Today we rented scooters and decided to head up a mountainside to see the Giant Treehouse Cafe. This was an hour and 1/2 away. A definite road trip. We stopped 1/2 way to grab a lychee soda and continued to climb the mountains to the destination. At one point the phrase “You’re not in Kansas anymore” came to mind.
The roads were winding, crazy narrow, and all was as local as the mountains get. No more 7/11 or gas stations. Good thing we filled up! As we turned to go the last mile my scooter, in the same mindset as Tia, decided sharp inclines were not her thing. I pushed her with both legs again straddled to the sides, hoping the road would flatten up enough to possibly gain momentum. But with .5 miles to go, after our 2 hour journey out here, we had to call our defeat.
My rent a scooter was a no go. I had to turn around and coast down the mountain. I was not happy. The trek out there also was not scenic either. Reminded me a bit of Ohio in the flat countrysides in the north. Nothing worth viewing. Just fields of green.
The helmets that came with the bike were a bit useless. They don’t fit well and it was a struggle to keep them from flying off. They also had no helmets with shields, so sunglasses were our only protection from the dirt or debri. I got hit by a white butterfly right in the chest! I was starting to miss Phuket.
It was about 4 pm, we had conquered the bunny cafe but had nothing to eat yet today. This may also be adding to my attitude 🙂 So on the way back, we pulled over at one of the few restaurants open and got a bite to eat before finding our way back.
The view from where we sat was not bad. We were able to listen to the babbling river flow and watch the dried leaves fall from the trees like snow.
Looked like this was a sort of reclusive retreat where they rented out houses for the true outdoorsman.
After our treehouse disaster I decided I needed something else to explore on the way back to Chiang Mai. This drive could not just be about not making it up the mountain because I was too cheap to splurge for the more powerful scooter. I mean afterall, that would have been 5$ more! So I google mapped a destination in route to some hot springs. I have never visited a hot springs location before, so what the heck? May as well check it out. See what these natural springs are all about.
There were many in the area, but we ended up here.
I have to give them credit there was some gorgeous landscaping on the grounds.
The flowering trees were beautiful.
Summer year round has its perks.
I have no idea what this says, and apparently neither does google translate.
Sedona was being a sport and posed with the egg girl.
They literally sold baskets of eggs and you could set them in the springs to boil.
I found this interesting to say the least. Is this a common thing at hot springs?
It was quite an interesting site seeing it fountain up with the sun setting and the mountains in the background. The park itself was quite deserted with very few tourists in town.
The egg girls was happy to have company.
I do so love nature.
This canal was made for people to sit and put their feet in. But I touched the water and it was too hot for me!
You know I miss my Eli. She was a remarkable pet. So when I saw there was a cafe just for bunny lovers, I had to check it out.
It was not what I expected. I was hoping it was a real cafe where I could grab a bite to eat and possibly pet a few rabbits. Instead they only offered drinks, a pretty poorly made coffee- and charged you to get in to see the bunnies.
I was here, so I paid to go behind the closed doors. It was a very interesting treat. It was an hour long “show” where the trainer basically explained how to train rabbits. He had so many different breeds and explained how to command the behavior of them. I actually learned that you should never put a bowl of food in their cages, but instead feed them by hand so they get used to you and behave toward people.
We also watched a rabbit jump through hoops and over obstacle courses. Was hilarious. Like a mini circus of sorts. The one bunny actually knew how to give high fives. It was pure entertainment.
Inside of the store was decorated with all things rabbit.
They had bunny shaped wooden plates.
This guy was in the window display.
When we entered the back room, there was a family of 3 already at the table. The trainer explained that rabbits understand confined spaces. Not sure my Eli did.
This was his chart of all the different species he had. He imported two recently from America. He said the USA has great rabbits. He also said they would not listen to him at first because he spoke Thai, but now they are bi-lingual 🙂
The angora rabbit was beautiful. All were beautifully kept and calm.
Each one had its own cage. If he opened the door, they would lean out but never leave. It was cool to see all the different types. It did not smell at all in this room as you would anticipate.
Sedona and I put on bunny slippers.
