I Fed a Hippo!

What a day I've had.  The Chiang Mai Zoo was crazy.  It's spread out over 200 acres and most of it steep hills.  I can't believe how much walking and climbing I did.  Thank god I was able to get a good massage tonight, or I probably wouldn't be able to walk tomorrow.

So the first real exhibit (I'm not counting the flamingos) was the hippo family.  There was a big old male, two mammas and a little 3 month old baby!  You could buy a little basket of cut up carrot or yams for 10 baht and feed them.

And by that I mean drop the chunks of stuff in their huge open maws.  I actually patted one on it's muzzle (but it was too slimy to want to do that again).  Can you imagine a situation like this in the US?  I'm not using a zoom lens here.  I could literally have stuck my hand (or whole arm) in the hippos mouth!

This was the high point of the whole zoo for me, and I came back before I left.  The baby was hanging out under water and only came up once in a while for a quick breath.  So damn cute.

Then the whole family came out to stand on the bank.  I took about a million photos.  

The next stop was feeding giraffes!  Holy shit!  Once again I walked up and couldn't believe what I was seeing.  So freaking awesome.  I fed them something like very long green beans, though bananas were also on offer.  They have super long, agile tongues that actually would wrap around the bean and grab it.  There were two of them and they were both so beautiful.  

They have this velvety pelt.  And such goofy yet intelligent faces.  And of course they are truly enormous. Both of them were a bit skittish, but I managed to touch the female's nose.  This was so awesome!

Of course there were droves of other animals--the giant panda, lots of kinds of monkeys, an entire aquarium, birds galore including ostriches, an otter, penguins, an asian bear and many many Thai school children.  

The kids were my least favorite critter, mainly because there were hundreds of them jabbering excitedly and making an awful din.  Worse, they were being guided by adults with bullhorns who blasted out information, jokes and directions all at top volume.  I encountered them first at the big cats exhibits.  There was a lion, jaguar and tiger and the awful racket of 150 school kids with the blaring adults seemed to be driving them frantic.  Well not the lion.  He wasn't moving.  Maybe he was stunned?

Fortunately we went in separate directions and I didn't have to endure them after that.  Seriously freaky.  

The aquarium featured a tube you walk through and the fish swim around and over you.  It was pretty cool I guess.  It was here that I met Chen, a tourist from Beijing about my age.  I offered to take his photo with the fish behind him and after that we were fast friends.  It was really good to have a buddy going through the ginormous compound.  Kept me going really.

I enjoyed watching these monks watching the panda. One of them had an iPad and was taking photos or video with it.

I'm happy to say that the elephants I saw seemed to be treated well enough.  Some of them were being used to give rides to tourists, but there you go.  It takes a LOT of food to keep them and they have to earn their keep.  Actually I paid to feed the hippos, the giraffes and this elephant.  All of them earning their keep I guess.

Speaking of feeding, I was operating on a small plate of sticky rice and mango for breakfast.  Not a lot of ballast.  So Chen and I stopped for lunch and I had two young coconuts, slurping down the juice and eating the soft slippery innards.  Doesn't seem like much but it kept me on my feet somehow.

Near the end of the long long slog, we came across the orangutang.  It has a huge compound and was ambling down toward the front, toward us.  I thought I knew what they looked like, but this one at any rate was different.  It was very big and heavy and its hair was super long.  It had such a weird way of 'walking' and they finally sat down to nibble on some grass.  I'm certain it was aware of us (it was just Chen and I for quite a while) but it didn't really react at all.  It seemed totally meditative.

We actually stayed until 5pm and the park seemed to be shutting down!  Chen offered me a ride back on his scooter.  At first I declined, feeling it would be too dangerous.  But then, this guy lives in Beijing. I'm certain the traffic there is much much worse!  So he gave me a wild ride back and I lived to tell the tale. 

For dinner I went to that really gorgeous restaurant I've posted photos of.  Despite my fascination with the place, I've never eaten there before and this was my last chance.  I had some sort of Pad Thai, not spicy, and it was incredible.  That place was hopping, I tell you.  I counted at least 8 waiters too.  

After dinner I wanted a massage but was feeling too full.  So I walked a few blocks to my favorite Wat, the teak one where the monks were launching the lanterns.  

