Our last day here is pretty low-key. We are leaving for Penang, Malaysia in the morning so we need to get ourselves packed up and sorted out for the next leg of our journey.

It seems that enough stuff has worked it’s way from the various markets into our room that Mrs. Columbus has gone off this morning in search of a larger backpack to stuff all of these new possession into – and we still have another week or so in another country to get through!?!

We are able to get in some time at the pool, and catch up on some reading and some blogging, and I’m sure that later in the day we will head back to Ginny Cafe for our last dinner in town and to say goodbye to Ian and Tee.

Chiang Mai continues to create fond memories for us and we know we will be back, but for now it is farewell to to city and the people we will hopefully see again next year.

Sabai sabai (สบายสบาย) – very calm; tranquil; easygoing; comfortable

Today was our last day of adventure here in Chiang Mai before we pack up everything tomorrow and head for Malaysia on Tuesday, but what a perfect finish to our time here as we had a fantastic day!

Our friends Ian and Tee have been working on a piece of land they bought a year or so ago, buildings are now starting to appear and there is a lot going on out there.  I have been following the progress by photos, so one night when we were at the restaurant chatting Ian suggested that we get some people together and make a day trip of going out to the ‘farm’ (as they refer to it currently) and into the surrounding mountains for some exploration, and today is the day.

I start the day off with a full American Breakfast at Ginny Cafe – because I can, and because I have yet to find anywhere else here that makes them properly, with real sausage (not a hot dog), hash browns, and properly cooked bacon! Richard arrives shortly after 11am with a foggy head from a late night out (which I avoided by going home early last night) and it is me and Mrs. Columbus along with Tee, Ian, Richard and Tee’s son and his friends who are hitching a ride with us.

We head off to Mae Rim where the ‘farm’ is located and we get to have a look around at the land they have purchased and the construction that is going on.  The land used to be a rice field and they spent most of last year backfilling it to raise it up above the flood level, and then built a brick wall around the perimeter – I’m sure to keep the crocodiles out 😉  So far they have completed the garage (AKA the man-cave), a sala and a hawng nam (restroom) and they are well on their way to completing Tee’s bungalow, and a kitchen that will be used for the restaurant they will have out there.  The plan is for a handful of bungalows that they will rent out, a restaurant, a pool, and a house for them to live in along with all the various landscaping etc.  They have an interesting vision for the place and they are clearly excited to see it developing – maybe next year when we return we can have a place to stay out there 🙂

Our next destination is the village where Tee grew up, and it is about a 10 minute walk away from the farm. The area is so peaceful and it is a really nice day so we send the van and the kids off ahead to the village and the rest of us make the short walk along the rice fields to the village and the house where Tee’s parents still live.

It is a Buddhist holiday here on Monday and Tuesday and when we arrive at the family home, Tee’s parents and some of her sisters are busy at work making packets of food that will be taken to the temple on Monday and given to the monks.  It is always a special treat for us to be invited into their homes as we get to see the true local parts of Thailand and it is a privilege for us to be there.

After a short stop it is back into the van for everyone for the journey up to Mon Chem. The mountains around Chiang Mai contain dozens and dozens of small villages that are home to the hill tribes – these are groups of ethnic minorities typically from Burma who have been living in Thailand as refugees for several decades now.  Mon Chem is a small Hmong village up near the peak of one of the mountains and in along the steep slopes (40 degree+ slopes) where they grow huge crops of various vegetables on the hillsides, and they have built a restaurant on the top of the ridge.

We stop here for lunch at the restaurant and get ourselves a small sala that overlooks the Ping River valley to the north.  The views from here are breathtaking and we can see for miles in almost every direction. I could sit up here and shoot photos for hours, but we have other stops on our agenda and after a leisurely lunch late in the afternoon we have to make our way back to the van and the trip back towards the city.

On the way down from the ridge to the parking area we stop to see a few people riding downhill on Hmong go-karts. Certainly not anything that looks overly street worthy, but they look like they have been ridden for a lot of years so they must hold together some how.

We take a different road back towards the city through another scenic valley, and head towards Huay Tung Tao – a small lake near the city where the locals go for picnics, sort of like Cottage Lake back home. This is the real reason the kids came along as all they really wanted was a dip in the lake, but the trade off was having to put up with some ‘old people’ sightseeing for several hours to get there.

The water level in the lake is really low compared to the short visit we had out here a couple of years ago, and perhaps it is a sign that the heavy part of rainy season is still a bit later this year – I would guess that the lake is down by about 8 to 10 feet from what we had seen before. Nonetheless it is still really scenic, and for the kids very refreshing! We load ourselves into a couple of lakeside salas and dangle our feet in the water, watching the kids swim while we have a couple of beers and a small snack.  Mrs. Columbus must not be all that hungry thought because when the fried fish arrives she does not seem that interested – perhaps it is the head staring back at her that throws her off…..

It is truly a treat to be able to spend a great day with friends and to be able to see parts of the country that 99% of tourists will never see, and with a few days in a row like that, it is certainly one of the highlights of our vacation.

