Too Long in Chiang Mai

22 nd Nov 07

Chang Mai is something of a centre for mountain sports. There are a host to chose from. White water rafting, mountain biking, trekking, climbing. Sadly I feel unable to participate in most because the balance is still not particularly brilliant. I have however ventured on an elephant safari where the highlight was about 45 minutes of elephant riding through jungle and river. Yesterday I had planned a solo trip to a famous temple and the kings palace (his country retreat) in the mountains about half an hour drive away from here. It was going to be a case of haggling a reasonable price out of a leg taxi. Crumbs, I asked so many people how to do this trip solo (without paying through the nose at one of those ostentacious high street tour stalls) and they all told me to go to this particular road and take a bloody leg taxi. Ok, I kept saying. A leg taxi, Ok. I asked a few more people, the lady at my lodge included. Finally I felt I must ask how I would recognise this leg taxi. Leg, I was told, leg. Mmmm. As a means of preparation for this ominous trip to the hills in a leg taxi I started to weigh up some of the vehicles that plied the streets of Chiang Mai. Taxis of all shapes and sizes were scrutinized for anything that might justify the leg taxi title. Pictures, writing, means of seating, modes of entry, alighting procedures. I still couldn't fathom it out. Short of flagging vehicles down and asking the driver directly if he was a leg taxi I was stumped. Stumped but not to be deterred. I decided to forget the leg taxi thing and just flag some vehicles down and regurgitate my destination in the Thai accent I had refined during my earlier enquiries. NO! Unbelievable, the first response I got from a driver was; 'ah you need leg taxi, not this one'. Kob Koon Krab. Thankyou very much. I turned away from the road to purchase water at a small roadside shop. Leg or blue bottle the assistant asked me. Leg please, I said…

Eureka!! I need the red taxi! He he he.

Within the next ten minutes I found myself next to a couple with similar intent. They were Spanish, from Madrid, I later discovered. David and Amelia. David was keen to practice his English with me. Amelia was a little more reticent but still enthusiastic and was a perfect compliment for the more outgoing David. We ended up chartering a leg taxi between the three of us for about 5 hours and did the Doi Suthep temple (originally built in the 14 th century), the Kings palace, the hill tribe village and some waterfalls. Whilst it was good to see these sights it was also splendid to have their easy going company and we concluded the day with beers together in the evening at an atmospheric location alongside the river called, as one might expect, The Riverside Café. Fireworks, a covers band playing Santana, Nirvana and Deep Purple numbers to name but a few, and attentive staff eased us through a couple of pleasant fluidic hours with much talk about everything from work to holidays and food to books and politics. Afterward we lit three hot air balloons and each made wishes as they soared into the sky. They were travelling the next day. Going south to Sukothai, another temple oriented spot on the backpacker route, from what I could make out.

Whilst music is in my mind I should mention the welcome contrast to stalls, handicrafts, and deep fried everything I happened across whilst traipsing the Tha Phae street market last Sunday evening. What must have been 300km into the seemingly endless market road there is a traffic lighted junction. The stalls had ceased but the throng of people had intensified. My height versus the average locals height offered me a clear view without having to fight through an army of excited youngsters. A rock band were making the final adjustments to their temperamental (as usual for energetic rock bands) electrical equipment. Bursts of distorted lead guitar dispersed with cable changes and checks for adequate feedback preceded half a dozen energetically and dramatically presented numbers from an impressive German band called Diva International. The lead singer/guitarist’s antics were clearly influenced by Jagger and the gaze from his cosmetically enhanced almost Alice Cooper like eyes was mesmerizing. Thirty to forty minutes of polished indie rock with dramatics to boot left me heady and missing a music player in my bag!

The photo here is taken in the grounds of the Doi Suthep Temple that I visited.