There I was treated to another beautiful sight....about 30 saffron robed young monks were in the Wat, being led through some kind of chanting.  It was beautiful to see and moving to hear.  To be honest it was a bit overwhelmingly wonderful. 

And yes, those are two temple dogs soaking in the vibes...

Then a really gentle (thank god) massage, and here I am at the Peppermint Coffee House blogging it all over more sticky rice and mango (not as good as Kajana's I must say).  Back to my room soon to pack  for Siem Reap.  I'm feeling a bit sad really.  The first few days here I was caught up in a 'been there done that' sort of feeling.  I think it came with the jet lag.  That's all gone now and I know I'll really miss this place and all the people I've seen over the years...the cafe folks, the massage people, the laundry lady, the drivers, even my guest house hosts.

Last Day in Chiang Mai

So it's my last day here in Chiang Mai.  It's overcast and cool.  Last night's rain was pretty spectacular.  I don't think I've ever heard it rain so hard anywhere.

So here are a few more random photos from yesterday's outings.  I still had my rented bike and went down to the Wororot market and then across the river.  I also went to parts of the old town I'd never been to before and got totally lost.  So much of Chiang Mai is "same same" with all the guest houses, cafes, shops and all.  But then you'll come across a new temple that's really spectacular.  

I actually took this photo to help me locate my bike when it was time to find it.  It's extremely confusing around this area.  The streets are definitely NOT in a grid.  As my mom used to say, it's like they got a bunch of goats drunk and everywhere the goats went they put in a road.

It's also heavily traffick'd here!  Crazy.

The ground floor of the market proper is always amazing.  This is where Thai people shop for food.  Years ago I asked one of the vendors about this bowl of green glop she was stirring.  She laughed and said "not for you, sir!  Not for you!".  But that said, there are an incredible array of nuts, spices, dried fruits-including varieties I'd never seen before, noodles, teas, and of course french fried meal worms.

It's not just food though.  There are a number of stalls selling religious supplies.  These statues were about ten to twelve inches high and cast out of metal.  Way too heavy to bring one home!

I liked this warrior with the witch's hat, sword across his knees.  Like so much here it's hard to even guess what it's all about.

I came across this flower market facing the riverside.  I stopped and bought one of the jasmine rose garlands.  It's really meant to adorn a shrine or Buddha, I think, but I have it in my room and it smells lovely.  I got the smaller one, fourth from the left.  It was 30 Baht.

There's a neat little street on the other side of the river.  Lots of cute or swanky restaurants with river frontage.  We ate at one of them with Joyce when we first came almost 8 years ago.  They really are beautiful at night.  I came across this winged elephant along there.  First one I remember seeing here.

I hope you like this graffiti, because I actually went to some trouble to circle back around on my bike to take the photo.  By 'some trouble' I guess I mean almost getting killed doing a stupid maneuver in heavy traffic.

One temple I happened upon had a pretty big labyrinth all set up for Loy Krathong.  At the very center were two wax museumish life size replicas of old monks, sitting cross legged on a platform.  I found this a bit creepy, but the Thai lady behind me saluted them reverentially.

I was feeling a bit peaked by this time and once I was in, I wasn't sure if this was really a labyrinth or a freaking maze!  Luckily for me I was tall enough to see over the bamboo walls.

Right after I got back from dinner, the skies opened up and it rained cats and dogs and pandas.  The Kavil Guesthouse has a metal awning out front and the sound was astonishing.  I sat on the couch for a long time enjoying it.

So I've got this big plan to head off to the Chiang Mai Zoo.  I've seen enough Wats for now, and done enough shopping, and I can really eat much, so I'm looking for a diversion.  I'm fully prepared to be saddened by the experience.  The Thai aren't well renowned for their treatment of animals, and in general i find zoos depressing.  But I'm going for it anyway.  They have a pretty cool sounding aquarium, and 3 giant pandas (of course being Thailand you have to pay extra to see them).

I'll let you know how it goes.

 

Rolling With It

Wow.  I had a bad massage!  Didn't even know that was possible here. It was a temple massage, at the Wat that's at the end of my Soi.  I had one there last year and it was good.  Quite good.  My usual place was super busy with an hour wait, so I thought 'what the hey?'.  

