Bamboo Nests

Bamboo Nests of Chiang Rai from their website

Our next couple of days were to be spent in a rural setting on a hilltop.   Nok skillfully navigating our 4x4 up a rough track only hesitating to tease us by asking if our suitcases were still in the back of the truck.  

And here we found ourselves at a peaceful lodge with 12 bamboo huts scattered down the hillside. ...   a beautiful, tranquil setting.

  Nok and Noi have named their idle, Bamboo Nests.  They are  business partners in this enterprise and although they seem close  opposites in temperament they seem to complement one other with their duties and roles. ... Noi the villager who knows the land well and Nok the city woman seeking the quietness of the hilltops.

Bamboo Nests of Chiang Rai from online

On arrival we were met by a peaceful dog, "Cookie", a lovely view  over pineapple fields and much cooler temperatures.  We had been warned to bring a jacket and we put on all the layers of our warmest clothes as the sun went down at 6pm.  

   This would be luxury camping, no wifi, no electrical plugs to charge up ( except in the eating pavilion) one light bulb in the large room, no heat, but a good hot shower and wonderful Thai home cooking.   

 And the huge beds in each hut took on a romantic aspect with their tight fitting mosquito nets draped from the ceiling and carefully tucked in.    Thankfully there were two huge polyester quilts that looked inviting and it was too cold for mosquitoes. 

  It was a tranquil paradise with absolute stillness..  broken only by strange bird calls or an engine noise from a far off village.  Here are a few photos.

The first two pictures above I found online. You can see the hills are much greener in those pictures.   I imagine they were taken just after Monsoon when everything was lush.    

Looking out over the hills, two bamboo huts are visible and Cookie crosses the grass.

The Dining Pavilion leading to the kitchen. Bamboo Nests 

Dave's feet in the hammock and Cookie resting on the first afternoon

We chose a cabin each since there were no other guests and carefully rolled our wheelie bags down the steep tracks to settle in and wait for dinner.  

Cookie, already putting her stamp on us, waited on Dave's terrace  (he had steps onto his) knowing she was not allowed in the rooms.

 I joined them so Dave could read some more of our story.
He was reading to me from.. "Call the Nurse" a well done memoire of an English nurse living with her family in the Hebrides islands in the 1970's.   He could even do a passable Scottish accent.    

 Tonight we would enjoy a fine meal of three dishes,  local pineapple and bananas for dessert  and a bonfire to warm up before bed.  We were off to a good start.

The White Temple, Chiang Rai Provence

Wat Rong Khum, Chiang Rai, Thailand

After Parr had driven us through some tedious construction sites up the main road and we had heard him sing the shortest Thai song, we arrived at the lauded White Temple to wait for our ride to the mountain.

The white Temple or Wat Rong Khum is an artist's vision of a Buddhist temple in Chiang Rai province.   It replaced an old crumbling temple found on this site.  It is owned and operated by the artist Chalermchai Kositpipat who opened it in 1997 at the cost of 1,080 million Thai Baht. 

The artist considers the temple to be an offering to Buddha and believes the effort will give him immortal life. 

Dave and I are not so sure.

He seems to have created a Selfie Palace,  more than a temple. 

There were crowds of mostly young people posing in every possible position around the temple making the experience far from reverent.  

  Still as an artist myself, I was impressed.  It is quite delectable in it's own wedding cake fashion and it was a splendid day to see it. 
He will continue his project to build a learning and meditation center and perhaps attract some practicing Buddhists.  Good Luck Chal.  Bravo. 

The White Temple, Chiang Rai, Thailand

The White temple, Chiang Rai

Wat Rong Khun, Chiang Rai

But after a few minutes of crowds and photos, Dave and I went to have a coffee with Parr.  Perhaps we had had enough of temples for a while.   Sorry,  I feel I should have been more enthusiastic.   It really was quite stunning. 

Green tea at Chiang Rai

Ta cooks Thai

Before saying a farewell to the family in Chiang Mai we were treated to an informal cooking lesson by Ta ( pronounced Da) in their home's very functional, two stove cooking space looking out over a kitchen garden.

