Living life as the locals do. The Chiang Mai edition.
Although Chiang Mai is a charming little place, it's not the quiet haven which I've been looking for, though it comes pretty close to it.
Chiang Mai is a chameleon disguised as a busy town one moment but once you take a turn onto a quiet side street, it makes you feel like you're on a deserted island. But the silence never lasts long. It is usually interrupted by a noisy motorcycle or a persistent tuktuk driver yelling out "Hello! Need ride?" in broken English. But that is part of the charm of Thailand.
All of these elements are part of the lifestyle here as much as outdoor food stalls are, which are absolutely amazing. Where else in the world can you walk down a street and smell a million different delicious spices mixed in with the local hustle and bustle of street vendors trying to have you sit down at their place and enjoy their food for what usually is less than a dollar. The meals range from spicy soup, to the typical rice and chicken or pork, to sweet deserts, to finally fresh fruit and smoothie stands. It's all so enticing and appetizing that picking a meal becomes an adventure in itself each time. Everything you look at and everything you smell makes you so hungry and so excited that you absolutely cannot wait to make your decision and dive in to the culinary mastery of the local Thai chefs. Sometimes you'll order something just because it looks great and smells delicious but you will have absolutely no idea what it is because the local at the stall knows absolutely no english. This way, from my experience, you are bound to find some delicious creations and indulge in some serious overload for your taste buds. This adventure goes on everyday. Exciting isn't it!? :) I wish I could have you guys here with me experiencing this amazing culture and feeling what I'm feeling. That is why I'll try my best to describe what I am going through in as much detail as I can. Everyone should be able to do this in their lifetime and I feel so fortunate that I get to do this now.
"If this is as good as it gets than that's good enough for me..." a quote from Brendan O'Hara's song, check it out. As Good As It Gets It'll make you feel great and also make you want to swing on a hammock somewhere in the shade. I was just listening to that song this morning and it sure put me in a good mood. I should say better mood, since I was already feeling pretty good.
My first day in Chiang Mai was spent relaxing and recovering from the long journey which you've read about in my previous blog. I took a couple of naps after walking around town a bit and getting to know the area. I also decided to get my first Thai massage. I figured it was a great day for it, since my body was aching a bit from the pretty difficult train ride. So I found a place which was very close to the Nocky Hostel, which Alfredo and I ended up crashing in. So I walked over to the massage parlor not really knowing what to expect. As soon as I stepped up to the door I was greeted with a wâi, the traditional Thai prayer like greeting of putting your palms together with the tips of your fingers being at nose level, finished off with a slight bow of the head. I noticed this greeting being used quite a lot but not in all situations. You will usually receive a wâi after purchasing something in gratitude by the locals. So before stepping inside the massage place, I took off my sandals and left them outside of the door, as it is customary in Thailand in order to be respectful and to not bring dirt into your host's home. As soon as I walked in and said that I wanted the one hour Thai massage, I was directed to a small room with a bathroom in it and was given a loose pair of pants and a linen men's shirt to change into. After I came out with my new attire, I was directed to follow the small Thai woman who I assumed was going to be my masseuse today, up to the second floor to a small room with a label on the door stating, Massage Room both in English and in Thai. When the woman opened the door, she motioned for me to lay down on one of the five mattresses on the floor next to another mattress which was occupied by a Thai man in the middle of his massage session with a petite Thai woman. When I laid down, I was given the most thorough massage/stretch of my body which left me as relaxed as I have ever been. She pushed and pulled every part of my body and it was hands down the best massage I have ever received. It seemed like my hour there lasted forever in the best way possible. When the hour was over and I stood up, I felt like I had just woken up from the best dream ever and feeling every ounce of my body refreshed and new. The crazy thing about this was that a massage like that in the states would have set me back at least a hundred dollars. Here I paid four dollars and fifty cents!!! Incredible. 
The next day in Chiang Mai, I realized why no one is really out and about during the day. The reason for that is the ridiculous, oppressive heat beating down midday. So I decided to do like the locals do. I woke up around 7am and went to walk around for a few hours before it got too hot. I found the post office and sent out the couple post cards that I got the other day and then just walked around without a direction really. I stumbled upon a huge fruit market and got myself a couple slices of watermelon and a fresh mango smoothie all for under a dollar. After that, I slowly made my way back to the hostel and laid down to read my book. After a few chapters I fell asleep and took a wonderful afternoon nap, after which I woke up refreshed and ready to hit the saturday night market. Alfredo joined me there and we walked across town to the Southern part of town, to Wualai Road. That road was a one kilometer stretch of local vendors selling everything from clothing to sushi. I indulged in both :) I ended up trying a couple pieces of sushi, as well as some tea in a bamboo cup, which I got to keep. Not sure what kind of tea it was but it was sure delicious and chilled in ice. A perfect treat on a 90 degree evening. 
I got very lucky and ended up finding everything I wanted and more at the market. I was looking for a light blouse to wear in this scorching heat and I was looking for a small shoulder bag to wear around town. Found both of those and I also got a dress and a pair of shorts. All very light and perfect for this climate. And all for a total of seven dollars and eighty cents!!! How can you not get some things here when it's so ridiculously cheap? There is a market today too; the Sunday night market which I guess is even bigger and more impressive than the Saturday one. Maybe I'll find something cute there! Tomorrow I am planning to send some stuff home which I packed with me but now realized will not need. I'll probably add some stuff that I buy later on today at the market as well. Looking forward to this one too! The Saturday market had a bunch street musicians and performers which is my weak spot. I can never just walk by without stopping and listening a bit. The sounds here in Thailand are so different from anything I've ever heard live before. It's very unfamiliar but nonetheless; absolutely beautiful. So once again, Thailand has been absolutely wonderful to me and I am looking forward to seeing more of this exotic country.
Stay tuned kids :)
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