WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2016
After having some toast again for breakfast, we took the hotel shuttle back to the airport and got on the plane for Chiang Mai. (I miss American breakfast.) The flight was smooth and we arrived 30 minutes earlier. Yay!
We arrive in Chiang Mai and grabbed a taxi. Luckily, there were no issues getting there and from the aiport to the hostel, it cost 150 THB. We chose to stay at Central Backpackers House (220 THB a night per person). I thought this was a very good location. The hostel also owns a restaurant, so you’ll never starve and right behind it was a boxing ring. This might not be a great place for light sleepers, but it worked for us. Bathrooms were big and decent, but I liked it most for it’s location. Luckily, both nights we stayed there, we had a four-bed room to ourselves.
After checking in and dropping off our stuff, we walked around and explored the city.
Wat Phan Tao – This temple was interesting because it was the first one on our trip that we saw was made from wood. The temple also had a beautiful garden that had a Japanese feel to it. There were umbrellas and cherry blossoms. While we were there, we saw a group of monks clinking away on something. It turns out that once a week, young boy monks have a class that pertains to temple art.
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| The boy monks are making tin lanterns and symbols for the temple. |
Literally, right next to Wat Phan Tao is Wat Chedi Luang. This temple was also beautiful and had a little bit more color. I love the color gold and so many of the temples in Thailand have gold as part of their design or architecture. The details at every temple is so meticulous, often leaving me in awe. However, I will admit that after a while the temples started to blur together so my recount of some of the temples is a little muddy.
Our stomaches were a little hungry by now, so we stopped on the way at Pad Thai Rachadumnoen. They were selling pad thai for 80 THB, which I thought was a good price and it was yummy too! They actually have a very extensive menu and in English too.
Below are some photos of Si Phum that we also visited that day.
Craving something sweet, Tracy and I also shared a serving of mango sticky rice. There is so much goodness on one plate. My favorite part is the mango. I rarely eat fresh fruit, so when I do it’s always a treat.
Below are some photos of Wat Pra Sing
MAYA – Chang Phueak After touring temples all day, we thought we’d walk to MAYA- Chang Phueak. It’s like a shopping mall. Outside the mall, there’s a bunch of smaller craft stands where people were selling handmade crafts, clothes, elephant pants, jewelry, and more! I ended up buying a string of lantern lights. However, I forgot to account for the voltage. Because the voltage is different in Thailand than it is in Taiwan, the lights in the little lantern are slightly dimmer when I plugged them in my room in Taiwan.
Inside the mall, we took the elevator to the top floor, where there’s a rooftop view. There’s also a couple bars and live music if you’re looking for nightlife in Chiang Mai.
For dinner, we grabbed some food at the food stands outside the big mall. The food were all very tasty.
Total steps walked: 17,593
