Wats, Markets, Massages

6 weeks ago I smugly sent my winter coat to the dry cleaner, thinking "No way I'll need that when I return! It'll be April. I'll be enjoying long runs under the warm spring sun followed by a cold beverage while sitting on the deck listening to the Cubs win." Ha. I was wrong about so many things. 30+ years of living in Illinois/being a Cubs fan, you'd think I'd learn.
Now as I sit here, while it's raining outside, the thermometer reads 38 degrees and flurries are in the forecast, it's hard to imagine that just a little more than a week ago I was in temperatures 60 degrees warmer, promising my first born for just a few sweet minutes of air conditioning or a couple of won't give me Delhi belly ice cubes in my drink.
So the weather feels like late November and the the Cubs are making Bill Buckneresque mistakes (Starlin, Starlin, Starlin, what was that yesterday?!), at least it gives me time to work on labeling my pictures, as well as continue my blog updates with a bit about Chiang Mai.
I suppose starting my blog updates with ENP is kind of the opposite of a grand finale, since that was the coolest thing ever, which in turn makes me the coolest person ever. The rest of these will seem less cool by comparison. But my OCD forces me to do things in chronological order.
The last time I was in Thailand, it was everything a tropical paradise vacation should be-white sand, crystal waters, hot sun, and lots of laying on the beach with a book. I did absolutely no sightseeing. I returned to Korea feeling relaxed, yet also feeling as if I'd missed out on experiencing any sort of Thai culture, aside from the elephant and monkey shapes the housekeeping ladies twisted my towels into each morning.
So this time around, I was determined to see a bit more Thai stuff. And there's no better place to do that than in Thailand's "cultural capital" of Chiang Mai.
I'm just going to throw this out there-if you get the chance to go to Thailand, go go GO! I liked it very much the first time around. I absolutely fell in love with it this time. The people are kind. The food is to die for. Everything is cheap. The architecture is unique and beautiful. The scenery is beyond breathtaking. You can buy perfectly ripe mangoes cut up and ready to eat for less than a dollar. An hour long massage costs less than $10, including tip. I already miss it and am dreaming of a return trip. SO if anyone ever needs a travel buddy in Thailand, my answer is always yes.

ENP had over 400 dogs. Many of them were allowed to run freely in the park, and frequently wanted lovin' from humans. And love them I did, so much so that my arms and legs were covered in flea bites when I left. So worth it. I had to remind myself that the stray dogs running around Chiang Mai were not quite so tame, and probably did not want my love. I had to settle for admiring them from afar. I found this little guy at Wat Chiang Man. The whole time we were there, he was wedged in between the rails on this banister. He didn't seem stuck, just relaxed. 

Wat Chiang Man

I think this was also at Chiang Man, maybe...

Wat Chedi Luang

At Wat Phra Singh, there was a small garden full of trees, and tacked to each tree was a Buddhist saying. Related side story-inside of one of the buildings here sat 8 monks. They didn't move. At all. Were they meditating? Were they fake? They were more life like than a lot of people I know. Anya and I studied them as best we could without being obtrusive. We decided they HAD to be real. They even had little skin blemishes and neck hairs. Upon doing some googling later that evening, we learned that nowadays wax figures can be made with skin blemishes and neck hairs. 

Wat Chedi Luang

Look at this little buddy! 

Wat Chedi Luang

This was at Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep. I don't exactly know what these girls were doing, but they were pretty cute. 

 Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep-a million stairs to get up to and crowds of people, but it was worth every step. The views were incredible.

Foreigners had to buy tickets. Locals did not. It's okay though, Phrathat Doi Suthep was just preparing us for India. 

Phrathat Doi Suthep creepiness, I think this is who Thai parents tell their kids will come for them if they misbehave.

Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep

  Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep

Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep

Chiang Mai has some really fantastic and cheap markets. You get to haggle, eat some delicious food, buy some souvenirs, etc. What's not to love? Nothing. I love markets, like really really love them. Unfortunately, this is the only market picture I took. Fortunately, we are living in an age where a picture of anything you want is just a Google image search away. So the others are courtesy of Google. And in case you are wondering, those are bugs- crickets, beetles, worms, etc. I'll try most things once, except I draw the line at this. 

  Soap flowers, these were at all the markets, and really pretty. I was tempted, but they looked fragile and I didn't think they'd last 4 weeks smushed in my bag. 

Chiang Mai Sunday Market

The next two photos are from Bangkok. I only spent two nights there, so I didn't think it deserved its own entry. But I'm happy to have gotten to spend some more time in Bangkok. I was miserably ill while in Bangkok before, so I saw nothing besides my hotel room. This time I was able to see a bit more, including this kid's elephant hat at the Grand Palace. I hoped to find my own while I was there, but I failed. 

The Grand Palace in Bangkok