Welcome back, treasured reader! Glad to have you here with us yet again. If it’s your first time reading this blog, here’s a short intro: My name is Clay Boeninger, and I am a rising third-year student at the University of Alabama majoring in economics and finance with minors in Spanish and liberal arts through the Blount Scholars Program. I am currently studying abroad on the UA in Thailand: International Economics trip, where I and nine other students are taking EC 308 (intermediate microeconomics) taught by none other than the esteemed Dr. Paan Jindapon. This blog post will focus on our 6 days in Chiang Mai, so hopefully it’ll be a bit shorter than last time’s, but no promises. If you’re interested in learning about what studying abroad in Bangkok was like, click here! Okay, with that out of the way, let me tell you all about our time in Chiang Mai. We’ll pick up on the North-bound train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai.
Travel Day, June 11
As I mentioned last time, we traveled from Bangkok to Chiang Mai via rail! I have never traveled via a long-distance rail system before, so I was quite excited to see what it was all about. Luckily, our group secured first class tickets, which meant that every roommate pairing had their own room. Conner and I settled into our cabin, Conner on the bottom bunk and myself on the top. I guess you could call the provided sleeping surface a mattress, but I think it was probably closer to a yoga mat or something like that. Despite the uncomfortable sleeping arrangements, it was still pretty cool to use a train to travel across the country. Before I headed to bed, I went hunting for a snack. I thought there would be a snack cart floating up and down the cars, but maybe my perception of traveling by train has been tainted too much by the Hogwarts Express. Eventually, I found a bag of Lay’s which, combined with the complimentary bottled water, was sufficient for the evening. I drifted in and out of sleep, eventually settling into a deep slumber for what felt like 15 minutes before being woken up by a kind yet forceful crew member. We got our things together quickly and disembarked the train when it made its final stop in Chiang Mai at around 7:00 a.m. on June 12. All things considered, I enjoyed the experience and would do it again.
Day 1, June 12
After arriving in Chiang Mai, we loaded our bags into the two vans that were awaiting us, and we drove to the most local of all local restaurants for an early breakfast. Until this point, I had really only had American breakfast in Thailand, thanks to the Montien hotel’s breakfast bar. However, I figured I would branch out and try something different, so I ordered congee with egg and pork balls. It was scrumptious. Think like an eggier, runnier grits with balls of ground pork mixed in; quite appetizing if you ask me. After our bellies were full, we drove to Doi Suthep (Doi meaning mountain in Thai) where we visited a temple built into the side of the mountain. In addition to more stunning temple architecture, we also saw some pretty decent views of the city, despite the fog in the air. At the bottom of the mountain rests a small market, so we shopped around there for a little bit before moving on to Doi Pui, yet another mountain in Northern Thailand. Tucked away in a valley of Doi Pui is a breathtaking village with many small walking trails cut out so that tourists can observe up close all the beautiful plants. The day we visited was quite rainy, so the fog added a haze to the views that somehow made things even prettier. When the rain finally rolled in, we hid away on the covered rooftop of a coffee shop, sipping our drinks and watching the storm pass.
On our way back down the mountain, we stopped at a very small restaurant which serves one thing: khao soi. And reader, let me tell you: I love khao soi. It is far and away my favorite Thai dish, and this specific bowl of khao soi was the best I had in Thailand, even though it was also the first bowl I had here. The egg noodles, the coconut curry, the chicken (or beef if you fancy that), the chili jam that I always put way too much of and end up burning my mouth off; it all just works together so well. For dinner that evening we went to the Old Chiang Mai Cultural Center where we ate traditional Thai dishes in a traditional way: on the floor and with our hands. After finishing our food, we reclined on the cushions and watched a traditional Thai dance performance. It wasn’t long until the dancers wanted to pick guests from the audience to dance with them, and, thanks to Namwan pointing me out, they picked me. Even if I looked silly while dancing in a circle on stage, it was fun to get a glimpse of how Thai people have connected with one another via music and dance for hundreds of years. The 12th was also Allison’s birthday, so the staff brought out a cake while the band played “Happy Birthday,” and it was yet again sweet to celebrate someone in our group for the evening.
