Wed 18th Feb – Chiang Rai to Doi Mae Salong
DW: I could see it in Caitlin’s eyes. As we walked around Chiang Rai in the dry afternoon heat yesterday she was disappointed. I believe Caitlin picked this city because it sounded like Chiang Mai. It’s not. It’s quieter (about the population of Coffs Harbour) and at times, just kind of a town. As a result we pivoted. We have hired a driver for 2 days and went up into the highlands for a night and will explore the Golden Triangle tomorrow. The driver turns out to be a good idea regardless. In a town like Chiang Rai the experiences are separated apart out of the main city and you can’t feasibly walk to them all. I was initially disappointed Caitlin didn’t give Chiang Rai a proper shot, but after an intense evening of planning we arrive at a 2 day itinerary that I was convinced had sufficient vision and executability. I am pleased to report Day 1 exceeded expectations.
CR: Thank you Declan for the above. I appreciate it (DW: If this statement sounds like it was written under duress, it was not. Apparently I was “nice”).
We ended up with a day of two halves.
The first half was driving around the sights of Chiang Rai. Each location is about a 15 minute drive on a motorway from the previous. As Declan noted, the car ended up being the only feasible way to see them.
Then we left the city and headed up the hills for about an hour and a half. Declan’s original plan was to visit a tea plantation and then walk 6km to our accommodation. The driver, hitherto completely unconcerned with how we chose to spend our time, wrote furiously in Google Translate. “The tea plantation and the hotel are like teachers. You cannot simply walk between them.” Thank god he did so because when we arrive it is abundantly clear, like teachers, you cannot simply walk between things. We know we’re going somewhere a bit ‘road less travelled’ when the driver, on an unpaved stretch of road winding steeply through the hills, starts filming the road ahead presumably for insurance purposes (DW: Everyone in Thailand seems to either own a bomb ute from the 80s, or a brand new Toyota that they obsess over and cover in minor cosmetic decals and custom trim. Our driver was the latter. His wince going over potholes was painful.)
CR: I loved this place. It was some unbelievable project from one man to dedicate an artwork to the nation, all self-funded. As you walk into there are bones of arms reaching up from the ground as if trying to ascend from hell into the temple. Inside, the frescos have depictions of 9/11 and Batman sitting under the Buddha in all his glory. It was an absolute mind explosion.
DW: There is a lift to the top of the Big Buddha (for small donation). You can look out of the Urna (mark on the forehead) over Chiang Rai. No matter how hard I tried I couldn’t get this image square. I suspect the entire floor could have been on a slight lean.
CR: I am impressed with the prescience of the fortune. Declan is a miser in Thailand. He often chides me for not haggling on our payments enough – to the tune of A$5. Also, when I do my rice donation he cooly remarks that it cost four times as much as his game machine donation. Just remember Declan, rich people eat alone (DW: that sounds quite relaxing actually come to think of it).
DW: This is basically Caitlin’s vision for what the weird space under our house should end up looking like. The Black Museum is basically some land owned by an artist who just vibed out some spaces. This means a lot of animal skins and a lot of wooden statues of phalluses.
CR: Leo and Pauline, Declan’s referring the photo you took of me kissing the wombat statue in Trentham. For years it was the little picture that comes up when someone calls you on Teams and for that reason alone many people to this day talk to me about wombats. We even recently had an application released and it was called Womby indirectly because of that photo. But then after the first few years of set up, as we started to actually take client meetings over Teams, I was politely asked to update my corporate photo.
DW: This chair made me feel like a bird in their little nest.
DW: Caitlin actually wanted a beer, but the store didn’t have any and redirected her to the 7/11 up the road and then come back. We ponder Thai regional economy for some time as the sun sets.
Well I never thought I would see the phrase “sufficient vision and executability” on a holiday blog but there you go. What a interesting day! Glad you are getting more into the holiday spirit and I am loving all the sayings and fortunes you are collecting.
Favourite photo: I was going to say the white temple because that’s just incredible but I actually think its the monks sitting under the tree. Really beautiful and representative that you are somewhere so different.
New word of the day: Urna. Obviously love a “big” anything tourist destination. Hated the crocodile skin floor – awful 😖
Keep up great blog content. Really enjoying the effort xx
Mum: I am glad you liked the photo of monks. It was really cool. A whole different social class to what exists in Australia. I don’t like taking too many photos of strangers but I was at a respectable enough distance here thought it was ok.