Sedona got to hold the one that was the same breed as Eli. It was interesting because she also had tufts of hair that were sticking out. Here I thought Eli was just getting old and not able to pull them out.
I got a rabbit named Snowy.
He cuddled with me for a long time. Sedona captured my “resting bitch face” while trying to figure out what the trainer was saying. Basically he was saying I was a rabbit whisperer. (just kidding)
This guy reminded me of the pug version of a bunny. Look at that face!! How could you not love him.
And this is the reason I am so messed up about my stuffed animals 🙂
I read before coming to Chiang Mai that you could get temple burn out. Now I understand. After 4 hours plus of walking inside the old town, the diverse temples caught our attention at first, and then after a couple hours, we had to drag ourselves in to snap a shot. Barely wanting to bother taking off our sandals to see the latest gold buddha.
That being said, after reviewing my photos from today, I was thrilled with all the architecture and beauty captured. It’s definitely worth sharing, as these temples are fascinating. Filled with history, monks, peace and uniqueness. I hope you enjoy seeing them and don’t become blind to their beauty.
**A lot of photos- a longer than usual post. But those trapped at home hopefully can enjoy with their Saturday morning coffee.
Have to admit I started by taking photos of the signs in attempts of remembering where I’d been, but after the first few I gave up bothering.
This was the first temple we came across after crossing into Old Town. The white and gold buddhas lined up welcomed you inside.
Notice the feet.
Inside were many more white and gold statues. I often wonder why certain monks get stationed at certain temples. Is is like a church with a minister?
Next temple was not too much farther up the road.
This looks ancient to me.
As we kept walking we came across this bridge.
It was an unstable but beautiful walk across to the monk’s quarters.
This monk was giving readings or teachings. I loved the reminder.
This one says it all. “difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations”
Looking back from where we started.
A cool shot from inside a gazebo along the water. The sign inside says something about celebrating 2600 years of the Lord Buddha.
The next one was quite a candyland of sorts.
The statues had more whimsy to them.
This looks like something straight out of a fairytale.
The creativity of them is admirable.
Once you walked past those pastel colored gods, the inside of this temple was a little more typical than expected.
I liked how the statues were lined up along the exterior walls. You can also see from this shot that Thailand in general has electrical cable issues.
Just another pagoda we walked past.
This particular temple was under a lot of construction. I put a 20 in their donation box hoping to help them restore.
This gold pagoda pulled us inside.
Truly stood out in the landscape.
Within that same temple grounds, there was this cute guy sitting solo under a tree with lights hanging down from it. I’m sure it would be a magnificent evening site.
After you walked past the island buddha, you were captured under a bridge of colorful ribbons which instantly brought you joy.
This was the view on the way back out.
This temple wins best kept. It was immaculate. The maroon colors were also refreshing mixed with the gold.
It’s hard to capture the scale of things with a camera sometimes.
Can you appreciate the detail level of just this single window? Stunning.
Wish I could hear the drum or the bells..
The three headed goddess. I do like how their buddhas tend to be genderless.
The colors. I love how there is even a maroon car parked.
But even more so, I loved how the monks of this temple also wore maroon wraps as opposed to the bright orange typically seen. Notice him perfectly positioned in the doorway.
You can tell how much I loved these grounds.
Even the serpent sea snakes were detailed welcoming you in to see the massive buddha inside.
So grand. Such difference in culture than what I grew up surrounded by. I wonder if the Thai people are as impressed as I am when I see this.
Well here’s a new one for ya! Horses.
We walked a little further and this temple caught our eye. Was a tad more on the nightmare side of fantastical.
Looking back I loved the dark skinned statue with the club in hand looking as if he was protecting the golden buddha behind him Like I dare you to come see her closer.
We spotted another ancient temple across the dried up back end of the moat. We crossed over. I appreciated the flowering trees which were being watered by water trucks spraying them along the roads.
This one was an interesting compound of sorts.
Sedona posed in between the elephants for me. You can get a feel for the size here.
Looking up trying to capture some of the mosaic details.
This wooden structure was so old. I wish I knew more history than I do. Or I wish I cared enough to read about these places before I walk into them. Where’s Jeff when I need him?