Day 2, June 13
You see, I like to think that I am usually pretty well prepared for things. My dad is an Eagle Scout, so I feel like the always prepared mentality has rubbed off on me some. However, I was not prepared for the weather at the top of Doi Inthanon. At the bottom of the mountain, it was quite warm and merely cloudy. But at the top, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Suddenly, the temperature had dropped 20 degrees Fahrenheit, and the rain was coming down consistently. Thanks to a cheap poncho procured by Paan and Namwan, I was able to stay dry enough to take in Doi Inthanon, the highest spot in Thailand at 8,500 feet above mean sea level. For a brief moment, when I was the only one by the marker that indicated the highest point, I was the tallest person in Thailand, which is kind of cool to think about. Anyhow, pressing onward through the rain, we had a midmorning snack of pork buns and hot tea at a small café near the top of the mountain. After warming ourselves back up with our comfort food and drink, we went to a nearby temple, or pair of temples I guess that celebrate the king and queen of Thailand. Despite the rain clouding what otherwise would’ve been a spectacular photo op, I still enjoyed being on top of the mountain, walking around the temples, and looking at the tile murals inside each of them that conveyed the history of Buddhism to the viewer. We found lunch at a small food market, and I secured a much-needed vanilla latte after I finished eating. In the afternoon, we drove to yet another set of waterfalls, this one perhaps more stunning than the last. At the Mae Klang falls, a 100 meter tall waterfall feeds into a river that sort of pools near the bottom of the mountain. We got some very Instagrammable pictures at the top of the fall, and then we swam for a while in the pool at the bottom. For dinner that evening, Paan and Namwan took some people to Little Istanbul, a small Turkish restaurant, where I was introduced to Nutella roti, which ended up being my favorite dessert that I discovered while abroad. The hazelnut spread and the warm fried dough works together to create a melt-in-your-mouth texture that is super yummy.
Day 3, June 14
After sleeping in a little bit on the morning of the 14th, we checked out of the hotel, loaded up the vans, and then began to make our way out to Mon Cham, a secluded and serene valley outside of Chiang Mai where we planned to spend the night at Nai R Kaad (in Thai, “in the air”). Before we left Chiang Mai proper, we stopped for a truly phenomenal lunch at a nearby Thai fine dining restaurant. At this point in the trip, I started to get more tropical fruit sodas and juices, and my lychee soda here was phenomenal. Stunned by Namwan’s incredible spice tolerance, each of us on our side of the table (Sam, Colette, Richard, Conner, and myself) all tried one of the deep fried chili peppers ominously sitting on the side of one of the dishes. The pepper was quite tasty at first, but then it burned. Won’t do that again! Eventually, we left the restaurant and headed up the mountain on our way to Mon Cham. We made a pit stop at a temple where the monks care for over 200 stray dogs. As we climbed the mountain, our views got more and more amazing. We stopped at a mountain coaster where we all experienced the thrill of riding down the mountain and around the twists and turns of the coaster’s track. Finally, we made it to Mon Cham, where we were greeted by some stunning overlooks. We grabbed some snacks at a nearby minimart, and then we made our way toward our accommodations for the evening. After getting settled in at the hotel and marveling at the many miles of fields and pastures beneath us, the group reconvened for an excellent Moo Krata dinner at the hotel’s café. I would describe Moo Krata as a combination of Korean barbecue and hotpot, I think. When eating Moo Krata, you can either cook your strips of meat directly on the grill, or you can boil your meat in the moat of soup surrounding the grill. I quite enjoyed the experience because it was so collaborative. When eating Moo Krata in such a big group like we were, you have to sort of team up with those around you by asking them to place a certain type of meat on the grill or in the soup. I think it personalized the experience and, in my opinion, brought our group closer together.
