Rose of the North

silk worms feeding on leaves

Chiang Mai has been firmly established on the backpacker trail for years. This city, affectionately called the "Rose of the North" is known as the cultural heart of Thailand.  Certainly, it's the type of place you don't want to leave.  There are beautiful temples to see, invigorating massages to have and delicious food to eat.  Plus there are all sorts of classes to take (anyone want to learn how to train elephants?) and a myriad of day trips or treks that can be arranged.  It's easier to wander about in the sun, at least this time of year, because of the slightly cooler temperatures.  And we're liking the prices better than in Phuket.  There's a friendly vibe here, from the locals right down to the other tourists. 

So what have we been doing?  I splurged on a two and a half hour "spa experience" which involved a Thai coffee, yogurt and honey body scrub, a hair mask and an aroma oil massage.  A decidedly girlie indulgence.  I chose a basic relaxation massage, not feeling up to the strenuous Thai version which is apparently a cross between yoga and physiotherapy.  I might have to try a Thai massage soon, though.

Sunday Walking Street Fair

We'd heard that there was a Walking Street Fair on Sundays in Chiang Mai.  Having already experienced many outdoor markets in Asia (ie: the huge nightly one in Kuala Lumpur's Chinatown) we thought we'd seen it all.  However, early Sunday afternoon we noticed quite a few streets were being cordoned off.  Dozens and dozens of massage chairs were being lined up along buildings or even right at the curb and early-bird vendors were setting up stalls.  A couple hours later, when we headed out for some fresh fruit juice, we found out exactly how large the market was.  It was in full swing, and there had to be hundreds of stalls.  For two self-proclaimed non-shoppers, walking the streets was actually quite a lot of fun.  Vendors were selling everything you could think of: clothing, jewelry, home decor, wood carvings, children's toys and crafts. About half of them had prices listed - no bartering necessary!  As you walked, here and there you'd encounter musicians, kids and adults alike, singing karaoke or playing traditional instruments.  

Barbecued Sticky Rice

And the best part was, you guessed it, the food.  Some things were familiar enough, such as waffles or dim sum or fried bananas or satay (here in Thailand, it's often served without the peanut sauce).  Other things were more bizarre:  what we thought was a barbecued coconut cake ended up being sticky rice.  We tried quail eggs in wonton wrappers dipped in sweet chili sauce and tiny quiche-like cakes made to order with squid, shrimp or mussels.  A stall with huge mounds of shredded green mangoes and carrots caught my eye and I saw the sign: Yum Plaa Dook Foo.  I'd read about Crispy Catfish salad and so I had to order one.  For people on the run, you could pick up the individually packaged ingredients and put it together at home.  We had them assemble the salad for us and while we were waiting, the vendor gave us chunks of green mango to dip in a thick spicy soy sauce.  Very tasty.  Then, the salad arrived and I hit the jackpot with this one.  It was absolute perfection for 30 baht ($1.00).  Aron had a perfunctory bite, having already suspected that it would be too fishy for his taste.  Made up of shredded green mango and carrot, fried flaked catfish, cilantro, shallots and toasted peanuts it was tossed with a sweet chili lime vinaigrette.  We chatted with another customer, a Thai lady, who told us the busy vendor was actually a police officer during the week.  How's that for moonlighting?

"Yum Plaa Dook Foo" food stall

For anyone who is planning a trip to Chiang Mai, the Sunday Market I've described is found on Rajdumnern Rd on the inner east side of the moat near Tapae Gate.  It's well worth it - there's something for everyone!


P.S.  Check out our You Tube channel.  There are a couple new videos that we've finally managed to find the time to upload.