Quirky little animals lined the road.
There were all sorts of structures inside this temple.
I loved capturing the monk’s laundry hanging out to dry. I appreciate the color contrast. Reminds me of an exhibit we saw in Central park in the wintertime with the kids- where there were bright orange canopies that you walked under which contrasted against the white snow.
None of these structures seemed to coordinate. I was spoiled by the maroon establishment.
Sedona wanted to support this artist who was wanting to practice his sketching skills. His name was Ho.
I do think he captured us in a sad solemn way.
While walking back to the hotel this last quirky animal temple I decided to take a snap shot of.
I think tomorrow Sedona and I will take a break from temple visits and head 1.5 hours out of town. There’s a jungle treehouse cafe I want to check out. Plus by the end of this day’s adventures, my feet were barely making it up over the discombobulated sidewalks. Sometimes I am amazed how much walking I can do and still have the curves that I have 🙂
In need of hydration we stumbled into this adorable cafe. The far end of Old Town seemed to have a bit more touristy feel to it. This cafe had a wonderful atmosphere and was quite professionally designed and serviced.
The theme inside the cafe was ‘blue. This curio reminded me of Maida’s glassware I inherited. I’ve always loved cut antique colored glass.
Beautifully displayed.
Mixing Dutch with Oriental.
I ordered a honey lemon soda. The honey was literally a honeycomb placed on a stick. It was the most amazing drink! The coconut cake on the other hand was a tad disappointing. Karen Grimley made a coconut cake once and to this day I have never tasted anything better. Not sure why I thought Thailand could top that.
I am not a fan of blue home decor, but this room definitely had a calming effect.
Looking outside from our table’s window view.
Huge fish swam in such a tight pond.
This outdoor area was obviously what the cafe was named after. There was a waterfall and misters creating a literally cool atmosphere. If I were to review this place, it would receive 5 stars 🙂
I did not sleep well last night. Knowing I had to get up at 6 am to get ready for a flight that may or may not still be happening. It’s an eerie feeling too, as if I should be living in panic. Like we should be mourning for a loss, yet are not. Being okay and carrying on as if life is normal, when the world is shutting down. But as Pam York encouraged me, “please don’t dim your light, which you’ve worked so hard to find.” Thank you Pam.
Our flight was not cancelled and was actually quite full. I was happy to see I was not alone in my continued adventures. Denise Dewitt would be proud of me as I chatted openly with the Hell’s Angel guy sitting next to me for the full flight, hearing his entire life story and the struggles of a white man currently in South Africa. He has lived in Phuket since last May and also teaches English. Very interesting guy. As much as I wanted to nap on that flight, I am glad I met him.
I’m sitting on the balcony of my hotel right now, admiring the sunset settling into the mountain, listening to the crickets and the occasional motorbike drive by. We are in early tonight, after 5 hours of walking in Chiang Mai’s Old Town. The sun is a blazing 98F here. Hotter than Phuket with no beach breeze to cool you off.
My balcony view.
We are in this location now. Close to the borders of Laos and Myanmar.
I was warned about the pollution here and you could see it visibly when we arrived.
The entrance to our adorable mom and pop hotel. Our new home for the next few nights.
On each floor is a sitting area.
This is our courtyard. It is an adorable well kept place where they offer free coffee and whiskey. At least that’s what I thought he said.
Inside the square is the Old Town. It used to be surrounded by a very large brick wall which you can occasionally see remnants of.
We entered through this gate.
Right before you enter into the Old Town, there is a very well kept river walkway. Guess this used to be the Old Chiang Mai moat.
There are water mills that keep the water from becoming stagnant.
The walkways over the moat were filled with plantlife.
Caught this gentleman taking a nap in his rickshaw.
Many of the cafes had a lot of live greenery, I think in hopes of counteracting the pollution issues here.
Loved this artistically.
The streets were not crowded at all. All bars and massage parlors are closed. But otherwise people are just keeping their social distance and wiping menus down immediately. They took our temperatures when we entered the airport and when we entered the hotel. There is hand sanitizer available throughout the city. They have cracked down on tourism in attempts to keep their numbers of infected low. Most cases are in Bangkok.
