Wednesday 12 March 2014

Same country, different Worlds

After a few days in Bangkok, I was beginning to wonder if I had made a mistake in my choice of destinations. I was feeling a little bit deflated, if the truth be known. My next stop was Chiang Mai, and I decided to get the bus, which was a gruelling 10 hours. My decision to travel by road, as opposed to air, was made based on the fact that I could see some of the countryside as I went. Thailand is a truly beautiful country and the road trip to Chiang Mai really illustrated a different country, than the one portrayed by Bangkok.

Chiang Mai is a really laid back, sleepy city, at the same time as being explosively energetic. You'd have to experience it for yourself, to understand where I am coming from. It is warm and welcoming; my trip really only began once I got here.

Trying the local food and visiting Wat Luang Temple were among the highlights. When you set foot inside the temples, you instantly feel at peace. They are so tranquil and the monks that live in them, keep them in tip-top condition.

I wrote the opening three paragraphs of this post on Saturday, 8th March. It is now Wednesday, 12th March and I have been completely humbled, by three amazing days in the jungle of Northern Thailand. The group that did the trek, was full of great people and we all gelled together very nicely. The first day of the trek was the single best day of my life, to date. Everyone was just being themselves and it was really special. There is a lot to be said for feeling like you can just be yourself around others.

There is something very primitive about rafting down a river valley on a raft made out of 8 bamboo shoots. The sounds of the river and the jungle inhabitants, the animals & insects, going about there day, is very endearing. After an hour on the river, we went to a tribal village that is very off the beaten track.


I've never felt as welcome as I felt in this indigenous village that day. Many of the tribes people were just sitting about, relaxing, having their lunch. It was a really sociable occasion and we were made feel at home, when they offered us some of their cuisine. At first, my cynical side had me thinking that they were after our money, or that there would be a sales pitch somewhere along the way. One should never make assumptions. Lesson learned! We had actually just arrived into the village on the day of a wedding, and the locals just wanted us to help them celebrate.

One thing that really struck me, is how genuinely content these people seemed. They all wore huge smiles and seemed so relaxed. It was obvious to me that they knew what really mattered in life - family, friends, being together. Things like Facebook, Twitter and branded goods meant nothing to them, and they're probably better off for it! The irony of that last sentence, as I sit here writing a blog!!!

This post is getting long now, so I will continue it on another post in the coming days


...to be continued

2 comments:

  1. Hello Mick, Its been ages. I decided to write on your post because Thailand is somewhat of a Dream for me to experience. I have this plan to do Phuket and Chiang Mai as a birthday treat this year (I planned to fly straight to Chiang Mai somehow boycott Bangkok cuz of the not-so-nice stories i hear of their traffic and super crazy lifestyle). I hope you do enjoy your trip, please keep the Posts coming, as i will be living vicariously through your adventures until mine is ready to happen.

    My fave bit on this post is how you felt the natives were being kind because they wanted money in return.lol. (Some humans are still unaware of corruption and greed). thank God.

    I will be waiting for more stories on this blog.


    Your Old friend from DBS. Grace Odeh

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  2. Hi Grace,

    Hope you are well. I'm glad you are liking my blog. If at all possible, try and fulfill your dream of coming to Thailand - it is really amazing.

    Take care,

    Mick :)

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