Travel Team Too

December 17 - 18, 2016

The men arrived early Saturday morning after sharing a flight from Utapao airport just southeast of Pattaya.  We asked the hotel staff about paying for them to have breakfast with us, and were told that our room included four free breakfasts per day already - a pleasant surprise.

the entertainer

 After we ate, Mika's family headed to their new hotel.  We lingered for a bit, then asked to have a taxi to take us to our new digs at the Dusit D2.  They asked if a tuk-tuk would be okay, and I said "yes" without even thinking about our luggage.  When the tuk-tuk arrived, we had to cram ourselves and all our luggage into the tiny vehicle - it felt a bit like this:

There was some confusion about our reservation when we arrived, but we were able to relax in the Club Lounge while we waited for our room to be prepared.  The Club Lounge turned out to be a nice perk for the length of our stay - free all day refreshments and drinks and snacks at happy hour each evening.  This was especially nice as our room was on the same floor, and we could grab bottled water before heading out for the day.

                                                                 just steps from the hotel...

We went out exploring, and discovered that we were quite near the market we'd visited the day before.  I bought some more fabric, and we discovered a little Mexican restaurant, Ole Gourmet Mexican, where we snacked on nachos and enjoyed some margaritas deliciosos.  Chiang Mai has a surprising number of Mexican restaurants, unlike Pattaya.

                                                            one small part of the huge market

the two fabrics I found - both less than $2 per sq. m.

We made lots of twists and turns at the market, so when we left to meet Mika and fam for dinner, we turned the wrong way.  The city center has a moat that surrounds it, and when we crossed over some water, I was sure we were heading in the right direction.  But that water turned out to be the Ping River!  We walked quite a long way before realizing our error, and finally just flagged down a song thaew to bring us back into the city center.

crossing the river, not the moat

This is the moat, with a remnant of the original wall

so pretty!

We returned to the Ginger & Kafe for dinner, but they were booked.  Luckily, they had additional seating in the building across the parking lot in "The House," an eatery/kitchen shop.  Same menu, and we basically had the place to ourselves.  I was feeling adventurous, and ordered the nasi goreng, an Indonesian fried rice with prawns, served with an egg on top and the ubiquitous fried shrimp crackers.  Mika got a drink called "Wow! Crazy!," that was layered with beautiful colors.  The guys both tried the Ranchero Burrito, not really enough food to satisfy a man-sized appetite.  My favorite thing about our dinner together was Mak's amazement as his four-year-old easily carried on a conversation with us in English.  Of course, she only speaks Japanese with him at home, and he hadn't realized how advanced she had become.

We said our good-byes, agreeing to meet at the finish line of the marathon that Mak was running the next morning.  We passed through the Tha Phae gate on the eastern end of the city, where we saw more painted elephants and some pre-race events going on.  We walked along the perimeter road, past the memorably-named Loco Elvis, and back to our hotel.

for Tiffany and Sarah

We had an early breakfast the next morning so we could watch our friend cross the finish line of the Chiang Mai Marathon.  While we were eating, Mika texted us saying he wanted us there at 9 a.m.  We were surprised to learn that he texts her while he is running!  We started out walking, but ultimately grabbed a song thaew to get there more quickly.  We just walked up when we saw Mika pointing, and we caught a glimpse of Mak from behind, carrying his daughter across the finish line.  I certainly wouldn't even be able to carry myself at that point, let alone picking up some extra weight - so impressed.  We congratulated him on his accomplishment, then let them head back to their hotel, agreeing to meet for a celebratory beer at lunchtime.

Hurray!

pigeon lady near the gate

The night before, I discovered that the fabric I bought was AWOL, and realized I must have left it on the seat at the restaurant where we had dinner.  Soooo, again we walked the stretch back along the perimeter road, and I proudly used my limited Thai to retrieve my package.  From there, we walked into the city, passing temple after temple, turned up Rachadamnoen Rd., the main road through the center of the old city, and finally stopped at Akha Ama Coffee on another recommendation.  The coffee is grown locally by the Akha people in the mountains of northern Thailand. Tim said the coffee was satisfying enough, and I enjoyed a chai latte.  This trendy little cafe was busy, and we were lucky to find a little spot next to an open window.  The place seemed to be a student hangout in this university town.

park inside the old city

Our friends arrived at the chosen lunch restaurant before us, and called to tell us it looked "a bit dodgy." So we ultimately met at Rock Me Burger down the street, which had pretty good food, but the service was a bit spotty.  We all raised a glass to Mak, and after lunch, we said our goodbyes.  They were heading back to Pattaya, while we would extend our trip for a couple more days.  Thanks for the memories, friends!

Rachadamnoen Rd. has a huge Sunday night market, so I left Tim at the hotel and joined the crowds heading into the old city.  After waiting several minutes for a policeman to allow the throngs to cross the street, I soon found myself surrounded by wall-to-wall people.  It was "slow goings," for sure!  Musicians took up little squares of space in the middle of the crowds, and the crowds flowed around them like stones in a river.  One group of four blind musicians sat in a line and played, undaunted by the people closing in around them.

This market was more a Thai crafts market, less the cheap knock-off stuff found in the Pattaya night markets.  I  found a Thai "number nine" pin I'd been looking for (in honor of Rama IX) - one without all the rhinestones like I'd seen everywhere.  I picked up some greeting cards made from handmade Sa paper ("sa" is the Lao name for the mulberry tree,) and found a beautiful tablecloth of hill tribe indigo batik - I guess I've got enough tablecloths now.  Tim decided to come meet me, so I positioned myself next to a woman with a big bunch of balloons, and we found each other after a bit.

a three-story Starbucks on the main drag in Chiang Mai

Heading back in the opposite direction, we finally exited the market and pointed our feet toward the hotel. Our feet had taken a beating with so much walking, so we spoiled ourselves with foot massages at one of the many shops along the road - thirty minutes for 150 THB, which is less than $5.  Well worth it.