Happy Giants
It feels like a dream sometimes. Or a memory from a different lifetime. The distance between our reality today, sitting in NYC on the verge of starting our next chapter, versus the one from only a few months ago backpacking on our world tour, feels infinite. Are those photos really us? Did our long-planned trip already come and go? Why does it feel like I’m reading someone else’s journal when I open up my own? Like a night’s dream lost upon awakening, my memory of our trip is sometimes hazy and short on detail when I try to recollect it.
But stare at those photos and notes long enough, and yesterday’s world quickly snaps back.
Exploring our way through temples and food trucks in Chiang Mai
Anushka and I are in Chiang Mai. We recently arrived from Koh Tao via ferry, bus, multiple tuk-tuks and a local airline called Nok Air. The differences from Bangkok are immediately noticeable. The mountains gift the northern city with a cooler and less humid climate, making it much more tolerable. The energy feels calmer and more sensible, like you could actually live here. And although there’s no shortage of roti carts or century-old temples in Chiang Mai, they come with less chaos and more greenery than the Thai capital.
Lesson 1 of Thai cooking: Always add more spice than you think, and then prepared to be rocked
My mouth waters, on Pavlovian command, as I recall our cooking class at May Kaidee’s Cooking School. Our all-vegetarian menu that night included pad thai, tom yum soup, three different types of curries, fresh spring rolls and a papaya salad. The dishes were accompanied by a spicy peanut sauce that I still lust for and finished off with the best mango sticky rice I’ve had in my life. And I’m not even a dessert person. We kept the recipes but let’s be honest, without specific Thai ingredients (like kaffir lime or Thai ginger) and the sure hand of our humble chef Nimbh, we won’t come close to recreating one of our favorite meals in Asia anytime soon. But we’ll try ;)
Khao Soi. It’s perfect.
I’m face deep in a bowl of khao soi, Chiang Mai’s famous local dish, at a neighborhood joint called Huen Phen. The creamy coconut curry packs a surprising amount of heat and flavor, while the soft chicken falls off the bone before every bite. I garnish it heavily with raw onions and pickles for additional crunch, ready to accept any digestive fate for another delicious spoon of noodles. There are dozens of lists of where to find the city’s best khao soi. Do yourself a favor and try them all. We didn’t, and I regret it.
Passed on the squid but got extras of the fried quail eggs
As we’ve quickly learned in Asia, markets rise when night falls. We wander the enormous Sunday night market on Rachadamnoen Street near the Tha Pae Gate. It’s a feast for the eyes and bellies, and one of the many times I wished we had more space than a 40L backpack to carry art and souvenirs back home. Thousands of locals and tourists alike are out. Even with the dense crowds, the vendors are cheerful and helpful instead of aggressive and transactional. And the spread of street food is incredible, ranging from fried quail eggs and unnameable fruit juices to ten-cent Thai sweets stuffed with durian, lentils and more. Watch people, eat food, be happy in Thailand.
Temples, during day and night, in Chiang Mai’s historic district
We crane our necks towards the overcast sky to take in the enormous temple ruins. They look like they were pulled from a Tomb Raider movie set, but we’re not deep in some Thai jungle. We’re in the middle of Chiang Mai’s historic district, having recently returned from exploring Wat Sunthep on the outskirts of town earlier that morning. I didn’t expect to find such a magnificent Buddhist temple, Wat Chedi Luang, just minutes away from our hostel. I’m also reminded of how long Asia’s history is, and how little I know of it. Neither Anushka or I have much to add here, other than the silent “wow’s” that escape our breath as we circle the complex and pull up Wikipedia. Why didn’t I learn more of this in school?
An incredible day working with elephants at the sanctuary
Anushka and I befriend elephants for the day in a Thai village. We are a few hours west of Chiang Mai with the Karen Tribe, an ethnic group known to run one of the most reputable elephant sanctuaries in Thailand. Yes, our hearts melt instantly. The elephants are friendly, curious and wise. We’re quickly put to “work” and assigned an elephant for the day, along with a caretaker to assist with our duties. We help feed, bathe, walk and even make medicine for the elephants, most who are in the sanctuary for protection and rehabilitation. The day spent with these happy giants was beyond special, and easily one of the highlights of Asia.
I hear a few horns honking. A siren wails faintly in the distance. There’s email to check, furniture to build, a new chapter to start. We’re back in New York.
