Chinatown

With Rachel and Jake visiting, we went down to Bangkok's Chinatown at night. Just as during daytime, Chinatown is crowded and full of action at night. To get there, however, you take the subway to the stop close to the train station and then walk for about 10 minutes, past several Chinese temples and the ubiquitous Chinatown gate.

Before long, you're in the thick of things, amid throngs of people, bright lights and streetcarts.

We ate at a famous seafood restaurant (the green in the picture below).

We were especially drawn in by the gigantic prawns, grilled streetside.

We made quick work of the meal...

...but Jake took a little with him, on his shirt.

Then it was on to Vertigo, the open-air bar on top of the Banyon Tree Hotel, 60 stories up.

Chiang Mai II

It's been a busy last couple of months ago and, inevitably, things were going to slip. So, while we got our Sukhothai post up shortly after our trip, we have lagged in getting a post about Chiang Mai, the second portion of our trip up. At any rate, a month late, here's Chiang Mai...

Driving up from Sukhothai, we stopped first on the way to the village where they make the painted umbrellas that Chiang Mai is famous for.

We looked through the shops and also saw the process by which they make the umbrellas.

Then, some much-need coffee.

That night, we took our hotel's free shuttle into town to visit the nightly Night Bazaar.

The first full day in Chiang Mai was temple day, as we visited many of the city's famous temples. Even though Chiang Mai is much smaller than Bangkok, they have just as many temples and often it seems you can't walk too far without stumbling onto one. The city's old town is full of wats in intricately carved Lanna style.

 

(Eliana trying to stay awake from all of the temple visiting)

 (dance demo we stumbled upon)

 (sawat dii, khrap!)

 

Then to lunch at a place specializing in retro Thai bric-a-brac, also with a mini foosball table!

 

We then tuk-tuk'ed it back to our rental van...

And then we drove up the windy mountain road to Wat Doi Suthep.

(400+ steps to the top...)

 (monks doing touch-ups)

(view from the top)

 (sitting and spinning on the temple floor)

Everyone told us the weather in Chiang Mai was very cold, so Eliana and Shane wore the wool hats Phun knit for them. In truth, it really wasn't that cold.

On another day, we went to the Mae Sae Elephant Camp to see some elephants up close.

 

(hat on!)

 

 (Eliana feeding the elephants)

 

(elephants bathing themselves)

 (elephants playing dead)

(elephants playing with hoops)

 (elephants painting)

 (elephants playing hoop)

On another day, we went to the Chiang Mai Royal Flora Show, which is a yearly event showcasing flowers, pavilions from around the world, and other good clean family fun.

(more umbrellas!)

 

 (racing through the fountain...we all got wet)

(lots of product placement)

(we went up on the Global Wheel)

 (or on a ferris wheel...)

 

(giraffes and Tom Selleck lookalikes)

On Christmas night, we visited Chiang Mai's bustling Sunday Night Walking Street.

(they turn the wat grounds into outdoor food courts)

(Shane eating famous Chiang Mai "ancient ice cream")

 

(typical Chiang Mai transport, the song tao)

(Peter riding outside)

Lastly, we visited one more temple perched atop a mountain, Wat Doi Saket.

(Eliana raced to the top)

 

 (the temple paintings were these trippy renditions done by an artist who had apparently become somewhat disillusioned with the structure of modern Buddhism)