(first part of this post written on 6/7)
I'm writing this blog post on my phone (blech!) on the way to Sukhothai from Lampang from Chiang Mai. Since my last post...
June 5 - Chiang Dao --> Chiang Mai
We left Chiang Dao early on the day of the 5th. A thing can be two things, and students seemed appreciative of the beauty and solitude of Chiang Dao, AND they were *ready* for the amenities of the Eastin Tan hotel and comfort of Chiang Mai. We had a student get stung by a scorpion around 12:30 on the last night in Chiang Dao--not serious (equivalent to a bee sting), but it also felt ironic to make it so close to the Chiang Dao finish line without any major critter crises...and then scorpion. The student was a trooper--glad you're okay.
We had some time before we could check into the hotel, so we stopped at the Chiang Mai handicraft village along Sankampang Road to visit the Umbrella Making Centre, the Thai Silk Village, and a new location for me: the lacquerware shop. I’ve written posts about the umbrella and silk shops, but I’m gonna drop some knowledge about lacquerware.
Learning about the umbrella making process. These umbrellas are made from santol wood
Drying handmade paper that will eventually become the panels for the umbrellas
Variety of handmade umbrellas from all over the world
Different parts of the silk making process. There are live silkworms in the bowl with the green plants
Learning about the difference between real and imitation silk. If you burn real silk, it smells like burned hair. If you burn fake silk, it smells like burned plastic.
Extracting silk from the worm
We went to Lai Thong Lacquerware. From the overlords:
Chiang Mai, the heart of the former Lanna Kingdom, boasts a rich heritage in lacquerware craftsmanship. This traditional art form has evolved over centuries, blending indigenous techniques with influences from neighboring regions.
Lacquerware in Chiang Mai dates back to the establishment of the Lanna Kingdom in 1296. Artisans utilized local materials such as bamboo and wood, coating them with resin from trees like Melanorrhoea usitata to create durable and decorative items. These items ranged from everyday utensils to ceremonial objects, reflecting both functionality and artistry.
A distinctive technique known as lai rot nam (ลายรดน้ำ), or gilded black lacquer, became prominent. This method involves applying black lacquer to an object, painting designs with a water-soluble gum, overlaying it with gold leaf, and then washing it to reveal intricate gold patterns against the black background. This technique reached its zenith during the Ayutthaya period and continued to be refined in subsequent eras.
Over time, Chiang Mai’s lacquerware incorporated influences from Burmese styles, especially in the use of colored lacquer and etched designs. The craft has been preserved through generations, with artisans adapting traditional methods to contemporary aesthetics.
Located on San Kamphaeng Road, often referred to as Chiang Mai’s “Handicraft Highway,” Lai Thong Lacquerware Emporium is renowned for its high-quality lacquerware products. The emporium showcases a wide array of items, from traditional designs to modern interpretations, reflecting the rich heritage of Chiang Mai’s lacquerware craftsmanship.
Visitors to Lai Thong can witness the meticulous process of lacquerware creation, gaining insights into the techniques that have been honed over centuries. The emporium serves as both a retail space and a cultural experience, offering a glimpse into the enduring legacy of this traditional art form.
I wasn’t able to get a lot of photos in the emporium because they had a hard photography embargo, but I will say that the lacquerware was beautiful…and pricy! Apparently the cost of gold has more than doubled over the past several years, which would also impact this industry.
source: goldcost.org
Learning about the lacquerware process
Example of handpainted product
We got to the hotel, we met up with Cory, who used his extra day in Chiang Mai to raft the Mae Taeng River with 8Adventures. Check it out!
Photo credit: 8Adventures
Photo credit: 8Adventures
Photo credit: 8Adventures -- Cory's getting to guide!
6/6: Free day in Chiang Mai
The next day was a free day in Chiang Mai, and students had options to join me for a hike and gastronomy tour, Han for a history and culture tour, or do their own thing. Students had a great time exploring Chiang Mai, and they participated in a wide variety of experiences. I asked students if they’d be willing to share photos, a recap, and an image of a Willy Wonka Overlord to describe their day:
The next day was a free day in Chiang Mai, and students had options to join me for a hike and gastronomy tour, Han for a history and culture tour, or do their own thing. Students had a great time exploring Chiang Mai, and they participated in a wide variety of experiences. I asked students if they’d be willing to share photos, a recap, and an image of a Willy Wonka Overlord to describe their day:
From Lily and Isabel:
We wandered around Chiang Mai with Han, Liv, Lindsey, Sienna, Mia, Collin, and Kale for most of the day which was super fun!! We visited a bunch of different wats in the morning - Wat Umong (700 years old!), Wat Sri Suphan (made out of hammered silver), Wat Chedi Luang (in the heart of Chiang Mai’s Old Town) and a couple other small ones. Ate some amazing khao soi for lunch and swam at the hotel for a bit after our adventures, then went to dinner at the best Burmese style restaurant with Kellie, Cory, Lily T. and Anna. Wandered through some night markets and “forbidden” hideaways afterwards — a great last day in Chiang Mai!