I did notice that all the massage people looked super grumpy.  When it was my turn this big older woman barked at me to come along.  Turned out there were more mats in the back.  At first I was happy I wouldn't have to wait as long.  But once the massage started I became alarmed!

This woman seemed to have anger issues....very rare in a Thai.  Also, she didn't have good technique. And she was massively strong.  In other words, it hurt.  A lot.  Often.

I should have just said 'fuck it' and gotten up, but everytime I thought about it she'd do something good for my very sore muscles.  So it wasn't all bad.  Just 80% bad.  

Thai massage is rarely super quiet and private, the therapists often chat a bit or make comments.  This woman was actually yelling across the room while she was finishing up--meaning I was sitting up with her doing my shoulders so her big mouth was right next to my ear.  One last chance to wince.

The frosting on the cake?  When I paid her she actually said "No tip?".  No lady, no tip.

But now I'm sitting in my favorite open air restaurant, next to a big French family.  It's raining and I'm eating this incredibly good sour coconut milk soup.  I think it's called tom klah.  I'm typing as it cools down a bit, but the tastes I've had so far are making me very very happy.

So I'm putting a bunch of random photos into this post, just for the hell of it.

This is the team who just finished installing my dental implants.  They were taking photos of my teeth, so I whipped out my little camera and turned the tables on them!

Temple wreckage.  Do you suppose I could stick one of these in my suitcase (they're made of painted cement I think)?  It might be tricky explaining to the customs agent "No really, I didn't bust this off a temple, it was just laying there".

Samlor driver who gave me a ride to the old Chinese Wororos Market.  I sure would love to have one of these back home!

Accidental Meaning Dept.  I think this Buddha (or whatever) was just covered up to protect it during construction, but it put me in mind of some ancient mystery cult.  The Goddess who can not be seen.

Look at this tree.  Those temples to the right of it are not toys.  They are regular ol' full size temples.  That tree is massive.  It, and several like it, are at Wat Chedi Luang, one of the older Wats here.

I'll take this as a message for me tonight.  Bad massage?  Boo hoo.  

The soup was awesome!

The Big Parade

I had no idea there would be a parade, and if I had known I wouldn't have had a clue how freaking long it was!  Or how elaborate the floats.  Mostly I took video, but here are a few photos.

The sad thing is, it started raining near the end (or what I hope was near the end!) and then it started pouring.  I eventually left my sheltering shop awning and ran for home, but last I saw those brave kids in their elaborate costumes were soldiering on.  

There were some serious fireworks happening.  Now there's serious thunder and lightening.  An awkward finish to Loy Krathong I guess.

This girl looked so grown up and ethereal, but when she smiled her front teeth were missing.  So cute!

Keeps Getting Better!

Except for the painful stomach cramps and the runs, everything is awesome.  No sarcasm intended.  Last night was (as far as I can make it out) the real full moon Loy Krathong and just being around my guesthouse was incredible.

One reason I stay here is the Sunday Walking Street Market is just down the alley.  It's always really fun but this year it was at least half again as big as last year's.  Basically the street is blocked off to traffic and there are endless stalls selling endless stuff....a lot of it really cool stuff.  A lot of repetition, but also artisans with their work.  I bought a couple of hats from a tiny stall.  They were clearly all made by the same person, or workshop, and not a commercial venture.  I'd been looking for a new hat for a long time!  

It's also a foodie's dream.  (Except that picture above is a bunch of insects...not my cup of tea). Every temple has a big food court with everything from tiny quail eggs to the best pad thai you'll likely find anywhere.  And all wasted on me.  I had a fresh coconut to drink and that was that.  In fact that's all I've had for the last 24 hours or so.  But I just ordered sticky rice with banana.  Ms. Kajana asked if I was feeling better and thought this might be good for me to eat.

So last night all the businesses and many homes had little candles set up along the front of their establishments.  Everything was illuminated and magical, but the best of all was the temple down the way...the old teak one with the reflecting pool.  I knew it was going to be a special thing there, but it was so magical it was even better than the big lantern release at Mae Jo.