Back in the city and Mrs. Columbus darts off to the Sunday market for her last chance to add more stuff to our growing pile, but I have seen all the markets I need to see here and opt to sit for for a last meal and a couple of beers with Richard who we will probably not see again until hopefully next year.

As we get close to the end of our time here it is sad to have to start saying goodbye to people, but it is a reminder of our good times here, our friends back home, and people like Thomas who we have met along the way – makes me happy, happy, happy.

We only have a few days left here in Chiang Mai, but we have saved some of the best adventures for last!

When we were here last year our friend Riam talked about taking us out to the Samoeng area to see where she grew up, and where her father still lives. Samoeng is in a valley north west of Chiang Mai and to get there we head north up to Mae Rim and then across the mountain ridge and then down into the valley.

The drive is taking us through some spectacular county, surrounded by jungle and crossing over a mountain ridge provides for some postcard views along the way.  Fortunately for us Riam indulges our desires to stop frequently to take pictures and it seems like we have hundreds of questions about the sights we are seeing along the way.

Today is more of a friends and family day out so Riam’s children are along for the ride, it is nice for us to be included in the trip, but I think the kids are a little shy at first being around a couple of foreigners 🙂

Our first stop is at Ban Pok, a small village near Samoeng and where Riam grew up.  Riam knows most of the people in the village and some of her friends from her childhood still live in the same houses.  As we walk through the village everyone stops to chat for a moment to say hello, and I am reminded of what it is like to go into town back home with Mrs. Columbus (the mayor).

We get to see the original house where Riam lived, and then just up the road is the new house that her father built and lives in now. Her childhood house is a stark contrast to the kind of places we grew up in as children, and it is a good reminder of how most Thai families are not at all focused on material things. Her father’s current home is quite a bit more modern, but still reflects the Buddhist minimalism that the majority of Thais believe in here.

After Ban Pok we drive along the winding road through the valley and stop in Samoeng for some lunch.  Riam and her husband know the people that own the small local restaurant and the food is fresh and very tasty.  We have a nice leisurely lunch visiting a little over some good food, and the kids are starting to even get used to us being around! And who can beat lunch and drinks for 6 people for 280 baht (about $9 US)!!

Back in the van we start the drive back to Chiang Mai – we are going along in a loop so our rather than going back the way we came, we are going south through another pass across to Hang Dong, and then back up into the city.  It has been a great day – we get to see some more of the country outside of the beaten track, and spent the day with some good friends who we enjoy seeing each time we come back. Of course you can’t have a complete day without some shopping, and I think that Riam has sensed a bit of Mrs. Columbus’ pent up anxiety, so we stop at a roadside stand that sells all things banana, where we pick up what seems like a year’s supply of banana chips. I will however admit to getting into the bag of sour cream and onion banana chips and helping herself finish the bag – if the rest of the flavors are equally tasty, we may not have to pack any of them home!

This is the last time we will see Riam and her family and it makes us a little sad to say goodbye at the end of the day, but we know we will be back, so we are grateful for the great day we had and look forward to next year.  Pop gun mai bpee naa krap!  (see you soon next year)

For today’s adventure we are venturing out south of the city to Doi Inthanon National Park. Doi Inthanon is Thailand’s highest peak at about 2500 meters above sea level, and we have been out to the summit before but this time we are going to skip the summit, and go to some of the waterfalls that are inside the park area. Not only are the falls themselves quite scenic, but they usually have some trails around that we can hike up to do some exploring or take in a viewpoint.

Riam picks us up at 9am and it is off to the mountains and about an hour later we have left the city behind, and are basically in the jungle.  Our first stop is at the Siriphum Waterfall, known for it’s ‘twin’ falls.  When we arrive at the base of the falls there is a small village here and sort of a park-like setup.  A small entrance fee of 20 Baht per person is required in addition to the fee we have already paid to enter the national park.  Most people come out to Doi Inthanon as part of a larger tour and the tour groups are mostly focused on the summit and maybe one of the other falls, so when we arrive we are the only people here. It is nice to not have to share the place with a lot of other people and because we are not on a group tour we can take our time to explore around a bit. The Siriphum falls are ok, but we have seen more impressive waterfalls in SE Asia so after a bit of hiking around it is time to move onto the next stop.

The next falls are the Wachirathan Waterfall and this is the one that most of the day tours will stop at.  There is a road that goes right to the base of the falls and the large parking lot here is an indicator of how popular this stop is.  Luckily for us we are traveling ‘out of sync’ with the large bus tours and when we arrive there are only a couple of other cars in the parking lot.  A very short walk up a grassy hill takes you right to the base of the falls and the scene is quite impressive – I can see why this site gets much more activity than the Siriphum falls at our first stop.  There is a trail that goes down alongside the river and we wander down that way for a few photos and some other nice views of the falls and the riverbed going through the jungle – I think all the time about how to describe what we see in places like this, but the words and pictures are never enough to capture the experience.

