Chilling in Chiang Mai....

One week in Chiang Mai:
We really loved our time in Chiang Mai. We decided to stay one whole week, which at the rate of speed that we have been travelling lately is a long time. We could have easily spent much longer here, but luckily in one week we were able to accomplish and see a lot of things.

Chiang Mai is located in Northern Thailand it has all the amenities of a modern city like Bangkok, yet it lacks the chaos. Not only does the city have an important history but it is beautifully surrounded by mountains adding to the appeal. Within the city and on the outskirts there are many Wats (temples) to visit. For the adventurous tourists there are things to do like bungee jumping, zip lining, visiting Tiger Kingdom, Bamboo rafting and much more. There are also treks to the jungle, meditation retreats or elephant camps to name a few. Basically there is something for everyone

Meditating in Wat Suan Dok:
The second day in Chiang Mai we were signed up for an overnight meditation retreat in Wat Suan Dok, which is a temple located right in the city. But since there were only five people in our group we couldn’t go to the centre to stay overnight, but instead we spent a full day with a Buddhist Monk discussing basic Buddhist principles and learning and practicing a few meditation techniques. Both Andrew and I really enjoyed the class, the Monk was so inspiring and insightful and his message was easy to understand when he spoke to us in that peaceful way that only a monk can do. Obviously completing one day is only an introduction to meditation however we started the day with no expectations and ended it with a thirst to know more.

Monks in Thailand:
While writing this blog it occurred to me that if someone has not travelled to South East Asia they may not know that most countries here are predominately Buddhist. Coming from the West the sight of a Buddhist monk is not very common and I can probably count on my one had how many times I have seen one on the streets of Toronto. Here in Thailand monks are a common sight not only in the Wats but on the streets at any time of the day. They dress in bright coloured robes usually orange and live a simple life. During my first trip to Thailand I was very surprised at the amount of monks I saw, but quickly I became use to the sight. I realized just how much they were woven into the Thai daily life and culture. However, even now occasionally I will catch myself starring at them on the street with curiosity. Every morning you can see them receiving offerings of food from lay people on the streets. In Thailand there a different types of monks, some spending their whole life draped in robes or others only entering monkhood for a short time. It is common for boys to enter for a few months and it is considered a great honour for the family. I’m not expert on Monks but that is a few facts that I have learned during my stay in Thailand.

Chatting with Monks at “Monk Chat” at Suan Dok:
The following day after the meditation clinic we decided to go back to the Wat for something called “Monk Chat”. It is a night dedicated to foreigners at the temple to chat informally with monks about any topic. Andrew, Daphne (a Dutch girl that we had met at the clinic), and me were paired with three monks. There were quite a few people attending but we were all in small groups to keep things intimate. Our little group was perfect there were no awkward silences just light conversation. The monks were all students going to the University in the temple and we got the feeling that as much as we learned and gained from them, they also learned from us chatting about our countries and cultures. What a great night it was for us, and again I felt inspired and lucky to be able to experience the things that I have in my life!

Some other activities that we did during the week:
Muay Thai fight: On our first night in the city we bought tickets to watch a fight at a local stadium. There were five fights and it was very exciting to see it live.

Night Safari: It is a huge complex located on a 1.3 million sq km National Park. We sat on open sided trams and went through the park seeing lions, tigers, deers, wolves, birds, giant cats etc. It was definitely an interesting experience but sometimes we feel being in a zoo or something like that can be a somewhat uncomfortable feeling, although there it seemed the natural habitat was replicated quite well.

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep: located outside Chiang Mai near the top of a 1676m mountain is a Wat with amazing views. We had to walk up 306 steps to enter into the temple. Of course we also visited a few other Wats inside the city.

Thai food: Both Andrew and I love Thai food, and Chiang Mai had a lot of variety to offer. With our friend Dave that we met in meditation clinic we explored both the night market and the Sunday street market. (Shout out to Dave~ told you we would mention you!!!) Coincidently Dave is also a fellow Torontonian who lives not too far from us. There were so many stalls to choose from that making a decision wasn’t easy!

~Nicola

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Chiang Mai, Thailand