Ta and Pom in their open kitchen.  

Ta's pumpkin stir fry,Tom Yum soup and mushroom dish ingredients

Mushrooms and greens

Pumpkin stir fry with eggs,

Here is a look at the tasty, nutritious meal that we were able to put together with Ta's guidance.   

    I found the ingredients for the Chicken Tom Yum soup online.  I remember seeing most everything there except the tamarind water and the prawns.  Perhaps we did a simplified version.

Ingredients for Tom Yum Soup from the  BBC

• 1 litre/2 pints chicken stock
• 300ml/11fl oz water
• 6 sticks lemongrass, lightly crushed
• 4 fresh coriander roots, crushed
• 110g/4oz fresh galangal, peeled and sliced (available from Asian supermarkets)
• 8 tomatoes, cut into quarters, seeds removed
• 6 kaffir lime leaves
• 1-2 limes, juice only
• 75ml/3fl oz tamarind water (tamarind is available from Asian supermarkets. Soak the tamarind in hot water and push the pulp through a sieve to make tamarind water.)
• 3 red chillies, thinly sliced
• 75ml/3fl oz fish sauce (nam pla), or to taste
• 75g/3oz palm sugar (available from Asian supermarkets), use brown sugar if unavailable
• 12 raw tiger prawns, shelled, gutted and split in half
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks

To serve

• 1 small bunch fresh coriander, leaves
• 1 small bunch fresh Thai basil, leaves (available from Asian supermarkets)
• lime wedges

 Ta made it all look easy but any cook knows it's about experience and experimentation. 
  Spent with this close family ( and their three kitties) in their private home, it was a meal for Dave and I to remember.  

Tomorrow we would travel north to Chiang Rai.

Tui and two of three kitties from her instagram: Window of Thailand

Seymour, the grey kitten

Wat Phra Singh and Wiang Kum Kam

This charming guy is Parr,  he was our driver/guide for some of our time in Chiang Mai. 

Wat Phra Singh Temple, Chiang Mai

There are dozens of temples in Chiang Mai but the first one Parr took us to was Wat Phra Singh which was founded in 1345 by King Phayu, the fifth king of the Mantra dynasty.  He had a chedi (stupa) built to house the ashes of his father.  

 Stupas or chedis, as they are called in Thailand,  are usually shaped like the best part of an ice cream cone.  They are often covered in gold leaf and they hold holy relics.   There were a couple of them at Wat Phra Singh.  

Stupas at Wat Phra Singh

   The Wat Phra Singh temple was built at the time when a number of different kings ruled Thailand.  From 1578-1774, the northern Lanka kingdom was controlled by the Burmese and this temple was abandoned and fell into disrepair.  It was only when King Kawila assumed the throne as King of Chiang Mai in 1782 that this temple and all of its surrounding buildings were restored. 

Inside are important murals but what really was astonishing are the exact likenesses of revered monks done in wax.  I couldn't stop staring at the details of these effigies.  Of course, I was looking at them from the craftsman's viewpoint....each little hair on their heads!

Close up from one of the ancient murals

Buddhist monk effigy in wax, Wat Phra Singh

Wax effigies of famous monks, Wat Phra Singh

Wat Phra Singh, Chiang Mai

Wat Phra Singh, Chiang Mai

Side view of wax effigies, Wat Phra Singh

Parr had a medallion around his neck the day we visited this temple.  It seems that many Thai Buddhists wear such a likeness of their favorite monk just as Christians wear crosses. 

The following day we left Chiang Mai and traveled with Parr to the ancient village of Wiang Kum Kam before heading north.

One of the vehicles available for Wiang Kum Kam

Wiang Kum Kam is a historic settlement and archaeological site built by King Mangrai the Great as his capital before he moved it to Chiang Mai 700 years ago.  The reason for giving up on the place seems to be flooding of the Ping River.   The city was lost to history for many years after Chiang Mai was conquered by the Burmese in 1558.   But people moved back 200 years later and called it Chang Khan village.  