When I arrived the place was thronged with tourists, the temple lit up with hundreds of big clay pots holding bees wax candles, some of them up on stakes about three feet high.  Monks with freshly shaved heads and those gorgeous saffron robes were launching the sky lanterns.  

Oh My God.  The I got in deep enough to see the reflecting pool.  The edge was lined with photographers with big expensive cameras and huge lenses.  Because it was the most beautiful thing in Thailand!  I got right in there with them, with my little point and shoot camera.  Everyone I could see was very happy, or in a total state of awe.  You can see why.

I hung out there for a while and the monks eventually finished launching their lanterns, and then regular folks were doing it.  These lanterns are on sale all over town, but not there at the temple!  I left and bought one from a street vendor who wasn't actually selling them.  He very kindly sold me one from his own stash, after consulting with his lady friend.  

So back I went, looking for someone to help me launch it.  These lanterns are big!  And I found three young monks and asked them if they would help me.  It was a trip standing with them and having about 30 people taking our photo.  I was almost ecstatically happy, and I had a very clear idea of what to let go of along with the lantern.  

This time I watched it sail away for a long long time.  

So that was the high point of many high points for me so far on this trip.  

Today, after a year and some thousands of dollars, and many thousands of miles I finally got my new teeth.  I'm sharing my first meal with them, sticky rice with banana, with you, dear reader.  

Sawadee Krahp.  

Adjusting

It's 8:30pm but my stomach thinks it's morning and time for breakfast!  So I'm having an omelette and croissant with a mango lassi.  Thank goodness for the Peppermint Cafe.  I have to be at the dentist tomorrow at 10am (that's 1am body time).  Ugh.

 On a side note, there seem to be a lot of French people here on Soi 5.

Recurring Nightmare

So last night I broke another tooth! I was eating a bowl of cereal for a late night snack. Cereal! With milk. I even let it get just a bit soggy. But there was a hard little nugget of corn in the corn flakes and I bit down on it at just the right angle to snap off the front of one of my teeth.

It was terrifying! A HUGE filling dropped out and then the front of the tooth popped out. I was expecting a big wave of pain but it never really came.
This was a tooth just back of my left canine. It totally shows when I smile.

I was lucky enough to get a dental apt this morning, but they sent me home without fixing anything. There's just a slight chance that the good doctor can restore my tooth, more or less, with composite material. Sort of a long term temporary solution. The more traditional route is to do a root canal, build it back up and put on a crown. Having that done in Chiang Mai would cost about $750. Having it done in Santa Rosa about $2600.
I can get to Chiang Mai for $1100. That would save me around $750 and I know the work would be done very well. But I'm not eager to spend two days on a plane, and it seems like I was just over there anyway.

My other option, tooth wise, is to just get it pulled. Just like the last tooth that broke back in June. That's about $750, including the 'bone graft'. The dentist would then make me some sort of "appliance" that looks like a retainer with teeth stuck in it. That would take care of my other missing tooth too, until such time as I win the lottery and can afford implants.
So I'm hoping she can just sculpt me a new tooth, but otherwise, I'm going to look like a freaking hillbilly for a while. Yee haw.

I......Feel............BETTER!

