Sawadee-ka, welcome to
Chiang Mai - the 2nd citta' in Thailand that's nestled in the bosom of the gorgeous lush mountains. I've to say I'm absolutely in love with this Lanna Kingdom which certainly exceeded our expectations. It's not as crazy as Bangkok, and alluring in its unpretentious and laidback manner, from its smiley people to the 300+ gleaming wats (temples) and bustling street markets.
In a way, it kinda reminded me of Vientiane in Laos - which is not surprising as they are close neighbours and the borders just a few hours away. Our Sawasdee Guesthouse is located within the old city's fortified walls and moat. The centre is quite compact and is best explored on foot or bicycle. Just a stone's throw away from our stay is the breathtaking Wat Chedi Luang.
Before we contemplated any sightseeing, our first thought was where to find lunch. Relaying on the recommendations of Ming, the guesthouse's owner and Anthony Bourdain, we headed for
Huen Phen at 112 Rachamankha Rd - a local instituiton devoted to northeastern Thai cuisine. The restaurant was packed even at 1.30pm - a good sign. We got down to business quickly and ordered the specialty Khao Soi (Burmese curry noodles). They got chicken, pork, fish or beef versions - all equally tasty and cheap.
My dad and L wolfed down the sticky rice, som tam payaya salad, tom yum soup and laap sausage with a kickarse chilli dip. Of course we had a chilled bottle of Singha. Ahhhhh. The meal was that good we came back again on the last day in CM for lunch and whacked the fried pork ribs, crispy chicken and green chili dip - heaven! (Tip: apparently it turns a bit poshy at night and the prices also go up so avoid dinnertime).
For dinner, I asked our inn-keeper for the best place to find Thai grilled chicken
Gai yang and he pointed us to
Roomjai Kai Yang - a Chiang Mai institution for Isaan northeastern Thai cuisine. Cheap, good and a relaxed atmosphere - the way we like it. The highlight is of course the freshly grilled chickens fragrant and charred on the open pit at the doors (110 baht). Honestly I can eat 1 whole chicken on my own! We also loved the grilled pork neck, ribs, laap, salads, tom yum and lots of sticky rice. Most tuk tuk drivers would know how to get to
Ruam-Chai-Gai-Yang around 100m from Chiang Mai Ram Hospital on Boonrueang Rd (just along the fortified walls). You can recognise the yellow signboard with 2 chickens.
With our bellies full, we could tackle the various wats nearby - starting with the magnificent Wat Chedi Luang (circa 1401) that's dominated by a large Lanna-style bricked chedi; partially damaged by an earthquake in the 16th century. Leading up to the stupa are 4 stairways that are guarded by the mythical hissing nagas and elephants. We also paid our respects to the serene albeit a bit eerie wax figurines of the old monks before posing with the glimmering golden reclining Buddha.
Inside the main hall, we were dumbstruck by the ornate ceilings, chandeliers and gigantic Buddhas at the altar. This was the equivalent of a Duomo in Italia. Many people come to the wats to pray and also be blessed by the monks who are schooled from a young age; as seen by the dozens of boys on the grounds. If you're up to it, you can even chat up a monk - for real - as they have a 'Monk Chat Program' (don't laugh!) where you can debate about buddhism, life's goals, Thai culture and maybe even Obama's recent baffling Peace Nobel prize.
Next to Chedi Luang is the quaint but equally stunning Wat Phan Tao with its unique teak structure and intricate wood carvings in northeastern Lanna-style architecture. At the entrance, I noticed a lady with a few tiny woven baskets of birds chirping desperately away for freedom. It's pitiful but we decided it's wiser not to pay her to release the birds as it'd only encourage the unkind trade.
As the official tour guide, I dragged my uncomplaining entourage to another highlight - Wat Phra Singh (circa 1345) home to the Phra Singh Buddha aka Lion Buddha. The grounds of the temple and monastery are well-kept and one should explore the smaller decorated assembly halls. We gawked at the impressive main hall with its high red roof, white columns and large seated Buddha cast in gold and copper, before cooling down with some refreshing guava, papaya and pineapple from a sreet vendor.
