Dear Friend,

Whew! It’s been a whirlwind couple of months in the Chiang Mai area. I am sitting here at the Chiang Mai International Airport, waiting to board my flight to Da Nang, Vietnam. To be honest, I am having a difficult time summing up my time in Chiang Mai. It was filled with some of the most beautiful sites I have seen in my life and adventures unique to the area. The most culturally enriching experience was definitely my teaching lessons in the local Thai schools. The other experience I am so grateful for was being able to drive through the mountains with my classmate and good friend Jay. Since he has lived in Chiang Mai for a couple of years now, he was able to show me a temple “off the beaten path”. We drove about 2.5 hours from Chiang Mai through quiet mountain roads with many beautiful viewpoints (photos in the gallery of this post) and arrived at Wat Chaloem Phra Kiat Phrachomklao Rachanusorn (Lampang). Since the temple is pretty far from any highly populated city and we went on a weekday in low season, there were only about 5 other tourists there.

Sitting and listening to a group of women chanting in the Buddhist tradition high on the mountain top was so tranquil and heartwarming. I can’t even quite describe the energy of the place, but Jay and I agreed that it was one of a kind. We were also lucky that the stars aligned in such a way that we had a very clear view the entire time we spent at the top. It didn’t start pouring down rain until we were ready to start the journey back to Chiang Mai 🙂 This video can’t capture the feeling of being there, but it does give a pretty good representation of the beauty of the place and the harmonious voices of the women praying (turn the volume up to listen). All in all, being on top of that mountain, and the journey there from Chiang Mai, was my favorite experience in Southeast Asia thus far.

While I’ve been in Thailand, I’ve really appreciated the opportunity to connect with both the local people and other “farang” (as we foreigners are called). Even though two months may seem like a long time, it went by so quickly and there is still more I’d like to see and people I’d like to spend time with. All the more reason to return in the not too far future, possibly to teach at a local school. We will see! I have a bit of traveling to do before then. 

One thing to note: If you visit Thailand, always carry a little toilet paper in your daypack/purse. Using the toilet in Southeast Asia is, on the whole, a very different experience than what I am accustomed to in America. It takes time to get in the habit of NOT putting toilet paper into the toilet bowl (it generally goes in a trash can right next it). Also, it is very common in Thailand that the shower head is situated about an arms length from the toilet without any sort of curtain or glass divider. 

Another thing to note: You will likely be sweating for the duration of any outdoor activity, even if it is just an evening walk. 🙂 I really enjoyed never being cold or needing a jacket outside, but definitely made sure to wear deodorant haha. 

In summary, the food was amazing, the prices were right, the healthcare was good (only one visit to the hospital for very reasonably priced vaccinations), the accommodations were safe and comfortable, the gym was air-conditioned (60 baht / ~$2 USD per visit), and the transportation around town was easy.  Also, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was efficiently run (I visited the Document Legalization Service Office to get my TEFL certificate notarized) and the Chiang Mai Immigration Office was easily accessible (although quite chaotic and included somewhat confusing paperwork to get a visa extension).

There was no shortage of things to do… I enjoyed seeing the elephant sanctuary, admiring the beautiful temples and exploring the numerous night markets, hiking in the surrounding areas, spending time in Pai, swimming at several waterfalls, participating in a Thai cooking class, zipling through the trees, eating at a cafe with an exorbitant number of hedgehogs and guinea pigs (yes, you read that correctly… probably the most random experience), and sharing meals and unique experiences with newly made friends. Really, I couldn’t have asked for a better visit to this beautiful part of the world.

Signing off for now to go get some food! Will write again soon.

Love,
Marissa

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