It feels like yesterday, cold and sitting inside my closed-up home staying wary, I was looking at images of restaurants on the short of the Mekong River. Now, suddenly, I am in that image! Cool! Awesome!
Yesterday I explored Chiang Rai and got details for the bus travel for today. Or, so I thought! More on that later! Details here are fluid to say the least!
Lasts and first! Plus "tourist trail" travelers.
“Doing” or “did”, a common expression for young people hammering along, following the tourist trail, and doing what everyone else has done. Traveling in packs, they are relatively harmless. Noisy, inconsiderate of others around them, but harmless. “We did Bangkok, then took the bus to Chiang Mai and took another bus to Pai. Then came here. Tomorrow we do the boat to Luang Prabang and then will “DO” Vang Vieng. Yeah, we are going to do all that stuff!”
I never did that so don’t understand it but, it is an option for how people travel!
My last day in Chiang Mai was peaceful and relaxing. Things flowed. I met interesting people, had cool conversations, did what I wanted to do, and scheduled a GRAB to pick me up the next morning to head to Chiang Rai. I was conflicted in the morning about which breakfast place to go to. Then, I realized I could experience both! Perfect. The video below is where I began my morning. I was the first guest there, they remembered me from the day before. It was peaceful and quiet. A perfect beginning to my day!
This morning, waking early in Chiang Rai, I made a coffee and headed to the room. Such a peaceful and cool meditation spot! No one was around! A gentle breeze was blowing. I have a bird’s eye view of the city. And I love beginning the day in such a relaxing way!
Off for breakfast and a bus!
Based on what I learned yesterday, two buses are going to Chiang Khong. One leaves on the hour, the other on the half hour. Nice having options. One glitch to be aware of, the may not leave until full. So much for a schedule! I left a bit early and went to the bakery restaurant I visited yesterday. However, they were not open yet. The front of the restaurant has outside chairs but they said I could not wait there. Spotting a concrete wall across the street near the bus station, I walked over and took off my packs to wait. A woman approached asking if I was going to Chiang Khong. She was expecting another passenger but it wasn’t me.
It got me thinking about waiting or going to the bus station to check on the buses. When things doing feel like they are flowing, I stop and feel. This was one of those moments.
I was told that on Sunday, buses might not leave until 11:00. It was 8:50 am. With plenty of time to wait for the restaurant to open, I walked into the bus station. Approaching a red bus but near “Chiang Khong” sign, a man motioned to me asking where I was going. Chiang Kong I replied. He pointed to a nearly full but so I got on. This was the 8:30 bus which hadn’t left yet. A couple more passengers got on and off we went, 8:30 bus leaving at 9:15. Flowing! On my way. Perfect!
Traveling in the cool of the morning was a great idea! Relying on information that it was only 2 hours was not! But, it was only slightly longer. The seat padding almost lasted the length of the ride! Not quite, but it is good training for my first 5-hour bus ride in Laos.
Another interesting experience: the bus did NOT go to Chiang Khong as advertised. So I got a look at how the Thai side of the border works, where to go, where the lines were and so forth.
Below are images from the bus station and the mural outside.
Flowing, experiencing and herd mentality
It continues to surprise me, after so many years, how many people are of type of “herd” mentality. By that, I mean they go where everyone else goes. Why, because that is where everyone goes! Unfortunately for me, small packs of “herd” travelers often feel like a group of Chinese tourists. Loud. Not aware of how their behavior affects others around them. No interaction with others. Acting like this place, whatever or wherever it is, is theirs alone. The opposite is true as well.
There are “herd” travelers isolated in their own group. It’s a clique, no one else is invited in. Two young women got on the bus in Chiang Mai for Chiang Rai. I said good morning to the one who sat by me. She glared at me, gave no response, put in her earbuds, and disappeared into her phone! Perfectly dressed, designer purse, pedicure, manicure, and false eyelashes. Unfortunately, that perfection can not compensate for the lack of personality or desire to have any interaction with others!
I wonder what I was like when I first started traveling. I know I was much more nervous and anxious while learning the ropes of travel. I fretted a lot! Yet, I loved interacting with others. I remember two experiences in 1988 when I was in Cancun for my very first international trip with a backpack. In a grocery store, am American woman was aking for a measuring cup. They didn’t understand so she asked again, using the same words but shouting this time. About the third time this happened, I noticed smiles and snickers on other staff near this woman. It seemed apparent that they finally realized what she wanted. However, there was nothing about her presence or demeanor that invited them to want to help her. She huffed away!
My experience, trying to interact and learn some Spanish, happened in a restaurant. I just finished breakfast. It was great. I wanted a toothpick but had no clue how to ask. So I motioned the waiter to me and motioned with my hand, baring my teeth with raised lips, and motioned moving up and down. He appeared clueless! He might have assumed I was telling him he had teeth like a rabbit!
He left politely and brought the manager who asked what I wanted. He told the waiter who hustled away returning with a container of toothpicks. I took one and he turned to leave when I touched his arm, pointed to the toothpicks and asked “¿Cómo se dice? en Espanol?” “How do you say?” They told me. As I turned to leave, the waiter touched my arm and asked, “¿Cómo se dice? in English?” A huge welcome greeted me the next day when I returned as if I were long-lost family. One question, instant connection.
More Magic!
Once I arrived, I was hungry!! Especially having had no breakfast. I asked which direction to walk and headed that way. Soon, it was apparent that many businesses here are closed on Sunday. It is a relaxing family day! Deciding to walk and explore, I headed toward the Mekong River but there wasn’t a restaurant in sight. Adapting, I walked back toward the bus station and then approached the Mekong from another direction and finally found a place that was open.
I ordered coffee and shrimp with vegetables in oyster sauce. The young new waitress came back with Google translate telling me they did not have coffee! She pointed behind her telling me the restaurant next door did. I wasn’t going to leave for coffee. The food was OK but the view was spectacular! As I was finishing, she approached me with a packet of coffee they had purchased asking me if I wanted that. Very kind, but no. Again, the view was spectacular!
And a couple of great discovery
Next door to my lunch place, there were two restaurants. Both had open patio balconies in front. I stepped back for a broader view and saw a sign on the restaurant to my right, “Coffee Time”. Guess which one I selected! Up the stairs and into the cafe, I noticed they had two different grinders. I was told that one holds a bolder bean and one holds a medium. They recommended the medium for a cappuccino because it is two shots. I tried that one and will try the other tomorrow. It had been since yesterday that I had a treat so, the Black Forest Cake certainly looked like a treat. Trust me, it was. And keep in mind, baked goods and pastries in this part of the world have much less sugar than in the US! Yummy!
Later, after writing some, I went for an early dinner. A place, odd really, jumped out at me. Bamboo Mexican Restaurant. Hmmm….I have had Mexican food in different parts of Thailand before that was marginal. Surprisingly, this was excellent. After talking with the owner, I wasn’t surprised. Slightly different spices but excellent flavor and very tender beef!
What a nice day! Below, some photo’s of where I am staying and my food from today.