Walked past this three kings statue/memorial.
We ended up walking from one end of Old Town completely to the other. This is when we knew we had reached the back wall.
I will post the amazing temples Sedona and I visited separately. It will take some time to construct. In the meantime, if you are trapped inside, I am hoping I can offer you some form of entertainment with my blog updates. We plan on renting some motorbikes tomorrow and heading to the mountainside.
Yes call us crazy, but we booked the ticket prior to the apocalypse in the USA . We were betting her flights would get cancelled, but since they didn’t, she risked the germs and came on over. We are doing great and we hit my favorite beach today!
So quiet here.
Toes in the sand, sanitizer in the hands.
Sedona swimming. Like our own paradise.
We are heading to Chiang Mai tomorrow, if flights are still a go. Won’t really know for sure until we get to the airport, but being that it is a domestic adventure, we are thinking it should be okay. Looking forward to exploring new lands together! Stay tuned. Hate me, love me- I’m not staying still.
I convinced Jason to go out and celebrate St. Patrick’s with me. I headed to Patong to catch the sunset on the beach and was supposed to meet Jason at Molly’s Tavern right across the street afterwards.
It was a little hazy out today.
Parasailing at sunset.
I love this local carrying a charcoal grill roasting and selling ears of corn.
Was a peaceful reminder of why I’m here.
The workers were doing their best to spread some Irish cheer.
I ordered an appropriate Corona to toast today- the day Kassie, Bobby and Jeff should have arrived. But sadly the virus kept them safe at home. I vowed to do my best to party in their honor.
Jason texted me that he was at the bar. But he wrongfully ended up at The Drunken Leprechaun instead of Molly’s. So I took my Corona with me and walked a quarter mile to where he was. The bar he landed at was definitely more happening.
Jason at beer one.
We ordered green beers and kept them coming!
Spotted this crazy tourist at the bar.
Met this authentic Irish couple. Adorable.
End of the evening. We were dancing and being absolutely carefree. “Irish tonight—-hungover tomorrow” 🙂
** Fair warning this is a long post with tons of photos! Was quite an adventurous day! May be a good distraction from all the corona news.
Jason, Non and I decided to spend our Saturday morning hiking to Black Rock Viewpoint. I have never been there before and it was on my list of areas to see. Jason hasn’t been there for a long time and Non has never been. (We were making fun of how the locals need us expats to make them a guide to their country’s best viewpoints and beaches- Non is Thai)
I gave a forewarning to Jason that I am not only close to double his age but also twice his size. I was hoping they would take it easy on me with this hike!
This was the beginning point of the hike. Right after, up the hill, there was a fork in the dirt road. One way led down to the beach and the other to the viewpoint. We decided to go to the viewpoint first and then come back and go swimming at the beach. Non didn’t pack a suit so we were teasing him that nobody would notice if he went in his underwear. Apparently his undies are quite scandalous….or so he led us to believe.
Along our walk Jason “smelled” cashews. He has quite the nose. He also claims to have the super power of being able to smell roaches. There is no way I would have known this plant was growing nuts. You can see from the shape that the nut is inside the curved shell. I guess they are difficult to open and somewhat poisonous?
But Non jumped up and grabbed a ripe one and took a bite out of the fruit that grows above it. In the photo above the fruit is a green piece, but it then becomes yellow and eventually red, and drops down once it’s ripe. We saw a red one that some animal got to. Non used to hunt with his dad when he was a kid, so he is very savvy to the plants and animal tracks. We saw many snake tracks crossing our dirt path. I do not want to be here when the sun goes down.
Jason was in love with these fern plants, so we made him go in for a photo opp.
We eventually came across this viewpoint. It was beautiful and unexpected. You could see Chalong Bay and Panwa Viewpoint.
Non took this selfie which I love! We are quite the motley crew. These guys are so easy going and great to be with.
One last shot of this viewpoint. Then we wandered back the way we came. A local on an ATV told us the black rock viewpoint was a different way. So we headed to it. (I thought this was it….apparently not)
Well we found it. And it was equally beautiful with a view of Nai Harn beach. You could also see Phi Phi Islands from here.