 In 1984, the Dept. of Fine Arts in the area, discovered the remnants of the city and started excavations.  Since then, as more funds are available, vast remains have been found and restoration has started in earnest. 

Now with the help of ponies and traps, it is a tourist site.   

A bodhi tree near the ancient temple.  The staffs leaning up against the tree are a symbol for helping the tree.

The Bodhi fig tree represents where the Buddha found enlightenment.  You come across them in Buddhist countries from time to time and they are much revered as symbols of enlightenment.  We found one here and I asked about the strange forked poles leaning up against this one.  Parr said that they were to "support" the tree....obviously metaphorically. 

Parr with his medallion, sitting in the pony trap

Our next stop was to be our official goodbye to Parr.  We had had a lot of fun hearing his stories and singing songs with him in the car on the ride up north but where we were headed in Chiang Rai we definitely needed a 4x4 so we said our "adieu" at the White Temple "Wat Rong Khun". 

Thai Food

 Photo by Everypixel.com

If I didn't already love Thailand, the cuisine would convince me that I had come to paradise.   Everywhere we went the meals were a highlight.

The first week,  Qiu introduced us to an unusual appetizer that we found at the bazaar.  We brought it back to our home stay to share.   

 Miang Kham uses a Chaplu or Thong Lang Leaf as the wrapper then a plateful of ingredients are wrapped in the leaf and it is all dipped into a sauce.  Most of the ingredients are shredded and one can choose the proportions before you wrap the leaf and dip it in the sauce. 

   Here is a list of ingredients.

1. Chaplu Leaves or Thong Lang Leaves
2. Peanuts 1/4 cup
3. Dried shrimp 1/4 cup
4. Ginger 1/4 cup
5. Coconut 1/4 cup
6. Shallot (cut into small pieces) 1/4 cup
7. Lime(cut into small pieces) 1-2 Tbsp.
8. Chilli 1-2 Tbsp.

Miang Kham Sauce

• 1 Tbsp dried shrimp
• 1.5 inches galangal, chopped
• 1 inch ginger, chopped
• ½ cup water
• 125 g palm sugar, chopped
• 1 teaspoon shrimp paste, or more if you like the flavour
• 1- 1 1/2 Tbsp fish sauce
• 2 Tbsp toasted coconut, ground until mealy 
• 2 Tbsp toasted peanuts, ground until mealy

Then in Chiang Mai we discovered Ta's cooking which was special.

Ta's stuffed cabbage

And even though I do better on animal protein and few starches or sweets,  I found something to love about just about every dish we sampled in Thailand.   And yes I ate the sweet sauces and the rice accompaniment that goes so well with the curries.   It's all about proportion and a rare opportunity to eat the dish as cooked by the locals. 

Ta's sauted mushrooms with chives and garlic

When we got back to Chiang Mai after the elephants, Tui took us to another cafe where we basically had fried and boiled chicken for breakfast.  It was tender and delicious and so interesting with the accompaniments, the hot chilies and the cucumber to cool the palate.   The place was packed even at breakfast.

Breakfast of boiled and fried chicken with sauces and cucumber to cool the tongue

The chicken cafe boilers

The fried chicken has cornstarch and chilies mixed into the breading and is extra crunchy. The boiled chicken was so tender that I couldn't imagine their secret.

One of the chicken cafe workers 

It seems that food is a main feature of Thailand and the outdoor markets are especially enticing. 

 Even though it wasn't the season, Dave and I tried Durian Fruit which is considered by the Thais to be the King of Fruits. 

  I have to say that it didn't do it for me.  A fruit that tastes like a custard is not, in my book, what a fruit is supposed to do.     But there are so many to choose from.... many only seen during monsoon, that there is a king and queen fruit for every palate.  

 Durian Fruit ...Matador network.com

An out of season piece of Durian, the king of fruits, I bought at the bazaar.

