North Thailand- Festival Land (Pt.1)

Part One A weekend in Chiang Mai

Monks walking for Alms in front of Tai Chi at Three Kings Memorial, Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai has no sky-scrapers. In fact the biggest structures are the Wats (temples). The old town is still surrounded by a moat and a fully functioning protective terracotta brick city wall complete with 'gates'. Remnants of an outer wall are dotted about the river where fountains intermittently spray up mist and trees line the water and it is easy to imagine what this place may have looked like back when the wall was complete.

After a whole day's travel with minivan, ferry, minivan again, drop off at BKK, shuttle bus tour around the airport (I enjoy the scenic route) shuttle bus to the correct airport, flight and finally a taxi, I made it to Chiang Mai to meet the glorious gorgeous couple, Katia and Jon for our fourth liaison in three years, across the world. And all in time to see children kick the crap out of each other at Muay Thai. 

Muay Thai fighters in traditional dress

Kickboxing

From our VIP seats, yes VIP, we saw many a wiry punch and hefty ankle slap to the thigh. To begin, two opponents took to the ring performing a choreographed sequence in the traditional Muay Thai dress of the days of yore and set to the sound of drums and an Asian clarinet. Today the fighters wear shorts far more similar to the shiny gold encrusted kind you get in western boxing, but rolled up to make the kicks more effective. 

"I will not be taking on that ten year old", I leaned to both Jon and Katia. From Katia came a horrified nod, a big grin from Jon. 

Animals!

No I wasn't referring to Backpackers. Chiang Mai Zoo is a hillside town for African, Asian and Australian animals. I was delighted at how well looked after they seem, despite some small enclosures for reptiles and  one maddened-looking Asian black bear so clearly bored of his enclosure. And compared to Tiger Kingdom, where big cats are drugged for a tourist's opportunity at getting close to a top predator for a fucked up cuddle. The pandas being the star attraction were in their own area to draw in more money . As you can guess, the breeding programme wasn't going well and neither panda, showed a hint of interest in anything but sleeping in their bamboo decorated enclosures. Still it was a treat for me to see one in (huge) flesh and I was impressed at the modernity of how to keep such large and dangerous animals in humane but safe areas by using the well known trench system instead of caging up in serious amounts of chicken wire (ahem, London zoo).

child busker at the night markets

At night markets we ate as much stick food, spicy soups, fat noodles and fruit shakes as our plastic bag tasseled arms could carry, to the point of becoming a fat noodle. They are clearly a popular attraction for the amount of Fereng and Chinese tourists amiably dawdling up the street and we easily lost each other on many occasions. But no worries, "what do you do when you lose each other?" Katia motherly questioned Jon and I. "You snorkel!" She announced in her Queensland tongue, smiling at our naïveté.

I felt as though I was at a festival what with the threat of rain, street performers, sparkling lights and the mysterious stalls; and food hawkers with their questionable delights and the relaxed yet packed environment of ease at which people drink in the street. At the Ratchadamnoen road Sunday market it was much the same, only they played the national anthem and EVERYONE stood still and I noticed the air was clear from the lack of cigarette smoking allowed here.

On our night out at Roots Rock Reggae, we were utterly joyous to discover a Thai Ska band, their trumpets and trombones calling back memories of nights in Brixton and at Glastonbury watching The Specials. I came to the conclusion that you could spend a whole year in Festival Land (Chiang Mai) and still not absorb everything on offer. Jon said it reminded him of Melbourne, for myself it felt more like Perth due to it's situation on a river, the very relaxed atmosphere and the arty scene and hidden gems every where you go. It was like when someone hands you a cake box as a surprise and you peer in the white cardboard to find a carefully sculpted delicious treat waiting for you.