{"id":2266,"date":"2026-02-17T04:58:47","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T04:58:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aerowalsh.com\/cr\/?p=2266"},"modified":"2026-02-18T05:04:20","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T05:04:20","slug":"mon-16th-feb-chiang-mai","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cr.aerowalsh.com\/?p=2266","title":{"rendered":"Mon 16th Feb – Chiang Mai"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

DW: Cait has had it too easy for too long on this trip. The last time she came to Chiang Mai she went on a “walk” up to a temple and she wanted to do it again. When pressed for details it became clear she had no idea where she had been and in fact, has barely any idea where she currently is. I seized this ambiguity to propose a midday jaunt through the jungle to a hilltop temple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CR: I say to Declan: not all who wander are lost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We spent the day around and on the mountain side of Chiang Mai. It’s a really happy day. Mostly relaxing and full of things to see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After breakfast we get a Songthaew to Chiang Mai university which is just at the base of the mountains. We peek in on a lecture that is presented in Thai but the projected slides are in English. We have a look at the notice boards, where a ruthless competition for SRC Elections is being staged. Game of Thrones, Asia University Campus Edition. There are also so many sweepers of leaves. A tree shedding a leaf on public grounds can only settle for minutes before being raked in a pile to go.. to a Leaf Tip? It reminds me of the old uncles in Vietnam hired by shops purportedly to manage motorcycle parking but is more likely a social security type of government policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a disastrous attempt to order a coffee in Thai at an empty cafe on campus that took three generations of employee to look at us quizzically before attesting they only serve ‘Americano’, we start up the mountain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The mountain trail is very well established and impossible to get lost. It winds its way up through various temples and a small mountain town. It’s by no means virgin jungle. Power lines that thread their way, often at trip-hazard-waist-level, through the ‘Monk’s Trail’. Water pipes follow the whole track. The ground is cracked and red as though rain hasn’t touched its surface in years. Urban Thailand is all about keeping industry and civilisation moving at a pace where they at least aren’t going backwards. Nature and conservation are at best tourist buzz words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At a fork just before our intended destination there is a sign that has two images. One is a stick figure man with hiking poles, walking in a what I could only call a conventional manner. The other is a stick figure man clinging to rocks on all fours, with a rope strung next to him at head level. A local, thinking he is being helpful, points in the direction I want to go – conventional two feet on ground back upright stick figure direction – and says “regular temple”. Then, with a little wink, raises his head and points up to the steps cut sharply into the mountain and says, “special temple”. Declan’s eyes narrow. The concept of Free Will has never seemed less credible. We will not be going to the Regular Temple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
CR: We attempted to get an early start on the day. The hotel made us pre-book our breakfast slot and we chose the earliest slot, 7.30am, so it would be less hot ascending the mountain. Foolish assumption for food to be presented at 7.30am. Coffee comes at 8am and food around 8.15am. A sweltering uphill battle is fated.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
DW: Cait has always wanted a ute so she can go tailgating (sitting in the tray and having some food and drinks). Of course she is therefore naturally drawn to songthaew life of questionably modified utes with zero safety as the primary mode of transport.
CR: Life is better bumping around in a songthaew. To think I am phobic of planes! This thing is a happy death machine.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
DW: Don’t worry, the perky flats were soon replaced with slopes, ropes and dashed hopes.
CR: A close observation reveals a light sheen accumulating in every crevasse of our bodies. This is will build with time and gradient.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
DW: Walking through the university to the start of the proper hike was fun. Thinking about all these Chiang Mai students doing all sorts of courses. In these environments it always feels like a huge effort to hold back the jungle and it poked through the jungle university campus everywhere. Signs rotting, trees sprouting on roofs and mildew everywhere. P.S. I would 100% buy a shirt of this.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
DW: All good treks involve a rope. This one was no exception.
CR: In five minutes intervals Declan will wait at the top of an ascent and wait for me to catch up. By the time I get to him he’s got his phone out, working through a multitude of boyfriend tasks such as but not limited to: booking activities for later in the trip, researching how we should be ordering coffee in Thai, and reading a Hacker News thread on LLMs. I’m not sure it’s the type of meditation that the monks had in mind but I think he is happy.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
DW: Despite what the sign may imply there are no concessions to walkers at all. No curb, blind corners and songthaews packed with tourists all trying to overtake each other. It is good to know that passive aggressive driving transcends borders.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
DW: We heeded the wise words of the sign and took the longer road up. Other tourists, thinking they knew better, futiley formed small groups to tackle the dog menance. All doomed to come back shortly and write “No Joke” in their own language.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
CR: The sprawl of Chiang Mai our reward at the top of hike.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
CR: Lunch at the top. I’ve never really understood the pleasure of a cold beer until now, drenched in sweat and legs aching. Beer was off menu (suspect not licenced) so I feel like a baller ordering one. But it’s huge and I can’t finish it. Boyfriend assists with the balance.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
CR: Well, at least that explains why they were all in orange robes.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
CR: Temple at the top is not to our tastes.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
CR: On the way down the mountain we stop at Regular Temple. It’s much more tranquil and pretty.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
DW: On our trip to the Flinders Ranges we got a genuine Chappy Graham piece commissioned (refer to the Flinders series in this blog for more details). At the Chiang Mai night markets we commissioned a watercolour of our 2006 RAV4. This may seem odd, but based on his stall it was the entire profession of the man who did it. He was careful to confirm which rims we wanted painted. A common point of contention from his customer base I imagine.
CR: Yes, we are working through our grief for our dying mobile.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
CR: Songthaew home. We were halfway up that mountain in the background.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
DW: A key difference between Vietnam and Thailand is Thailand lacks the little stools at street vendors. I assume this is due to some Thai law about neatness, but it definitely impacts the communal nature of street vendor dining that was such a nice experience in Vietnam.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
DW: Today’s cultural unit was Muay Thai. Muay Thai has elements of the Colleseum, in that it creates novel subevents within the main event. Lady fight, international vs Thai and international vs international (apparently these go the hardest). It was fun, but we didn’t stay for the full event. Basically everyone there was a tourist from somewhere, but it attracted interested parties of all ages from all countries.
CR: I struggled to contain my displeasure for this experience. It’s not as fun as it looks on White Lotus.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n