Fifty shades of green

A ten-hour bus ride takes us to the north of Thailand; to Chiang Mai, located 700 kilometers north of Bangkok. Chiang Mai has a population of 150 thousand people and the vibe is quite different than in Bangkok, which has 8.2 million people. There are barely high-rises and Chiang Mai is situated amongst the highest mountains in the country. 

We meet up with Jibby, a local girl who likes to show us around in the city where she grew up, for a culinary tour at the “evening market”. Unlike the one we visited in Bangkok, this is actually a market. We try dim sum, bamboo worms, roasted roaches, sushi, crab omelettes, pork sausages with lemon grass, chicken with satay and mini crepes with fish eggs and cream. An explosion of flavors. 

As Chiang Mai is surrounded by some outstanding nature like rainforest, jungle and mountain tops, we decide to rent scooters to explore the area. Not only is this the first time I ride a scooter, we also have to drive on the left side of the road. The first few meters and turns are tense, but soon we are navigating traffic like scooter-pro’s. We cruise through the traffic and pass cars on both sides. We realize that the traffic isn’t that bad. Perhaps it just feels this way because we are now part of the group that increases the chaos. We are the commotion. It’s interesting to be on the other side. 

We make our way to the top of Doi Suthep; a beautiful mountain situated west of the city. What a fun road to ride by scooter! We stop along the way to witness beautiful views of the city, to enjoy freshly brewed coffee and to visit the Phrathat Doi Suthep temple. 

Some of the temples we’ve seen so far are pretty spectacular and I have respect for the craftsmanship that goes into building a temple. However, there is no scarcity of temples here and at one point seeing another temple brings me closer to a moment of ‘overkill’.

We drive up as far as we can and hike the last two kilometers to reach the highest point of the mountain. I close my eyes for thirty seconds and focus on all the sounds we can hear: the wind, leaves, crickets, and some other noises I cannot place. When I open my eyes again, I’m dazzled by a stunning view.

Back in the city, we stop at a mini-mart next to the hotel to grab some bottles of water. There we meet Brian: “You’ve come to the right place; I’ve lived in Chiang Mai for nine years now, and you won’t find a place that has cheaper beer or better service”, Brian explains with a thick British accent. A supermarket with bright lights isn’t necessarily our idea of a cozy place, but since there are a handful of tables outside, we change our plans and join Brian for a beer. Born in south London, he has now reached the age of 78 and he tells us about his life: first about his career as an academic professor in England and later about humanitarian work in Africa and Asia, which he has been doing for the last thirty years. “I have never been so poor, yet I have never been so rich.” His stories are fascinating. We talk about the difference between ‘schooling’ and ‘education’, different religions, his dreams and regrets. He apologizes multiple times for his “verbal diarrhea”, as he calls it, but we encourage him to keep talking. There is so much I can learn from this guy! When the mini-mart is ready to close down, we wish each other the best in life and part ways after a big hug. Shoot, we forgot the water..

The next day we go on a zip line trip. A mini-van picks us up and one hour later we are in the middle of the jungle. What a beautiful environment. I’ve never seen so many shades of green. 

The trip is very well organized. We are strapped into high-quality-gear and get safety instructions. There are 39 platforms, zip lines as long as one kilometer(!), spectacular panoramic views, a roller coaster and an abseiling rope. So much fun! I feel like I’m eight years old again. We fly like monkeys from one big tree to the next. We are in a group with 10 other guys and girls, mostly from China. They crack jokes in Chinese, we are having fun in Dutch. But we are all thrilled about the joy this adventure brings and there is no language barrier when someone hits a tree too hard or makes funny moves or sounds while ‘flying’. 

It’s time to pack our bags as our journey continues with a flight to the island group on the east side of Thailand.