Today when we arrived in Chang Mai, we visited Doi Sotep, a beautiful temple built in 1383, 12 kilometers up on one of the mountains around this city. We had amazing views of the city from up there. A Buddhist monk blessed us with water (splashed it on us with a palm branch) - a very cool experience!
Yesterday (back in Bangkok) our guide took us about 90 minutes outside of the city to a famous water market. We boarded a longtail boat and headed down the canal to go shopping! People sold everything hot thai meals (cooked right in their boats), to hand made teak items, to fake Louis Vuitton handbags (no, I didn't buy one) from their longtail boats and from waterfront shops. At certain points it was a traffic jam of vendor and customer boats in the narrow canal.
After coming back from the water market we had free time to wander around Bankok. I decided to be brave and try some ramen noodles from a street vendor. They looked at me like I had 4 eyes when I said I wanted noodles only (I could have picked from up to 4 things to put in the soup, but I was already a little wary of a street vender and the only item I really would have liked from their selection of mostly veggies was shrimp - and they looked really suspect). So they cooked my noodles and then I picked a sauce for them that looked and smelled delicious. I was so excited to try my first authentic Ramen noodles, and they actually would have been so good and enjoyable, except that I think the sauce I had them put on the noodles might have burned a whole in my stomach, if I ate them all. SO SO SO HOT! So I had a few bites (the huge bowl was only $1, so I didn't really care if I didn't finish all the way) and we went on our way. A lot of the street food here looks really great, and Fodor's says as long as it's cooked fare, Thailand is one of the best places for street food, so I think I'll try again and next time be really wary of sauces.
Last night we bought tickets to a kickboxing match, which we found out started at 6:30. We go in and are escorted to the FRONT ROW, ringside!! We knew our tickets would be really good, because even in a place where everything seems so cheap, kickboxing is their favorite national sport and it was either buy the most expensive tickets ($60) or stand in the grandstands in a mosh-pit type area... so we shelled out the $60. And it was worth it to be so close to the action (and so far from the people screaming and yelling and placing bets left and right during the matches). Some amateurs started off at 6:30 (they looked no more than 14 or 15) and one boy actually was knocked out and had to be taken out by stretcher in the SECOND match! I am sure he just had the wind knocked out of him b/c he weighed no more than 90 pounds and took one too many knee kicks to the stomach from his opponent. By about 9:30, the bigger guys were facing off and it was really a spectacle. The kickboxers enter in and bow to each corner of the ring, say prayers, and do a little ceremonial dance around the ring. Thai music plays before and during all the matches, even while they're duking it out...
And our ride is here! We're off to a dinner/dancing show, and I'm starved. Love you all, and HAPPY THANKSGIVING ONE DAY EARLY! Love, Meagan
Yesterday (back in Bangkok) our guide took us about 90 minutes outside of the city to a famous water market. We boarded a longtail boat and headed down the canal to go shopping! People sold everything hot thai meals (cooked right in their boats), to hand made teak items, to fake Louis Vuitton handbags (no, I didn't buy one) from their longtail boats and from waterfront shops. At certain points it was a traffic jam of vendor and customer boats in the narrow canal.
After coming back from the water market we had free time to wander around Bankok. I decided to be brave and try some ramen noodles from a street vendor. They looked at me like I had 4 eyes when I said I wanted noodles only (I could have picked from up to 4 things to put in the soup, but I was already a little wary of a street vender and the only item I really would have liked from their selection of mostly veggies was shrimp - and they looked really suspect). So they cooked my noodles and then I picked a sauce for them that looked and smelled delicious. I was so excited to try my first authentic Ramen noodles, and they actually would have been so good and enjoyable, except that I think the sauce I had them put on the noodles might have burned a whole in my stomach, if I ate them all. SO SO SO HOT! So I had a few bites (the huge bowl was only $1, so I didn't really care if I didn't finish all the way) and we went on our way. A lot of the street food here looks really great, and Fodor's says as long as it's cooked fare, Thailand is one of the best places for street food, so I think I'll try again and next time be really wary of sauces.
Last night we bought tickets to a kickboxing match, which we found out started at 6:30. We go in and are escorted to the FRONT ROW, ringside!! We knew our tickets would be really good, because even in a place where everything seems so cheap, kickboxing is their favorite national sport and it was either buy the most expensive tickets ($60) or stand in the grandstands in a mosh-pit type area... so we shelled out the $60. And it was worth it to be so close to the action (and so far from the people screaming and yelling and placing bets left and right during the matches). Some amateurs started off at 6:30 (they looked no more than 14 or 15) and one boy actually was knocked out and had to be taken out by stretcher in the SECOND match! I am sure he just had the wind knocked out of him b/c he weighed no more than 90 pounds and took one too many knee kicks to the stomach from his opponent. By about 9:30, the bigger guys were facing off and it was really a spectacle. The kickboxers enter in and bow to each corner of the ring, say prayers, and do a little ceremonial dance around the ring. Thai music plays before and during all the matches, even while they're duking it out...
And our ride is here! We're off to a dinner/dancing show, and I'm starved. Love you all, and HAPPY THANKSGIVING ONE DAY EARLY! Love, Meagan
2 comments:
Hi Meg and Enrique,
I'm sitting on YOUR couch and typing on your laptop. It's about 8:00 a.m. here and dad and I are about to go eat at the ATL diner. We ate last night at M Mushrm with Sarah and today are going shopping, movie-ing and carbo loading with her b/f the big race. We miss you but are fascinated with your tales of Thailand. It just sounds so very wonderful. WAY TO GO, ENRIQUE!Keep having a great trip; we love your blog! Love, MOM
Happy Thanksgiving to you and Enrique. Mom and I are sitting on your couch getting ready to go get breakfast and see Sarah run her half a thon. We love you both. DAD
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