"Leavin' on the midnight train" or "Movin' to the country, gonna eat me a lot of peaches."

A few days ago, Mike and I left Bangkok for the north of Thailand. We began our journey at the Bangkok train station, a huge building where the ecclectic conversations of monks, locals, and travelers echo off of the high ceilings. It's a very cool scene. People all heading in different directions to attend to different business and adventures:

Our particular train was headed for the north of the country in Chiang Mai. It's a long ride (~14 hours), so we bought passage in one of the sleeper cars. It was one of the nicer trains I've ever traveled on:

  

We had the top bunks. Below me was a European guy who didn't say much on the ride. Below Mike, though, was an older woman who was friendly and quite willing to talk with us about her travels and ours. As fortune would have it, she is a Nepali woman who has lived in Kathmandu for many years. What's more, she used to be in the tourism industry to lead trekkers through the Himalayas and other natural areas in Nepal. I told her all about my research interests in the country. Not only did she give us a list of off-the-beaten-path treks to check out once we arrive in Nepal (like the nation's largest ice fall that tourists don't typically find), she also gave me her contact info and told us to email her when we arrive in Kathmandu so that we might meet up for more travel suggestions. It was another one of those serendipitous situations that happens while traveling. Of all the sleeper trains in all the world, I happened upon the car that had a friendly Nepali woman to help me with traveling and potentially establish more contacts in the region, which could potentially come in handy in my academic future. I can't quite explain how these types of things always happen while traveling, but such providence seems to occur with some degree of regularity. Because Asia is such a well worn region for travelers, it's easy to meet people who have already hit some of the places on our itinerary. Meeting a native Nepali woman who knows all of the great treks in the nation, though, was a pretty wonderful surprise.

We arrived in Chiang Mai at around 10 in the morning. Nora met us at the train station. Within moments of entering the city, I could sense the difference from the bustle of Bangkok. There are tons of tourists here, to be sure, but the city has a much more laid back feel to it. The whole of the old city is literally surrounded by a moat, which is only 6 kilometers all the way around. Nora lives inside the moat, so we're never too far from any place in the city. Here's the moat:

 

Our first night in Chiang Mai, we headed to the city's famous Night Bazaar. It's basically just a large market at night, and the stuff being sold is actually relatively expensive (compared to other markets and such). However, it's worth it just to look around. There are lights and live music going on everywhere, so it was really a great scene:

 

We also passed a temple, which I think is a pretty well-known one in the city (I haven't gotten around to looking it up, but I think I've seen photos of it around). Again, that's one of the best parts of traveling around Asia (or Europe, for that matter). It seems like everywhere you turn, there's a bit of centuries-old architecture or religious iconography. Traveling in places like this puts America's age in perspective. We're really quite a young country, and you have about a 0% chance of turning a corner and seeing something like the Notre Dame, the Vatican, or things like this:

It's fantastic to simply walk around a given city and see something breathtaking down any one of the narrow side streets. The Nepali woman on the train lived in Los Angeles for a stint many years back, and as we spoke about it she bemoaned what she called the "Mall Culture" of America and certain cities like Bangkok. Even the most hyper-patriotic among you can probably see her point. In Chiang Mai, you buy food on the streets, in locally-owned restaurants, or at the markets. America has its share of farmer's markets and co-op groceries, but they are far out-sold by the Wal-Marts and chain restaurants. Truthfully, I'm not making any judgments. It's neither good nor bad. In fact, it's probably a bit of both. I ate at a McDonald's two nights ago. I shop at fast food restaurants and chain groceries as much or more than the average American, so, once again, I'm just a complainer who has no delusions about his own hypocrisy.

I had a moment of connection on the train with the older Nepali woman. We were discussing the Chinese embassy in Kathmandu, which happens to be right next to where I stayed on my trip to Nepal in 2008. I said, "You mean right near the Bhatbateni supermarket?" She nodded, and Mike was shocked that a supermarket could be enough of a landmark to trigger understanding. The woman proceeded to explain that more super-stores like it are threatening the magic of Kathmandu, and they're always increasing in numbers. Again, not necessarily good or bad, but it's an interesting thought to consider.


These past two blog entries seem to have taken turns toward negativity, and that's not at all what I mean to do. I don't want to join the ranks of what Sarah Palin calls the "blame America first" crowd. I'm not in that camp. In truth, it's not easy to place blame with any nation or entity in particular. Again, these are just the realities of modernity and globalization.


It's beautiful to see cities like Chiang Mai that are still relatively run with local blood. There are tons of expats and travelers, but it doesn't feel like it has ruined the character of the city. I can see why they moved here, and it's not just because it's inexpensive. It's a great feeling to be able to walk down the street and know the person who cooks your food. At the end of the day, expatriation might be as simple as that in many cases.


Here are some more photos of Chiang Mai:

Reggae Alley, a series of backpacker bars that all feature mostly reggae-infused music. We've come here several times so far.

The view from the guest house Mike and I are staying in.

Our room at the guest house. Around $6-$7 each per night.

A fairly typical garden outside someone's home.

A narrow street near our guest house.

Well, that's about all I've got for now. Tomorrow, we three are leaving Chiang Mai for Pai, a smaller city in the north that is supposed to be pretty great. I will talk to all of you very soon, and I look forward to hearing from you!

"Be well, do good work, and keep in touch."


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