Wat Phra Kaew, Bangkok

Leaving New Zealand was not as sad an occasion as it might have been. I’d been in the country for a year and a half, seen and done pretty much everything I’d wanted to, and witnessed two very dear friends get married. It was time to go, and more over, Thailand was waiting! I flew on Singapore Airlines from Auckland to Bangkok, via Singapore (where I didn’t do a stopover), and was immediately thrust into the most manic and magical city I have ever seen. After the calm and cleanliness of New Zealand, Thailand came as a bit of a shock. I knew it would be busy and dirty and a little on the insane side, but it took some time for me  to figure out how to function in this completely new environment. The first time I went to Bangkok, I couldn’t wait to leave. The second time I was there, Id been in the country for a month and had found my Kellyness. I no longer felt like a fish out of water and was able to relax and enjoy the city more.

I celebrated my 37th birthday the day after I arrived in Bangkok (seriously, I do not know how I will top the last three birthdays next year), by sleeping in a little, having an amazing breakfast at Shanti Lodge, the guesthouse I stayed in, then setting off to find Wat Pho and the Golden Palace. I befriended an Argentinian couple on the way to the river taxi (we were all lost and confused) so we spent the day exploring the city together. It was fantastic!

Bangkok

Ayutthaya

I loved this dusty and ancient city from the minute my train pulled into the station. It seemed impossible to believe that I was actually there, surrounded by the ruins Id only seen in photographs. I stayed at Luang Chumni Village, a fancypants guesthouse not too far from the Old City, and while it was lovely, it was more suited for couples or small groups as it was not very large (so this meant there wasn’t many other guests to meet and befriend) and far away from anything touristy. Normally this would be appealing, but in this place, if you left the compound at night you risked running into the packs of wild dogs that rule the streets. It also meant that there wasnt anywhere convenient to eat, and the guesthouse did not serve meals. I later made friends with someone who stayed in the backpacker district and she said it was great.

Chiang Mai

Where I had found Bangkok to be sheer madness and more than a little intimidating, Chiang Mai I found to be calm and manageable. Arriving off of a 12-hour train ride I stumbled from the station a little shell shocked and wary: Id still only been in the country a few days, and hadnt learn that it was ok to trust the tuktuk drivers (not ALL were out to get you). I cant remember the name of the place I stayed here, it was clean and had a restaurant, but it wasnt remarkable when compared to Shanti Lodge or Luang Chumni Village. The guesthouse had a travel agency attached, where I was given discounts, so I was happy. Chiang Mai has an astonishing number of activities to do, it was like the Queenstown of Thailand! In the short time I was there I went zip-lining (with a Dutch girl, Laura, that I’d met on the train station in Ayutthaya; scared the shit out of me so will likely never do this again although she loved it), elephant riding at Patara Elephant Farm (ditto, although I definitely loved being amongst the elephants) and learned to make a dizzying array of Thai dishes at Asia Scenic Cooking School (HIGHLY recommended).

Chiang Mai also has the best shopping in Thailand. I know everyone says to go to Chatuchak Market in Bangkok, and while yes that’s a fantastic market, the Chiang Mai Sunday Walking Street is just unbelievable. It goes on for what has to be at least five miles, both sides of the streets lined with the most amazing things (I especially loved the multi-coloured ball lights and ended up buying three sets). At sunset, the national anthem is played and the entire market grinds to a halt to pay respects (it’s a little eerie the first time you see this). I wasnt as impressed with the Chiang Mai Night Market, it was still great as markets go, but the prices were more expensive as it’s located within shouting distance of all the big named hotels, has a lot of knock offs and seconds, and just isnt as nice an experience. If you have time to only do one, do the Sunday Walking Street.

Pai

After all of the activity and shopping filled days of CM, Laura and I decided to head off into the hills to the small town of Pai. Lonely Planet mistakenly calls it the Koh Phangan of the North, because of the numer of backpackers that inundate its streets, but it’s definitely not KPN. The bars in the centre of town close somewhat earlier than you would expect, although if you walk 10-25 minutes out of town (depending on how ambitious you are) there are late-late-night alternatives — just look out for the roving packs of wild dogs. They rule the streets here! Laura and I stayed at Baan Pai Village, and I would return there in a heartbeat. It was beautiful, had an open-air massage parlour and al freso restaurant out front, and the most centrally-located of all of the guesthouses. Pai also has a nice little night market where you can buy jewellry, artwork, food (omg the food) and clothing. Speaking of which, Pai is located in a rather muslim part of Thailand: beachwear is not appropriate for wandering its quaint streets (something I wish Id had the nerve to tell some of the women I saw there). I’d planned to stay in Pai only 3 nights, and ended up staying for 5. I loved it that much. The days were lazy: we’d wake up, eat, wander about, eat some more, rent a scooter and check out nearby spas and watering holes, eat, drink, drink, sleep. It was a blissful experience and I hated that I had to leave.

Koh Phangnan & Koh Tao

The journey from Pai to Koh Phangan was a complete pain in the ass, and really, I should have spent the extra money and flown from Chiang Mai to Koh Samui. But no, I had to be all romantic about it and want to take the night train. This idealism meant my day looked something like this: Take 8am bus from Pai to Chiang Mai (4 hours); fly from CM to Bangkok (1 hour), take the train from Bangkok to Surathani (12 hours), take the bus from the train to the ferry (1 hour) , take the ferry from the docks to Koh Phangan (3 hours). Had I flown, I would have saved about a day’s worth of time and a whole lot less stress. Something I had eaten in Pai had not sat well with me, and while I didnt have, problems, what I did have was a searing pain in my right side. In hind sight I dont know why I didnt see a doctor when I got to KPN, but it was just such an effort and by the time I got to the resort my pain medication had begun to work so I didnt think about it again. To this day I have no idea what caused it as Ive not had any recurrences, but I should have taken it as a sign that KPN wasn’t going to be for me. After the cheap and fun atmosphere of Pai, KPN was a let down. Id befriended a French girl on the train and we’d decided to share a room at the resort Id booked together. She was nice enough, but wow. She complained about EVERY single baht. It was embarrassing and just hard to be around. Since I didn’t like either the company nor the resort I was at, I decided to jump ship and head over to Koh Tao. What a world of difference! I loved KT: the day I arrived was the last night of a weekend festival, there was dancing and music and just a lot of fun going on. I stayed for a week and was disappointed when I had to leave to return to Bangkok.

I loved Thailand. There was so much to do and see and experience, and four weeks was definitely not enough time. I have no idea how people go for only a week or two, but I suspect they’re just interested in sitting on a beach and partying. Im hoping to return to Thailand soon, perhaps adding a stopover to my Vietnam trip which is beginning to take shape in the back of my head.

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Fallen Buddha, Wat Phra Mahathat (Thailand)

The photo was taken at Wat Phra Mahathat in Ayutthaya, Thailand. A former capital city, it was ransacked by the Burmese several hundred years ago. As the invaders laid siege to the city, they destroyed as many Buddha statues and temples as possible. This one, for some reason, was left where it lay at the root of a tree which in the intervening years has grown itself around it. I like to think that the tree is nestling the Buddha, offering both comfort and protection.

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