One of the guys snapped this photo of me asking them what something was. I love how natural it is.
Jason sat down to take it all in. I made a comment about his perfect posture, I could use a lesson.
You can see from the greenery that it hasn’t rained at all. I would hate for anyone to set a flame anywhere on this mountain top.
Non has a new camera and is trying his hand at photography. He has captured some unbelievable shots of nature. I think I mentioned him before. I am hopeful he will find work with his skills.
After that viewpoint we kept following a road that was going straight downhill. For about 45 hard minutes. At this point, my knees were a little achy from bracing for stability in the loose dirt. I was thinking, there is NO way I will make it back up. I was optimistic that we could reach the beach at the end of this road.
We eventually came to a leveled out area called Dragonscape. Not sure why. But it says so right on the rock 🙂
From here we could see Nai Beach. You can see we are still quite far up the mountain.
We decided to keep following the road downhill. We passed a house with a very angry dog. We left Non to make friends with him.
Not sure if you can see Non here at the top left corner, but he opted to just take a short cut through the jungle instead of staying on path.
This is a great view showing the type of roads we were taking through the jungle.
The colors never cease to amaze me here.
We eventually got to a dead end of the road. It ended with this shack reflecting some hint of civilization, with lawn chairs, a pit to cook on, a few dishes, hammock and life vests. But where to go from here? I was officially out of water.
I took this photo of the well kept spirit temple as I was relaxing on the lawn chair.
The view to my left.
The view to the right. Guess we are rock climbing our way to the beach. Looks do- able right?
This photo captures the scale of these rocks we were about to take on. Non just jumped right on top of that! I took the route around it.
At one point we were hoping this fishing boat would come save us. But there was no way they could get close enough with all the rocks in the water.
An occasional crab shell would scare me as I was climbing.
We were determined to make it. Jason kept saying there is no way back. He was quite the trooper doing this all while wearing flip flops. Non was so agile- jumping from rock to rock with no fear. I made the guys go first because I had to evaluate the placement of my already exhausted body before I made the move.
They kept coaxing me along. I stepped into some leaves at one point, NOT a good idea. Cut up my foot. Then I also stepped onto a smaller rock that moved when I put my weight on it, so I fell to my knees at that point. But both injuries quite minor.
I think this was after climbing for a bit. The end beach goal seemed so far away still.
Looking back you can see the white roof of the housing where we had started. Question is can you see me in this photo?
Taking a breather, Non capture us. At one point I had to physically duck to fit in between two rocks.
I still can’t believe we did this.
Looking down into the sea. At one crossing point the water was splashing up and I thought this would be an interesting way for the world to take me out 🙂 Wiped out on the rocks while making my way to a beach.
When we finally made it, we climbed up to a landing where a worker was crashing glass bottles against the rocks. The guys made it up way before me and apparently the glass breaker said “where did you guys come from!!??” Then charged them 100 BHT each to access the beach.
View from the landing point. I sat down and tried to get my face to return back to my normal red coloration.
We ended up grabbing drinks at this restaurant on the beach. Our food for some reason was swarmed with flies. I think flies around here are seasonal.
Jason and Non. Was such a great adventure. One which we all said we would never do again 🙂
Looking out at the mountain and rocks we conquered.
Non had regular shoes on so he had to rock climb, again, to get to the other side of the beach. I refused and went through the water which was surprisingly cold!
View from the other bar. No flies here.
Jason and I went into the water to feel human again.
I think this beach is trying to be like Paradise Beach but it is not as well kept and the water is not as kind. I discovered I prefer the calm alcoves to swim in. I don’t enjoy fighting the waves and current. This beach also got deep super fast. Most in Phuket you can still stand quite a ways out.
As we were leaving to get the truck back up to our cars this was the view looking back toward the beach. Notice the cute tent treehouse? I was wondering if that was for rent or just something to explore. I was in no mood to climb, but it was a thought.
