Higher. Further. Northern.

Arriving in Chiang Mai, we didn't stay long at the hotel. We went straight to the Mae Nam Ping, also known as the Ping River. It is one of the four major rivers in northern Thailand. Together with the Nan, the Ping forms the Mae Nam Chao Phraya, Thailand's largest river.

With an official population of 135,757 (estimated to be at least twice as many), Chiang Mai is the largest and culturally most important city in the northern region of Thailand and is also called the Rose of the North because of its scenic beauty.

Directly on the riverbank, there is a large food market and the legendary Night Bazaar. At the first market, where there were unimaginable amounts of fruit, vegetables, meat, and fish, we felt like the only farangs. The Thais seem to stock up here with all the necessary things for their street kitchens. On the other hand, the Night Bazaar is a tourist magnet. But not for us! ;-) We were already there an hour before the regular opening time and could see how stands were being set up and decorated. We were the first customers of the evening at some of them, and with the money we spent, we tapped the entire sales booth. In addition to this ritual, we wished them good luck for their business every evening.

The next morning, we had to wake up early! The destination of the day was Doi Inthanon, the highest peak in Thailand at 2,565 meters. The mountain is located about 50 km (as the crow flies) southwest of Chiang Mai in the middle of the national park of the same name. We decided to take the very convenient way up and drove almost to the summit by car.

After climbing the highest mountain in Thailand, the highest waterfall in Thailand could not be missing (especially since it is located in the same national park). The Mae Ya Waterfall is over 280 meters high and cascades down in 30 steps. Due to its remote location and slightly steep and winding approach (which posed no obstacle for Ben and his Hilux), there were hardly any tourists here, and we could relax and listen to the sounds of nature.

After arriving at the hotel, we took a stroll around the block, which is considered an up-and-coming neighborhood in Chiang Mai. While I looked for pacifiers and trinkets, Ben diligently collected more bottle caps for Marcus. :-)

We saved the old town of Chiang Mai with all its many wats (temples) and sights for today, our last day in Chiang Mai...

Early in the morning, I woke up with a burst of energy. I quickly did some research and then had to convince Ben of the plan. :-) Waking him up took longer than convincing him, and off we were in the Hilux again, this time heading north towards Chiang Rai. Distance about 180 km, duration about 3 hours, as it goes through the mountains. 3 hours, a long time to make more detailed plans. At this point, however, one thing was already certain: we couldn't return the car tonight at 6 pm as agreed.

Long story short... after getting the okay from the car rental agency, the Golden Triangle and the northernmost point of Thailand, as seen from Chiang Rai, were within reach. So we traveled a good 80 km and another hour to get there.

We decided to drive all the way to the north without a stop. After a short search and a visit to the local police station, where we used the restroom, we chartered a small fishing boat and let ourselves be driven on the Mekong River in the middle of the Golden Triangle. The captain went full throttle and gave us an unforgettable experience!

On the return trip, we docked at a boat pier in Laos, from where we could directly visit a market. The typical routine followed: Ben invested some Thai baht in supporting the Laotian beer and whiskey industry, and I filled the souvenir bag (including banknotes from Myanmar and Laos).

In the afternoon, we visited one of the well-known hill tribes and stopped at Wat Rong Kun, the White Temple in Chiang Rai. The builder of this wat dedicates his work to Buddha, with the white color representing Buddha's purity and wisdom. However, he is certain that he will not be able to complete his great project during his lifetime.

In order to get a brief glimpse of the old town of Chiang Mai, we couldn't resist starting a self-organized night city tour and thus ending our eventful day.

Our total mileage since starting in BKK: 1757.6 km.

Tomorrow, early in the morning, we fly to Koh Chang. Then the blog entries will certainly be shorter. :-)