Source: ChatGPT
Photo credit: Isabel and Lily
Photo credit: Isabel and Lily
Photo credit: Isabel and Lily
Photo credit: Isabel and Lily
Photo credit: Isabel and Lily
Photo credit: Isabel and Lily
From Keller:
George and I walked from the hotel to the historic city during our free day. No plan in mind, simply just walking around and discovering whatever we find. We stumbled upon the cultural center, which we then bought tickets for and viewed, which was interesting. My favorite part was seeing the mini displays of what life looked like back then. I also enjoyed seeing the small amount of Karen history that was featured in the museum. After that, we walked around the central wat in the old city. We talked to some Thai people and I got a lesson as to what the blessing I got meant, and when I’m supposed to take it off (on odd numbered days). Overall, very interesting day and very tiring!
Photo credit: Keller
Photo credit: Keller
Photo credit: Keller
Photo credit: Keller
From Izzy and Lily:
We drove up to the longest zip line in Thailand and convinced Boi (one of our drivers) to join us! We got to zip line to the song "I believe can fly", and go cart to some amazing Mario music! It was genuinely such a great experience!
Source: ChatGPT
Photo credit: Lily and Izzy
Photo credit: Lily and Izzy
Photo credit: Lily and Izzy
Photo credit: Lily and Izzy
From Collin:
Source: ChatGPT
From Mia:
Source: ChatGPT
I gotta say, the overlords ARE getting more whimsical.
My free day:
Source: ChatGPT
I spent my Chiang Mai free day accomplishing something that's been on my Thailand bucket list for a few years--hiking the Monk's Trail, a trail to Wat Pha Lat, which was the foot-route monks took to reach What Phra That Doi Suthep before the construction of the road in 1935. Wat Pha Lat served as a resting place for monks en route to Doi Suthep for many years.
I put the offer out to the group to join Cory and me for the hike / return to Doi Suthep, and Matt was brave enough to 1) do the hike and 2) spend the morning with us--and we were so glad he did! While it's not a long hike, it is a burly hike in elevation gain: 2,100+ feet in 3 miles. We left the hotel around 7:30, grabbed a tuktuk, and were dropped off at the trailhead to begin our adventure quest.
Taking a tuktuk to start our adventure quest
Doesn't count unless it's on AllTrails or Strava
Doesn't count unless it's on AllTrails or Strava
Start of the trail
After reviewing my photos of Wat Pha Lat, I'm tremendously disappointed in my inability to take a single photo of the overall temple grounds--they were truly stunning and very peaceful. One of the more unique wats I've had an opportunity to visit. I also have no context for these photos...blog fail.
Wat Pha Lat
Wat Pha Lat
Wat Pha Lat
Wat Pha Lat
Wat Pha Lat
Wat Pha Lat
Wat Pha Lat
We spent about 20-30 minutes exploring Wat Pha Lat before continuing up the "trail" to Doi Suthep. It is evident that most folks stop at Wat Pha Lat and either head down the mountain or hail some sort of wheeled vehicle to go the rest of the way because the second part of the trail was gnarly, but in a fun way. I think we had pitches of 35-45 degrees at point. I definitely ended up in the all-hands-all-feet scramble position at least once or twice. We made it to Doi Suthep and spent about 45 minutes at the Wat (I covered this one in a previous post) before hailing a songthaew to take us back to the hotel.
We said goodbye to Matt and grabbed Bianca and a songthaew to the old city for lunch at Khao Soi Khun Yai, were we met up with Han and a group of students for some delicious khao soi. Bianca, I owe you a photo of our lunch adventure but I think they are all on Cory's phone...
Khao Soi Khun Yai
6 of us returned to Tom Teng Toh. I do not need to belabor how much I love this restaurant. We had a fantastic family style meal, and as per usual, I did not get a single group photo of us at dinner. But I do have one pre-dinner?
The dinner group
We said goodbye to the students after dinner, and then Cory and I set out to the Mellowship Jazz Club to visit James (who Han and I met and have been friends with for 5 years!). James just left FB to manage Mellowship.
Little do I know that I'm about to go careening off a gastronomic cliff where everything I believed for years turns out to be a lie. FOOD DRAMA.
Cory and I walked to Mellowship, ordered a beverage, and waited for James to return from dinner so that I could introduce them and hear about James' experience at Mellowship thus far. The conversation turned to dinner plans, and we shared how much we liked TTT. James' response was, "Oh yeah, I know of that place, but it's overpriced so most locals don't eat there very much. You should check out Maha Larb CNX instead. Open until 3AM and great northern Thai food."
Y'all. Cory and I had already had dinner and walked 25,000 steps on the day, which included the Monk's hike and also bee-bopping around in crappy dress flats because I decided that today was the day I should look *fancy*.
Doesn't count as exercise unless you publicly track it
It was 11:30PM and we were tired as hell. And I WILL BE DAMNED IF I AM NOT GOING TO TRY THAT RESTAURANT BEFORE LEAVING CHIANG MAI AND POSSIBLY THAILAND FOREVER (I mean, that's worst case scenario. I really hope to be back!).
We trudged our way back over to Nimman to find Maha Larb CNX. It is a total no-frills restaurant and IT IS 1/5 OF THE PRICE OF TTT. 1/5th. 20%. I could have been swimming in Northern Thai Style Pork Curry.
Maha Larb CNX
Maha Larb CNX
Maha Larb CNX
Naturally, I took a picture of the menu but not of the actual food. Trust me, it was delicious. For the next MTSE Thailand trip, add this to your gastro tour.
Okay, I think this post is long enough. I'll cover Lampang and Sukhothai in my next one. Cheers!
Oh, and clipping. We should probably cover clipping in the next post.
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