…and Away We Go!

Larry summoned a “Grab” car for a ride to Meena Rice-Based Cuisine Restaurant. Our Thai-born friend Tip recommended it highly and we are grateful for the recommendation!

The setting in the country-side is peaceful and in spite of the remote location, it is popular and very busy!

Larry’s herbal drink, butterfly-pea flower tea was pretty AND delicious!

My Rice Berry Herbal Drink was less pretty, but equally tasty.

Our beautifully presented lunch was a treat!

Minced spicy pork with egg and multi-colored rice:

Fried fish with cockle curry:

It was a 10-minute walk back to the main road and on the way, we I couldn’t resist stopping by some cute boutiques selling local crafts.

Our next stop once we got another “Grab” ride was further down the road to the sparkling Maiiam Contemporary Art Museum.

We enjoyed seeing works by contemporary Thai artists. For the next several days there is a special exhibition titled “The Poetic Language of Flowers.”

Coincidentally, we’ll see more flowers as tomorrow morning at 9:00 the Flower Festival Parade begins. We plan to be there for the flower-decked floats and the marching bands–an event that we’re looking forward to!

We took a Grab car (Southeast Asia version of Uber or Lyft) to the northern suburbs of Chiang Mai to visit a recommended restaurant called Chez Khao Soi. The lovely restaurant owner Samalaa does it all…prepares the food, waits on tables, washes the dishes, and shops for ingredients!

This was our first experience trying this special soup. Khao Soi is a Burmese-influenced dish served widely in northern Thailand and Laos. It’s made with egg noodles, coconut milk, curry soup base, and ours topped with a chicken leg. In preparation for our lunch, she brought out the condiments. Left to right–very spicy chili paste, pickled cabbage, red onion and lime. The dish below holds crispy fried noodles. These are all optional.

The kind owner took our photo right before we ate our lunch.

We loved this tasty dish and appreciate the hospitality of chef Samalaa.

We learned that her several small dogs were there to protect us from……..snakes! Yikes! The location on the bank of the Ping River makes it vulnerable to unwelcome pesky visitors. Happily, we didn’t see any.

While in the neighborhood, we visited the Monfai Cultural Center. It’s a “living museum” of reclaimed homes representing 5 regions of Thailand with textile and lifestyle displays. It’s in a very tranquil setting.

We love the idea of floating flowers in vessels of water. We see this everywhere.

We’re happy here and have added two more days to our Chiang Mai itinerary!

The weather has been quite warm but it’s just the kind of climate orchids love. We see these everywhere!

Over the weekend we visited the Lanna Folklife Museum to learn more about the Lanna culture. We especially enjoyed seeing the beautiful textiles.

The major weekend events are the Saturday Walking Street Market and the Sunday Walking Street Market–both evening events. Streets are closed to traffic and lined with clothing, souvenir, and street food stalls. Neither event is recommended to those who want to avoid crowds–it’s a sea of people from everywhere you can imagine jammed together in search of street food and souvenir bargains. Quite colorful!

We like trying different concoctions–these guys are making an omelet with tofu and pad Thai inside. More delicious than it sounds!

We’re careful what we eat watching closely to see how the food is prepared and following locals eating at the popular stands.

This is a view of Chiang Mai on the road that leads to Freedom Yoga, the studio I’ve discovered here for yoga classes. The city can be a little gritty around the edges but still with lots of charm!

Lots of upscale coffee shops, juice bars, and cafes have popped up since we were here 5 years ago. The Hinlay Curry House, a favorite next to our hotel was basically an outdoor restaurant covered by a large tent. Now, the owners have enclosed the space and added a bakery and coffee shop. Really nicely done!

Chiang Mai offers surprises around every corner! Still lots to discover here!

Our room at the Sakorn Residence Hotel costs us 1550 Thai Baht per night. In US dollars that’s $49.46! It includes a nice breakfast that begins with lots of fruit, coffee, juice, AND dessert (aerial view.)

Then, there is a choice of eggs, cereal, or rice and veggies with a fried egg on top. Larry’s pick today.

After breakfast, we trekked across town for a 10:00 yoga class. It’s a 1.5 hour class and a bit more intense than we’re accustomed to. The classes are upstairs in an old building. Many of the participants are also visitors and the classes are taught in English.

A photo with our teacher!

I spotted a blooming lotus flower today as we walked through the temple complex.

The pool area is very nice and breakfast is served in the open area behind the pool. The temperature is a warm 90 degrees today but mornings are lovely and even a bit chilly.

It’s almost the weekend for us and we are looking forward to the Saturday and Sunday markets!

Namaste!

We enjoyed our stay in Hong King but have a list of things we didn’t get to this trip. Here’s what we’ll save for next time:

• Eat an egg tart.
• Ride the tall escalator.
• Hike Dragon’s Back to Shek O.
• Ferry to Lamma Island.

The Hong Kong Airport is sleek and we easily made it in time for our Air Asia flight, direct to Chang Mai.

This is our third time in Chiang Mai and we’d forgotten how gritty and chaotic it feels initially.

