Chiang Mai - The New City

After just under a week in Krung Thep Maha Nakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Yutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udom Ratchaniwet Maha Sathan Amon Phiman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit, short for Bangkok, I took the night train to Chiang Mai. That was an adventure! The trains can't be compared to our German trains (because in Thailand they are actually punctual!), but I could actually sleep relatively well. Sometimes it can be a bit bumpy, but that was not a big deal.

So I didn't arrive completely destroyed in Chiang Mai and still had time to use the day.

I'm staying with a Thai family. Here live Pen, her two little daughters, and her aunt. A women-only household :) I have my own room with a terrace here and share the bathroom with another solo traveler.

On the first day, I immediately got to experience a heavy storm here. According to the people here, something like this hasn't happened in the last few years. It was pouring down, thunder and lightning included. At some point, the thick drops of rain turned into table tennis ball-sized hailstones and I could watch the Thais get excited, rush out with umbrellas, and collect and film the hailstones.

Well, when I finally got back to my accommodation somewhat dry, I could shower under my ceiling. The electricity was out, my entire room was wet, no running water anymore. But hey, I wanted an adventure. It only took a couple of hours :)

Of course, I found a Crossfit box here as well. It's only 20 minutes away and what can I say...a paradise for all Crossfitters! Beautifully located, surrounded by palm trees and banana trees, there's an outdoor area for climbing and a café where you can treat yourself to a protein smoothie or small snacks after the WOD. Simply amazing!

I was thrilled with Chiang Mai from the start. Love at first sight. Whether it was the small alleys, the beautiful cafés and restaurants, or the warm-hearted people on every corner...I don't know. I just really like it here. It has a very special atmosphere, I think.

The other solo traveler in my accommodation is named Anne-Marie. Anne-Marie is French and could be my mother. But we got along well right from the start. And I finally had the opportunity to speak French again :) We went to the night market downtown together. That was really nice too. It's an experience for all senses. Then we ate at the 'Writers Club' - a fantastic restaurant, which suits me perfectly.

And then I fulfilled one of my dreams. I went bathing with elephants :) It was truly one of the most beautiful experiences I've had so far. It was important to me to support only an ethically correct organization. And the Elephant Sanctuary in Chiang Mai saves the animals from hunters and other dangers. We were allowed to feed them, bathe in the mud with them, stroke them, and go for a walk with them.

That same evening, I treated myself to the first Thai massage here. It can't be compared to the massages we have at home either. And what was special here: the massage therapists were exclusively former female prisoners. But you don't find out what they did. Maybe it's better that way.

From Chiang Mai, I also took a day trip to Chiang Rai. The bus ride takes about 3-4 hours. We visited the White Temple. It is the most beautiful temple I have seen so far. It looks like a fairy-tale castle and was built in honor of King Rama 9. He can consider himself lucky. What I don't quite understand: why do women have to cover their legs and men don't? Later we continued to the 'Golden Triangle'. That's where Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar meet. Opium poppies are grown there and processed into heroin. So it's a very important location for the international drug market. The paradox is that drug trafficking is severely punished in Thailand. And as a prisoner behind bars, you don't have a flat-screen TV, no Wi-Fi, not even a bed. Often there is not enough space, so several inmates have to share a tiny cell...For us Germans, it's somehow unimaginable.