Chapter 1 - Chiang Mai

Gateway to North Thailand

Chiang Mai (which means New City) was my base for exploring Northern Thailand before entering Laos. Part of the kingdom of Lanna, Chiang Mai was founded in 1296 by King Meng Rai and is the second largest city in Thailand. The river, Ping flows through the east of the city. Further North is the city of Chiang Rai which was the capital city before Chiang Mai and which I planned to visit next.

I was staying at the Red Brick Guesthouse outside the old city walls and straight away signed up for a cooking class that evening. Our instructor picked us from the hotel and we went up to the Kad Kom market to buy ingredients and then travelled to the Thai cottage Home Cookery school about 7 Kms in the outskirts of the city. For the next 2 1/2 hours, we cut, washed and cooked a complete Thai meal of 6 dishes including soup, curry and dessert. It was a great experience and a good introduction to Thai cooking for newbies.

A Cooking Class

Doi Ithanon National Park

The next day was the weekend and I joined another travel group to go to the Doi Ithanon National Park which is located in a mountainous range around 100 Kms outside Chiang Mai. We went to a waterfall called Wachiratan and then on a trek in the National Park to a Karen village and finally to the highest point in Thailand. Nearby the summit, we visited the Royal Pagodas of Noppamethanedon and Nopphonphusiri. 

At a Karen Village

What struck me throughout the journey was the high quality of roads and infrastructure and how well the tip was organized. Everywhere there were restaurants, public amenities and adequate parking so that both individual travelers and travel groups can easily move around. I found this all throughout Thailand and even remote mountain roads and inner roads were well maintained.

The Old City 

Wat Chedi Luang

The next day was a Sunday and kept for walking around the old city. The old city is a charming area of beautiful roads neatly laid out in a grid and dotted with ancient monuments and temples. There were boutique restaurants, hotels and tiny coffee shops all across the city. The city is surrounded by a canal and an ancient city wall with entry and exit gates at various points. 

Early morning, you could see the monks walking in the city receiving alms from the residents of the city, a daily ritual in Chiang Mai. The first stop was the city pillar shrine where you can see the Intakhin or God Indra's pillar. City pillars are the foundation of the city and common in Lanna areas and Laos. Nearby is a status of Indra on his elephant carrier, Airawat. The Intakhin is in the campus of Wat Chedi Luang, one of the oldest and fascinating temple in Chiang Mai. It was here in 1468 that the Emerald Buddha was installed before it moved to Luang Prabang in Laos. Details and significance of the Emerald Buddha is explained in another section of my blog.

Wua Lai Neighbourhood 

Next day, set off early to explore one of the oldest neighborhoods in Chiang Mai called Wua Lai where you have craftmanship families making silverware, bamboo and Lacquerware. Two temples, Wat Sri Suphan and Wat Muen San are spectacular examples of silver craftsmanship and are a must see. There is a large status of Ganesha at Sri Suphan and he is an important God in these areas. In one of the later temples I visited, I saw a note labelling him as the "God without a boss", a strong endorsement of his personality!

Ganesha, the Boss

From Wua Lai, I moved into the old city to see Wat Phra Singh Woramahawihan temple which houses the Phra Buddha Sihing statue which gives the temple its name. According to legend, it was based on the lion of Shakya, a statue since lost which used to be housed in the Mahabodhi Temple of Bodh Gaya. The statue is supposed to have been brought, via Sri Lanka and Ayutthaya to Chiang Mai.

At Wat Phra Singh

The way to understand importance of Buddhist temples (Wat) in Thailand is the word "Phra". Phra means "Royal Status" and usually contains a relic of the Buddha or is considered of Royal importance.

I ended the day with a nice lunch in one of the beautiful neighborhoods and then looked for some co-working spaces which Chiang Mai is famous for and there is a large digital nomad community working from here. 

Next day, I packed up my bags and got ready to travel to Chiang Rai.