping center and saw two movies in two days, including Beowulf in IMAX 3D. Totally ridiculous but we considered it an early Christmas present to ourselves. Beowulf was phenomenal in 3D and I highly recommend that's how anyone sees it.

The train from Hualamphong brought us to Ayutthaya where we've been for the past two days. Before we left the station Jessica spotted some sushi and the obsession could not be silenced. She ate it on the train.

We're staying at a place called "Streetlamp". It's hardly a guesthouse and isn't on any map but it's quite a nice teak house with really cheap, clean rooms. A good find. At 23:30 tonight we'll board an overnight train for Chiang Mai.

PS. All the photos from Cambodia have now been uploaded. You can find photos specifically of Angkor or Bokor by searching for those tags.

Look Expensive But Not

It is interesting to see how Angkor is slowly turning into Disney World. They have done a lot of "improving" since my last visit with new walkways, "this way out" signs and ropes at every turn. There are even plans to install electric cars to run a loop through the complex. The only benefit I see in such a scheme is a reduction on pollution which I'm sure is adding to the destruction of the structure and bas-relief at the temples. It is certainly a wonder worth seeing, I'm just glad I have the frame of reference from visits over the years.

We went in to buy our passes in the evening and to watch the sun set over Tonle Sap (if you buy a pass after 5pm you get a "free sunset" and your pass begins on the following day). The usual steep and treacherous path up to Phnom Bakheng (such an adventure!) was roped off and we were forced to use the manicured trail which circled and slowly climbed the hill. There were approximately 3000 people at the summit. On the way down we decided to be daring and hopped the rope to our near deaths down the forbidden, steep decline. During the dark descent, Jessica was stung by a scorpion or some such creature and had to pull it's wriggling body from her foot. I'm sure she's eager to tell you more if you're curious.

Our first day we took a moto to Angkor Thom and concentrated several hours in that walled section. The second day we decided it would be super fun to rent bicycles and pedal the complex ourselves. We set out at dawn and enjoyed a peaceful ride into the park with the sun rising over our right shoulders. Speeding past the hordes at Angkor Wat we biked into Angkor Thom and out again, through the east gate. The air was cool and all was quiet except for the whirring of our tires. We sped to Ta Prohm, a favourite destination within the park. It was almost completely empty and we enjoyed some relatively tranquil wanderings among the ruins and towering trees with their massive root systems.

After that we were feeling pretty good, despite the fact we had stupidly eaten nothing before setting out. We decided it would be possible to bike the entire Grand Tour before lunch. Idiots. We backtracked through the eastern gate of Angkor Thom and headed up through the north gate. Five hours and thirteen temples later we were completely exhausted, famished and scorched. We collapsed into a couple of restaurant chairs and ordered a feast. In all we biked around 70km that day and felt like super heroes at the end of it. Very stupid super heroes.

Our final day we hired a tuk tuk to bring us to Angkor Wat for sunrise. This is always thrilling; walking across the moat bridge and through the gates in the darkness, watching the sky brighten behind the silhouetted peaks of the temple. Always a stunning scene and worth waking up early.

A couple of days of recuperation later, we took a hellish bus ride to Battambang. We should have listened to the agent at the hotel in Siem Reap who advised "you should really take the boat". I always warn others about the conditions on the #6 road and then find myself on it clinging to a vinyl seat with the sun in my eyes, inhaling red earth by the bucket load.

Battambang is lovely and quiet. We took motos to Wat Banan, an Angkorian temple on a hill (translation: up 200 stairs). This day trip also included a ride on the bamboo train, a perilous contraption that speeds along the tracks for several kilometers narrowly avoiding people and animals who walk beside it. There is word it will soon be made illegal because of the danger.



Having now ridden on it, I can not object.

On to Thailand...

Lettuce Reporting

We spent a few seriously lazy days in Kratie, eastern Cambodia, waiting for the madness of the Water Festival to be over. The only interesting thing to happen during our stay was a young tout continually mispronouncing my name. When I introduced myself he said "Nice to meet you Nesreen" and the next day he greeted me with "Hello Lettuce".

A hellish bus ride later we were in Siem Reap. Every time I come here I am surprised by how foreign it looks. I have stayed in such different areas of the city each time and I realize now how isolated I've been because of the attention focused on Angkor. More on that, and photos, soon.

Five days left on our Cambodian visa. Devastated to be leaving...