As we were walking out, Non spoke with the guys near the truck and then walked past them. I asked what they said and he mentioned they were charging 100 BHT each to take a ride back up, so we were walking. Being the trooper that I am I took my place in the back and started conquering the first steep incline. I stopped half way and told the guys that they should go on without me, as I would be taking a lot of breaks and I didn’t want to hold them up.
They turned the corner to see the next incline and agreed we were not doing this 🙂 We watched as a young Russian couple passed us. We waited about 5 minutes and then loaded into the back of the truck. I have to tell you, even riding up this mountain was tough! I had to hold onto the rails with both hands.
I noticed they fill in their dirt road potholes creatively with coconut shells. But I didn’t dare snap a photo for fear my phone would bump out of my hands or worse yet I would fly out the back. As I predicted, we picked up the Russian couple less than halfway up. They negotiated for half price and jumped in the back and joined us.
Was one hell of a day and one I will cherish! Love my adventures here. #lovemylife
I am so lucky to be included in this group’s Sunday brunch get -togethers. The number of people that show up always depends on who’s in town, who is able but regardless is always a fun mixed crowd. Today was no exception.
They met at a new location and I was circling on Mean Mia trying to find it. Jason finally dropped me a pin”. Four people were new to me….Sunny, Mossimo, Jai and Jeevi.
The gang minus Jai who left his phone on the table….so we took this selfie without him, using his phone.:)
After lunch we headed over to the new Central Grocery store and all of us did some shopping. I bought a week’s worth of premade meals for about 20$. Will see if it’s worth it.
We caught Jeanette hoarding toilet paper and we made a huge spectacle of her!! We all know where we can go if the shelves over here end up bare like the panic buyers in the USA 🙂
Jason was cracking me up looking into this mirror and watching our faces get distorted. It was like a carnival mirror from our childhood except I’m quite sure the store didn’t even realize it.
As the world is reporting continually about the coronavirus-19, everyday I wake up grateful that I made it back to this paradise called Phuket. The weather is perfect. The scenery filled with natural beauty. Anyone following my blog regularly will see how much I have taken in these few short weeks since I’ve been back. I am making it a point not to stay still.
In continually seeking mode, I wanted to try to catch a sunset this week. Wednesday night was the only night I wasn’t booked with English classes. I reguarly work 7-10 pm every night, making a 6:40 pm sunset on the opposite side of the island a bit challenging to see. I only had one student scheduled at 8 pm today, and the only reason she was reserved is because she is one of my favorites and longest loyal students.
There is an area I always pass by along the coastline that has little mom and pop dive restaurants. I never seem to think about stopping ahead of time and usually regret it after I am further up the road. Tonight I decided to make one of them my destination.
I took this photo as I was leaving and the sky was turning an interesting shade of purple.
Unfortunately my planning wasn’t great. My view was blocked by trees.
Still beautiful, but I don’t think I would go back to this location because of it.
Looking the opposite direction was a picturesque view.
When I pulled up to the restaurant, I parked by an elephant sign. After dismounting my scooter, I realized down the path were elephants. I started walking down to see if I could sneak a peek. As I was doing so, a huge male elephant was coming off the main road and down the path. I had to move out of his way. He was magnificent! The man riding him asked if I wanted to take a photo and I eagerly responded “yes!”. He then said, that will be 200 bht, so I then said, “no thank you.” I whispered to the elephant as I was face to face with him and I know he heard me. It was a cool experience.
Ironically, and not so pleasantly, this elephant camp was right next to the restaurant. I snapped this photo from my table. I ate with the smell of elephant dung surrounding me and many dogs laying around the restaurant. I watched a spider crawl down the bamboo overhead and observed mini ants running amok on my table. I quickly finished my meal once it arrived.
There were three elephants in a very small area. The one that came off the road that I met on the way in was being hosed off. There was a pool-like pit dug out where the workers were swimming and acting like it was a refreshing hot tub. Their regulations crack me up. I’m pretty sure that water is where the elephants bathe.
I was sitting on the lower level which was oddly slanting down the hill. This is the view when looking up.
On my way out, up to the third level, this was the view looking down.
As I was heading back to Kathu, I snapped this photo of the sky along the rocky beach. The colors of nature.
Tonya Takes Thailand 