I like Chiang Mai.No, it's not as hectic and vibrant as Bangkok.
Nor is it full of life and sleaze like its southern cousin, Phuket.
No, Chiang Mai offers an entirely different package from the more popular destinations in Thailand.
It's slow-paced (to the point of near-annoyance), saddled with hundreds of years of northern Thai (Siamese) culture. The Lanna-styled buildings are quite attractive in their own right, with the teak structures and vast compounds.
The remains of the ancient city form the sightseeing 'boundary', enclosing the older part of Chiang Mai from the newer parts of the city. The old city walls and moat form a square parameter around what is probably the best site to shop at. Though one shouldn't envision the gates being similar in grandeur to, say, the Arc de Triomphe or the Brandenburg Gate.
The weather was a bit dodgy, raining on the first day of our visit and on the last day too. In between, it was hot, but not like the humid, sweat-inducing heat in KL. Walking around was pleasant, and the relatively clean air made for better enjoyment of a cigarette or two.
Shopping was good, with prices noticeably lower than Bangkok (often used yardstick for shoppers in Thailand, apparently). And there were plenty of unique wares on sale in the Sunday Night Market at Rajduemern Road near Thapae Gate. Walking along the Road, we managed to hop-in into several temples, and sample the local snacks on sale. One eye-catching scene was a Muslim family (tudungs and all) selling what looked like pisang goreng beside a stall selling pork sausages which was manned by a Thai. In a Buddhist temple. Not only that, the family was also happily throwing titbits to a mongrel that was more than happy to serve as a food QC expert. For all the unrest in Southern Thailand, this is one scenario we would never, ever come across in the so-called multiracial Malaysia.
Later in the evening, we discovered there were even more roads with stalls, mostly set-up by Chiang Mai University students offering creative pieces of work. Think struggling art/film/design students.
The Night Bazaar just around the corner where we stayed wasn't too bad either, with stalls selling more conventional goods - T-shirts, scarves, fake goods, dresses, etc. We spent quite a bit of time perusing the stalls, and managed to get some stuff at cheap-ass prices. What was even better was the existence of more commercialised outlets like Burger King, Starbucks and McD's outlining the bazaar. The actual Night Bazaar Complex itself was highly disappointing, with mainly touristy souvenirs being sold at ridiculously high prices. The Saturday Market at Wualai Road was equally as disappointing, more akin to the weekend pasar malam at Malacca Old Town. Amazing that there wasn't a single dustbin along the road.
I didn't do much sightseeing, surprisingly enough. Was keen on the excursions to the elephant farm and Burmese border, but they were expensive (former) and time consuming (latter). Next time, definitely. Did visit the oldest temple in Chiang Mai, though. And saw a Buddha statue purportedly made out of crystal dating more than 2500 years old.
All things considered, I quite enjoyed the trip. Some things needed getting used to, like not smoking in most of the bars and pubs (sigh). And paying a bomb for Burger King. And scores of hilltribeswomen walking around making frog sounds. I reckon four or five days in Chiang Mai is just nice, sufficient for sight-seeing and shopping yet below the boredom cut-off point.
Like I said, I like Chiang Mai.
No comments:
Post a Comment