Back up at the base of the falls we see a trail that goes up towards the top of the falls – we have done a few of these hikes before and are often rewarded with an amazing view from the top. The trail is in really good shape compared to some of the hikes we have done, and aside from being uphill and a lot of stairs it is actually more of a nice walk than a hike. Sadly, after getting to the the top of the trail, the only reward is short access back to the road that we came in on – any view of the waterfall is obscured by a lot of thick jungle. 🙁 We are starting to see more people here now as the group tours are starting to arrive, so we head back down the trail to the base of the falls where we get a cold drink and load up for the next stop.

Our final stop of the day is at the Mae Ya Waterfall. These falls are also inside the Doi Inthanon National Park, but we have to leave the main entrance and go across a valley to re-enter the park from a different entrance. When we arrive at the falls  we see quite a large parking area, but it is completely empty – not a single car, minivan, or motorbike to be seen aside from us!  There are some park buildings here but they too are empty and I am starting to think that maybe these falls are going to be a dud.

Luckily there is a phone booth here (who even has phone booths anymore) in case you had to call someone – oh wait, on closer examination Mrs. Columbus discovers that the phone like the parking lot is completely dead. Maybe this is where old phone booths come to die….?!

The trail here is one of the best we have been on, and for about 80% of the journey it is basically a road.  If not for a gate at the entrance (by the phone booth) you could easily ride a motorbike or drive a small car up most of the way. A few hundred meters up the trail we reach the top, and the reward is much better than we anticipated. I would say that the scenery and quality of the falls here are much better than either of the others we visited earlier in the day. It is a little puzzling to me way this spot gets so little traffic compared to the others, but I guess their loss is my gain as we truly have the entire place to ourselves and we can take some photos, explore the area, and just relax and take in the serenity.

Before we know it the day has come and gone, and it is time for us to make our way back to Chiang Mai.  We have had a great day out in the park, and aside from the one waterfall on the main road we have been to places that most tourists don’t go to so we feel like we are seeing a bit more of ‘local’ Thailand – one of the advantages of being a repeat visitor I guess 🙂

Looks like today and yesterday are all about taking it easy.  We had a fairly busy few days at the start as we wanted to get a lot done in the few days that Thomas was exploring with us, so we think we have earned ourselves a break 🙂

Yesterday we walked through a bit of the old city and down to the Warorot Market alongside the Ping River.   We have been to this market a few times (I have blogged about it previously here) but it is always worth a wander through.  It does qualify as shopping so I am not at all drawn in by the row after row of Buddha candles and waving cat figurines, but there there is a lot of things at the market that are interesting just to look at.

This is a market where the locals shop, so in addition to clothes and household goods like pots and pans, one can find raw meat, salted fish, and of course the oh-so-important occasional bucket of frogs or turtles.

The thing that really stands out is some of the street food we have had here.  Over the years we have had ice-cream sandwiches, coconut pancakes, mango and sticky rice, a variety of fruits and countless other tasty items.  Today it is the mango and sticky rice, and the pancakes that we opt for – a nice mid afternoon snack!

Mrs. Columbus is getting quite good at cooking Thai food back home, so now when we visit markets like this she is always on the lookout for ingredients that are hard for us to find.  Our friend Ian had picked us up a few packets of curry the other day at the Rimping Market (like a Fred Meyer back home, but with a lot of imported foods as well for the expats) that were all vacuum packed, and today we were able to find the base for Khao Soi as well as dried mung beans which are used for a garnish on mango and sticky rice.  We should almost be able to open a street cart back home now if we could just find a scooter with a grill attached to the side….

Back to see Tee and Ian for dinner at Ginny Cafe where Tee continues to spoil us with good food and treats!  The other day we asked her in passing about a fruit called Noi Na (Thai Custard Apple – they looks sort of like green hand-grenades) that was mentioned to us by Frank and Oy (our Thai teacher back home), and today when we show up she has a few of them that she picked up at the market for us to try 🙂  I keep warning Tee that if she keeps spoiling us this way that I may just move in permanently!

In the interest of being able to provide feedback on the full extent of their menu I have decided to try the cheeseburger for dinner tonight.  Lots of people come by here for their burgers and they are well reviewed so I think it is only right that I form my own opinion. Mrs. Columbus feels like this is a violation of her rule of only having Thai food in Thailand, but I counter that it is being made from scratch by Thai people, so it qualifies as Thai in my book.  Her rules do seem to have some sort of flexibility as I see that she is not all that quick to turn down the chance for a banana split for dessert – her rationale being that the bananas are from Thailand…..

Today we are spending some time getting our plans sorted out for the last part of our vacation.  Over the last few days we have been all over the map trying to decide what to do.  We have talked about a few days in Malaysia, going back to Laos, going up to Pai in Thailand, and almost an endless list of other possible destinations.

After mulling it over for a while we finally pulled the trigger on our original plan to go to Malaysia.  The actual agenda itself is still a bit up in the air as is our normal M.O. but we have booked the plane tickets from here to Penang, and the return from Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok so at least we have a framework and will fill in the blanks as we go.

For the rest of the day I see some pool time in my future, and quite likely a massage, and then probably someone will have to twist my arm to go down and visit Ian for a Beer Lao and some dinner 🙂