The  Durian Fruit and its huge seed

The Barber shop

Now it's hard to believe that I was talked into bringing a hairdryer to Thailand as every town has shops or salons that will do a great job.

Thai hairdressers in Chiang Mai

The first salon I went to on our trip was almost across the street from Pom's family home in Chiang Mai.  I was led into the back of what looked like a men's barber shop... where there were several lounge beds and ladies giving shampoos.  I lay down on one, my head perched over a sink... so much more comfortable than a chair. 

Then the coiffeuse started the shampoo.... with vigor, with intensity.  After about 15 minutes of this I made the universal cut off sign and the washing stopped ....for a moment, while she rinsed my head.    I was afraid with this robust treatment I wouldn't have any hair left.

Then it started up again with more shampoo and a kneading of my scalp, then my shoulders then my neck.  The standard, I found out later was three shampoos, three rinses.  

 After another 20 minutes of this I didn't care if there was hair left or not, since I realized that this was going to be a serious head massage, the likes of which I had never experienced.

An hour and 15 minutes later I emerged from the back, dazed but happy with hair still intact, happy clean hair.

The styling took about 15 minutes and all that was 100 baht, about $3.29.    

Then if you aren't fussed about privacy, there were these two charming barbers at the outdoor market. 

Barbers at the bazaar

New Year's resolve

Early morning , Place Massena, Nice

Today I got to see by video that the Ducks won the Rose-bowl in Pasadena.   And what a game, 28-27 against the Wisconsin Badgers.  It was a game you might say was scripted by Hollywood,  never a dull moment.  Both college teams were excellent.

 I started reflecting a few days ago, what it means to "play".  The cat ( Mozzi) plays even though he is middle aged ( 10 years old).   He makes up games for us to engage in when he is bored and insists that we play.

 We see children play all the time.... but older adults give up playing unless they have a round of golf or bridge from time to time.  

So to see that my brother, who attended the University of Oregon and worked there,  has a passion for the teams and coaches of the Oregon "Ducks" is a healthy thing...a good thing.  Even more so as my other two brothers share his enthusiasm and it brings them all closer together.

Dave told me on our trip that his admiration is not just in the winning but it is about the overall coaching and the recruiting of a team of athletes and (good scholars too) who epitomize team work.   He follows the women's teams too that have their own ratings.  But this is just a side of him.  He is also an accomplished musician, poet and nature lover, husband and father.

  My family was never encouraged to be athletic.   My sister does ballet every week but she was never given lessons as a child.   Now she is on "pointe" shoes and it is a big part of her week.  And she is just a few years younger than I am!  Dave and I do walking, weights, pilates and did tennis in the past...but were never part of a team.  My other brothers are pretty active as well and Jim definitely knows how to be playful. 

So yes, there is something that we can take away from this kind of team building and play.  One is that hard work equals joy in accomplishment and joy is contagious. 

I  admit that I was depressed yesterday,  the let down of trying to regain my enthusiasms after the highs of Thailand and then a whole night of singing and partying across the street for"Réveillon" left me cranky and searching for some answers.

I am feeling a lot more chipper today because I finally broke a long spell of relative inactivity ( no organized exercise while in Thailand).  This morning I got myself up at 5am to pump up my bike tires and take the thing out before the traffic started up.    I went to the port and back and that was enough to get the juices flowing...especially the endorphins.    

I did it early because during the sunny hours this time of year the Promenade is full of hundreds of people strolling, riding, skate- boarding, walking dogs, using scooters and trying out remote controlled cars on the sidewalk and bike path.  Frankly unless you have excellent reflexes and want a frustrating ride,  daylight is not a good time to go.

So I have decided this year to include two things.... The first one is to play just for the hell of it...like kids do. ...to find something playful to do just for the laughs and joy.

 The second thing is to do physical exercise almost every day.  It doesn't have to be a sport,  I just need to get myself moving. 

   I don't usually do New Year's resolutions but for a lazy sod like me, it's a good idea to start with the brain.  As the ad says,  "Just do it".