Day 4, June 15
We woke up fairly early the next morning to an outdoor breakfast spread prepared for us by the lovely staff of Nai R Kaad. After wolfing down some sticky rice, crispy pork belly, and fresh fruit, we packed up our belongings and headed out. We found ourselves at this cool overlook with several strawberry patches below. We took pictures and swung on the swing set, and then these little girls dressed in traditional Thai garb wanted to take pictures with us as well, which was cute. But then, at the end of our photo op, the girls asked for money, so I guess we had hired them? That felt kind of iffy to me, but oh well. For 20 baht ($0.60 USD), we were allowed to wear a fun, traditional Thai hat and feed the sheep in the pasture with a bucket of carrot sticks. We drove down the mountain for lunch, finding a place that served very good food and even better dessert. They had carrot cake, so of course I got myself a slice. Eventually, we arrived at Baan Celadon, a pottery manufacturer and showroom, where we took a brief tour of their factory and saw many craftspeople working on their newest pieces. This pottery is special because the green tinted clay, made from a process using celadon, is unique to Northern Thailand. Afterward, we had the opportunity to purchase some of the celadon ceramic pieces, which I took full advantage of, knowing full well that whatever I bought I would need to figure out a way to get back to America safely without breaking it. Suffice it to say, a couple of the pieces I bought have already broken, and I’m nowhere close to the U.S as I write this. But that was the risk I took for some very cool, very high-quality pieces of art. After we had completed our shopping, we went back to the Shangri-La Hotel of Chiang Mai to rest for a while before hitting up the Wua Lai Market. At the night market, I tried more street meat than I care to admit, I sampled some delectable street corn, tolerated a pork bun, and enjoyed a brownie, which was actually quite yummy. While I was digesting all this food, I listened to a cover band play not one but two (!!) Johnny Cash songs at my request. Johnny Cash has long been a favorite in my household, so it felt special to hear the same music I’ve been hearing all my life in such a different place. As I watched the guitar player strum the chords and sing the words to “I Walk the Line” and “Ring of Fire,” I couldn’t help but marvel at the universality of the human experience. The same songs that I’ve grown up on being played 8,000 miles away from where I first heard them and some 40 years since they were first released. I watched the Thai local and the Spanish father and the Australian college student and the Chinese mother and so many more people stop alongside me to listen to the sweet sound of Cash in the summer, and I was grateful for a shared moment with people I’ll never see again.
Day 5, June 16
The next day we were officially introduced to the art of Thai cuisine via a half-day cooking class at an organic farm just outside Chiang Mai. Before we went to the farm, we first walked through the market that the farm used to purchase non-farm ingredients, like rice noodles, peanuts, etc. We saw all kinds of things in the market from super appetizing fruit to bugs, which were less appetizing. Once we had gotten a semblance of an understanding about the market, we drove the rest of the way to the farm. Once at the farm, the staff walked us around the farm, showing off the different plants and vegetables we would use to make the dishes that we had selected. For my four-course meal, I selected Tom Yum soup, deep fried spring rolls, khao soi with chicken, and mango with sticky rice for dessert. Although I cannot cook very well, I am quite adept at following instructions, which made the class a breeze thanks to our teacher’s succinct and comprehensible directions.
I didn’t particularly care for the Tom Yum soup, but everything else was amazing, if you ask the person who made the dishes (me). I was really surprised by how quickly everything came together. For instance, the khao soi seemed like it took no more than 15 minutes to go from raw ingredients to plating our dish. Luckily, if I want to replicate any of the dishes I or anyone else made while at the cooking class, I can simply reference the complimentary cookbook the cooking school gave us. After heading back to the hotel and relaxing in the pool for a couple of hours, we reconvened and went to Tha Pae night market where I bought even more souvenirs, even more street meat, and even more Nutella roti to cap off a really fun and culturally interesting day.
Day 6, June 17
Okay, okay, I can hear you nagging me again, asking, “Wait, aren’t you supposed to be studying, too?” To which I would respond, yes, we had class at Chiang Mai University on June 17th! With everyone a little rusty after so many days off of class, we hammered the practice problems and ensured that everyone would be ready to move onward. After yet another great lecture from Paan, we ate pad Thai and coconut ice cream for lunch with CMU faculty. Some students challenged the CMU faculty and staff to a table tennis match, and the Crimson Tide unfortunately did not prevail this day. Nonetheless, we returned to our classroom after lunch for a lecture from Dr. Nisit Pantamit on the relationships between Thailand, Myanmar, and other Southeast Asian countries. Since we were leaving the next day for Phuket, I packed my bags up at the hotel the night before to ensure that everything would fit, and then got ready for our upcoming long travel day.
I think I’ll go ahead and end this blog here. When we return, I’ll discuss traveling from Chiang Mai to Phuket via Bangkok Airways, as well as all the fun things we did while in Phuket for the final five days of our trip. Thank you for tuning in! Roll Tide and Roll Thailand!