Once we settle in, we remember why we like it here so much. Our hotel is near Wat Ket Temple so it’s pleasant to walk through the complex each time we venture out.

I found a yoga studio that I like about 15 minutes away and I went to a great class this morning. I hope to attend a every day or so. Classes cost 250 Thai Baht or about $8.00 US.

Night time in Chiang Mai is very colorful. The temples are lighted and lovely!

We’ve been to the grocery store for water and snacks, dropped off laundry, and now Larry is on his way for a haircut. We’re settling in!

It’s our final full day here. The weather is cooler and the air quality improved. A wrong way bus trip and a kind local who got us back on track took us to Aberdeen Harbor. The small harbor is busy with fishing boats and fun to see–a serendipitous stop.

The correct bus took us to our intended destination Stanley. We expected a sleepy fishing village but found an upscale shopping area instead. Still interesting and good to see another area of Hong Kong Island. We visited Tin Hau Temple, one of the oldest in Hong Kong.

Along the way, we walked through local markets and admired the many greens available!

A bus took us back to Central Hong Kong.

Hong Kong is very organized. We are impressed by how everyone lines up systematically to board the bus or train. Markings on the floor show the way.

Nighttime is especially colorful! Scenes like this are around every corner!

We are happy to have visited this vibrant city! Early Wednesday, we’ll head for the airport to make our way to our next stop–Chiang Mai, Thailand!

Today the view of the buildings is obstructed by smog. Locals say that it’s worse than they have seen in awhile and the air quality is rated “very unhealthy.”

In search of clearer skies and a little enlightenment, we headed for Lantau Island to see The Big Buddha. It took two ferries and a winding-road bus ride but we arrived at the peak early in the afternoon. Cows wander around the site but seem harmless–mostly looking for handouts.

The stair-climb to see the Buddha is quite steep.

After we walked around the complex, we purchased a ticket for a 4 mile-long cable car down the mountain. A view of the Big Buddha from our cable car, shows the quality of the air. It was suggested that it’s possibly due to the wind direction bringing pollution from mainland China as production is increased in advance of Chinese New Year.

We hope for cleaner air and clearer skies tomorrow!

But for now, dim sum for dinner and a beer are a good ending to an interesting day! Cheers!

We are impressed by how easy it is to get around Hong Kong and by how much there is to see and do. We took the metro from our hotel in Kowloon to Hong Kong Island in about 20 minutes. We walked to the Ferry Terminal for a view of the harbor.

Then we walked through one of the upscale shopping centers to check out the latest fashions.

Quite a contrast as our next stop was the Hollywood neighborhood to see the Man Ho Temple. Busy on a Saturday and smoky inside with candles and sandalwood incense. Many were leaving offerings paying tribute to the God of Literature and the God of War.

Time for lunch at a traditional Dai Pai Dong–open air food stall made of iron sheets surrounded by foldable tables and stools.

We waited in a long line to get a seat at the table here. Larry is enjoying a bowl of their signature tomato noodle soup and a crispy bun dripping with butter, lemon, and honey!

The Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware was unique and fun to see a collection of tea ware.

Finally time to relax in one of the many parks. This is Hong Kong City Park.

So far, we’re having a great time and already wishing we had planned for a few more days in Hong Kong!

We arrived safely in Hong Kong Friday evening after 24 hours of travel. The Hong Kong Airport is easy to navigate so we quickly went through Immigration, found an ATM for Hong Kong cash, and purchased our Octopus Card for the public transportation system. Double Decker Bus #22 took us to a stop near our hotel.

We are staying in Kowloon at Hotel Stage. The room is cozy and comfy.

We slept well last night and after a great breakfast at the hotel (see photo of hotel breakfast bar below) we are excited and ready for a day of exploring!

We’re leaving the snow and ice behind and heading for Asia! This the scene in our backyard the day before our departure!

Our plan is to dress in multiple layers as we walk to our nearby MARTA station in 19 degree temps at 5 a.m. Marching onward to warmer weather!

The itinerary for this trip is pretty simple!  Just four destinations:

• Hong Kong-5 nights.
• Chiang Mai, Thailand–13 nights.
• Chiang Rai, Thailand–5 nights.
• Bangkok, Thailand–2 nights.

It’s a mix of favorite spots (especially Chiang Mai) and new places (Hong Kong and Chiang Rai.)  This map of Thailand from the Lonely Planet website shows the location of major cities.  Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai are in the north, and Bangkok is a one hour and 15 minute plane ride south from Chiang Rai.  For this itinerary, we’ll use a combination of plane and bus trips.

We’ll be staying in the Kowloon section of Hong Kong. If all goes as planned, we’ll arrive in Hong Kong at 8:15 p.m. (Hong Kong time), Friday, January 19.  It will be 9:15 a.m. in the Eastern Time Zone.  We’ll return via Seoul, South Korea on February 13.

We look forward to our first time in Hong Kong and our first experience with Dim Sum!

In Thailand, we hope for:

delicious food,

perhaps a cooking class,

and learning more about these Asian cultures!