I just got back from getting my crowns put on and I feel so happy. They feel great, my mouth feels whole again and my bout of dysentery is about over. Knock on wood.
I do have to go back tomorrow one last time, but rather than dreading it I'm very excited. Dr. Korakan tells me there is a relatively new product, a gel, that one applies with a custom made tray, which re-mineralizes the teeth, especially any exposed roots, where I had all my trouble. It's a prescription gel and should keep me safe from decay for a long long time, which I am so freaking happy about!
It's 5pm and I'm on my last hours here. I told Krista yesterday that I'd be happy to be home instantly--that I'd had my fill.
But now I'm a little bit sad and I plan to enjoy myself tonight. I met a fellow down by the Worrorot market who told me the young monks are going through some sort of beautiful ceremony tonight at Chaing Mai's oldest temple (which I'd been wanting to visit anyhow). It's also near where the blind massage school is (another thing I want to do) and maybe even the Blue Diamond vegetarian restaurant that Tommy raved about.
The great thing is, I finally rented a bicycle. I had to, in order to get all my gear down to the shipping shop to have it boxed up. It's an old funky one speed that belongs to one of the older women on the alley, the friend of the laundry lady. The tattoo fellow, whose shop is between them got out some tools and raised the seat for me (which made me look marginally less like a circus clown).
So after the packaging, I headed down to the worrorot market and got to see the amazing Chinese temple nearby. At first I was terrified of riding, but it came back to me--no one here wants to hurt you! It's not like America, where some stupid asshole might just run you down for kicks.
I've really gotten the knack of crossing the busy streets on foot. It takes a whole different mindset here. I mean REALLY different. You somehow know who is most patient and step out and wave some cars or scooters by and step in front of others and you can make it across easy as pie. Hard to explain, but it's not an experience I've had back home.
Anyhow, my bike riding was actually fun. Chiang Mai is blessedly flat, more or less. So I'm hoping to get around that way tonight, and get even more stuff packed into the last hours.
They didn't have to numb me for the crown fittings, so I'm ready to roll. I may even eat some Thai food tonight. Since the illness I've just eaten bland western foods, what little I've eaten. What a shame!
Last night was the Sunday Market again and I had to pass up all the yummy stuff I'd scarfed down the week before.
One last thing. It may NOT have been the food at the elephant park that got me. It may have been an errant elephant kiss, that touched my open mouth. I'd forgotten that happened until I saw the photos.
Elephants are majestic, intelligent, loving and beautiful, but hygienic they are not.
I don't know if I'll be able to write again tomorrow morning, so I just want to thank everyone who helped me get here. I'll be so glad to see y'all back home.
love,
rob

Learning to Cook in Chiang Mai.

Oh boy, another thing I REALLY want to do in Chiang Mai. There are a lot of cooking schools there and I want to spend a day learning how to cook Thai.
I think I've got it narrowed down to this one school, thanks to a great review by another blog about Thai cooking.
How I'll find time I don't know! I guess I'll make the time. God knows my culinary skills could use a boost.

Back to Thailand!!

Stop!, originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

Well, I just booked my tickets. SFO to Bangkok and then straight on to Chaing Mai. It ended up costing $956 all together. About a hundred dollars less than I originally thought.
It'll be almost exactly four years since I went with Krista, the girls and Joyce (Krista's mom). See Thailand Sojourn if you want to know about that trip. I could've called it Thailand for the Timid! It'll be so different being on my own, and I've been a little bit scared at the prospect. It's weird to see some amazing sight and not have anyone to share the experience with.
On the other hand there will be a lot less luggage to deal with!
My plan is to hit the Grace Dental Clinic my first full day, even though I expect to be pretty wiped out. The crowns can take up to 7 days apparently, and I don't know if they include weekends in that estimate. Grace is the most famous clinic catering to Farang (westerners) and has a fantastic reputation for quality. It's also the most expensive clinic in Chiang Mai, but still much much cheaper than care in the US.
There's a wonderful Sunday Walking Street Market in Chiang Mai that we missed last time. I'll get to check that out, then my plan is to head up to the little village of Pai and chill out for a few days. It's about 4 hours away by bus, but supposedly the trip includes fantastic scenery. If I'm feeling extremely daring, I might rent a motorcycle to do the trip--they say to allow six hours for all the stops, including waterfalls to bathe under. But I doubt I'd do it. Last time I rented a scooter (in Bali) I put it in a ditch and cut my leg up.
Returning to Chiang Mai for my lovely new crowns, I'll be just in time for the Flower Festival, one of the three big yearly events in Chiang Mai. I'm totally excited to get to see it. They say there are over 6000 orchid varieties alone on display. And 'on display' means big floats covered with real flowers and pretty girls an arm's length away. It sounds awesome.
From what I can make out (not knowing exactly what dental work I need) I'll get to enjoy this trip and still save at least $1000 (maybe closer to $2000) over the cost here in Santa Rosa. And I have no doubt the work I get in Thailand will be superior.
Even so, this trip is expensive and I'm starting to think about what I might buy there to bring back and sell. Maybe some yummy silver jewelry? Silk scarves? Or some hill tribe crowns and skirts and such? Any requests?

I am extremely grateful to Krista, letting me go off halfway around the world and fill my soul up with some adventure. I'll be gone for 13 days! We've never been apart that long in 23 years.