Looking at the slightly weary faces of my parents, a break was in order and we marched past the Three Kings monument for an afternoon nap. Later that night, we explored Chiang Mai's famous night bazaar which spans several blocks spilling over into sidewalks, buildings and temple grounds. It was quite touristy and you must bargain. We preferred the bigger Sunday walking market on Rachadamnoen and Prapokklao Road which is more organic as in the way the stalls are set up in every nook and street corner. There are tons to eat from the khao soi, bbq squid, handmade fishballs and rice balls (like arancini which they squash up with spices and minced meat). We can spend hours just exploring every stall selling plants, arts n crafts, home accessories, fashion etc. Knock yourselves out!
The 2nd day, we left for Pai in a mini van that was packed shoulder to shoulder with angmoh backpackers. The only Asian passengers were my folks and I. Heeding the advice of a journalist friend C (who warned about the winding 3-hour journey), we chobed the front row behind the driver for a better view of the road while L sat in front. That - unfortunately - didn't prevent mommy from feeling carsick and she was purging into a few plastic bags mid-way. Luckily I had my magic oil with me and rubbed it on her temples. 
Dad, on the other day, was having a conversation with himself after I gave up trying to talk to him (becos sometimes his know-it-all tone is damn irritating). The reason why he can't shut up and enjoy the ride like the rest is he believes if no one talks, the driver will fall asleep! C'mon, the guy's a pro the way he's handling the gear stick and handbrake. So you can imagine these 2 old foggies - one puking and the other yakking away in the van as we weaved past the hills and small kampungs. We arrived at Pai in one piece (mom pale and grateful), and L and I immediately went to check out the accomodation. There was no lack of rooms at this time of the year and we could even bargain on the rooms for 2 nights (however peak season is starting soon in Nov and Dec). 
I've never heard of Pai until C recommended it to me and after reading up on it, it seems like a nice hippie place for us to just kick back and relax among nature. Located in northern Thailand near the Myanmar border Mae Hong Son, Pai was once a quiet market village inhabited by the local Shan people. Nowadays tourism is obviously a big industry as you can see from the number of affordable guesthouses, makeshift bars and quaint shops that cater to the droves of backpackers. The whole place kinda reminded me of Vang Vieng in Laos with its lush and rustic surrounds. 
Nowadays it also draws Thai city dwellers who wanna do Pai after it's popularised in two local romantic films - 'Jod Mai Rak' and 'Ruk Jung'. Mom and dad seemed to be lapping it up (yay!), esp dad who spoke Thai at every opportunity (he's like me in italia, cannot shut up! ;). After a cheap and satisfying lunch of pad see eu and pad thai with Singha, L and I wished we could rent a motorbike and explore the town on our own. We didn't plan an agenda but just soaked up the 70s vibes and looked out for day trips around Pai to see the elephant camps, waterfalls, hot springs - and even a Chinese Yunan village. Hmmm. Pai is so small that one would feel silly with a map. We made about 4 turns and saw 2 traffic light junctions and were back to square one. Ha. 
Luckily for us, there was a night market and some kind of a local rock concert, peppered by various local music/dance acts to celebrate the full moon weekend (it was mid-autumn festival afterall). We woke up from our nap to find Pai transformed. Vendors set up make-shift roadside stalls - outside their shops/ bars, in Volkswagen vintage vans, in every nook - with their traditional tribal wares, self-designed postcards/ badges, 80s masa-masa toys, scarves, shoes, and of course a whole range of glorious food. It was like we were back in 1975. Time stood still. And I went shutter mad. 
The market stretched for miles in different directions and we tried not to miss any lane. There was a buzz in the air as the sun set, and everyone came out to play. Kids, old folks, vendors, customers, locals, travellers... 
What amazed me the most are how creative and resourceful some of the vendors are, despite the locale of this realtively isolated village. And everyone seemed so contented under the soft glow of the full moon against the clear dark night. All is one; our paths entwined. We were happy picking at various local snacks from sizzling bbq squid and fried mee to deepfried banana and steamed silky rice roll (chee chiong fun) filled with vegs and drizzled with a sweet-spicy thai sauce. I felt like a kid again and was drawn to the tower of gleaming balloons from the balloon-man (imagine how big the pile of balloons must seem to a small kid!) 