Wonder if Big Buddha eats a Big Banana?
If you didn’t like crocodile skin floor you would have hated snake skin table runner.
Ugh that would have done me in. Hideous. Over and out. Thanks for no photo of that. And yes I am sure the Big Buddha can eat a Big Banana. As all the comedians say – its not that big. My favourite up north is the big bush turkey!
What a day.
The temple culture is amazing and foreign to our upbringing.
I wonder when Thai people visit Australia if they have the same feelings about our places of worship.
Cait, is that going to be your new corporate photo. To me it looks like you are either about to marry the chief from the local area or this is part of an intricate ceremony involving a human sacrifice. My advice is both options are not in your best interest and you should politely and discretely leave as soon as you can.
Many of these photos look like props from a horror movie. The wardrobe with the chain and sign is worrisome. Was anyone there able to explain what was going on.
I’m fairly confident that the Toyota Ute is massively exceeding the maximum load weight limit allowed by Toyota. In Australia that would void your warranty and insurance. Wonder if that is an issue in Thailand.
Love the explanation about your walking and the teachers. They obviously hold teachers in high esteem which is nice to see.
Very confused about the photo from inside the Buddha. What is showing in the bottom part of the photo
Cait, I always remember stories of pop haggling hard in Asia and when I asked him how much he saved on a particular transaction it was one or two dollars. Somehow it seemed a bit unfair to locals trying to survive without any form of government assistance.
So many thoughts about the black temple and none of them are positive.
Great photo of Declan in the round seat. I did have to google the meaning of llms
The photo of the monks was perfect and respectful. Much more positive energy here than some of the other photos.
This post certainly covered many facets of human existence.
Dad: Funnily enough the porter on our first day had been to the Blue Mountains! He didn’t speak a word of English but his daughter lives in Australia (working at a cabbage export factory? I wonder if that got translated accurately) and he visited her. It was weird we were in his small part of the world and six months ago he had visited our small part of the world.
I am banned from corporate photos. I am now the default green square for the rest of my time at the firm.
No one explained what was going on at Black House. It was a bit fucked up, really. The guy who made it all over fifty years is dead now but I got the feeling he had some weird parties in there back in the day.
The photo inside the Buddah is just showing the view that you could see when you were at the top in the Buddah head.
Yes, that sounds like pop… Nothing like someone haggling in English when no one else speaks the language. A real class act.
I like your last comments about facets of human existence. I feel that every day in South East Asia. Each day is always different and always an onslaught. It is a relief always to get back to a hotel room and hide.
I think the bloke that did the black house is now one of the arms coming out of the ground at the white temple. He has reconsidered his past actions and is looking for salvation
Very small world story. Imagine the shock to someone from Thailand about how expensive everything is in Australia. We knew a general manager who had moved from South Africa and he couldn’t believe building construction and repairs costs here.
I know they have quiet rooms here for people on the spectrum to help minimise sensory overload. It baffles me how anyone can live in those environments if they are on the spectrum.
Dad: Haha that is funny about the arms in White Temple. When I was reading reviews about Black House on Google one of them just said “some Thai people find this disturbing.” Another said “I wouldn’t go back and I definitely wouldn’t take my children.”
The porter did exclaim how a single banana cost 40 baht in Australia. In Thailand a whole bunch cost 20 baht. I like how the yardstick for cost is bananas.
Sounds like the South African should come to Thailand. Plenty of asbestos sheeting roofs here.
Yes every day is sensory overload.
When pop traveled around Southeast Asia and the South Pacific he chose beer as his cost comparison tool. I’ve seen other people use a Big Mac but I doubt Mac Donald’s has made it into Laos.
When we start travelling I think a cup of coffee might be the one I use.
Do you and Declan have a similar item that you use to think about cost.
Different cultures can often respond differently to the same set of facts but I think the black room is one of those times where the vast majority of people would have the same internal response to what they were looking at.
Dad: Cup of coffee is a good metric and I think we use that one the most because we buy one every day. I haven’t seen any McDonalds in Laos good point! Am sure if there was that would be be height of cleanliness.