Home Away From Home

(Note: This was written 11/02/12 but not posted due to a combination of laziness and dissatisfaction with my writing -- I've been in Cambodia since 11/03... Anyway, I've decided to get over it and post the sucker, so here you are...)


Sawasdee Khap!

It's the common greeting in Thailand and you'll hear it at most businesses you visit... But its just a bit different when you hear it in Chiang Mai. It's said a bit more earnestly by the shop keepers here. Chiang Mai is much more welcoming, relaxing and friendly than Bangkok. And their sincerity and politeness doesn't just end with that greeting at their front door.

It was the first thing Jacky, the owner of Cat House Cafe said to me when I stepped into her restaurant on Tuesday afternoon, my first full day in Chiang Mai. Sawasdee Khap! I smiled and sat down.


Jacky is full of passion about her restaurant and her food and it shows. With her restaurant being situated near guest houses (it was about 30 meters from mine), her clientele primarily consists of backpackers like me. Her menu, naturally, is a reflection of this -- a heavily western influenced menu infused with the flavors of Thailand that she grew up with, along with other SE Asian flourishes that she picked up during her own travels. She happily shared all of her cooking secrets with me (though I'll never remember them or be able to replicate her dishes in my own kitchen) as she served me each order. There are many great restaurants in the area, but I was hooked from my first meal here and ended up eating just about all of my meals in Chiang Mai at her restaurant. From her home baked rolls (which were the best I've ever had), to her zucchini, eggplant, and pumpkin fries, to the mango-pumpkin mustard she served as a dipping sauce, I was impressed and surprised with every plate of food I ate here. There was simply no reason to eat anywhere else...


But Cat House was more than just a place that I ate. It became my base of operations -- my home away from home. In fact, I'm writing this blog entry at Cat House. Jacky was so welcoming, that within a couple of minutes of talking to her, I felt like she was an old friend. Actively avoiding tours, I'd been planning on making my own arrangements to see Chiang Mai's treasures. One of the sites I'd planned on seeing was a Temple in the mountains, Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep, but I had not yet figured out how I would get there. Jacky was planning to go to the mountains too to get some coffee from an obscure cafe deep in the mountains, so before the end of my first visit to Cat House, we cut a deal -- I would rent the scooter and she would scoot us both to the mountains where I could see my temple and she could get her coffee. One hour, and one scooter later, we were off like the wind.

Doi Suthep was just lovely. Like most temples, we were greeted by vendors selling flowers, candles and incense for visitors to offer at the temple's alter. I always feel a bit like a tourist doing this, so I was happy to be with an actual Buddhist this time. I made my offering, but was more interested to see what Jacky would do. Her offering was made with the same passion she applies to her cooking. Despite the din of the temple's visitors, she prayed, bowed and made her offering of incense and flowers as if she was only person there.



After this, she led me deeper into temple to receive a blessing from a monk. We scooted in, shoes off, on our knees. The monk said a prayer, splashed our heads with blessed water and then tied a string to our wrists which I am still wearing. Jacky tells me the blessing was for good luck, but truth be told, I felt in that moment that I had already received my good fortune having made a new friend.

After the temple, we made our way further up the mountain and stopped at a Hmong village and took a stroll before pushing on to the coffee house, her purpose for our trip.


Situated about 40 minutes out of civilization, with absolutely no earthly reason for existing, the coffee house was one of the most beautiful, soulful places I've ever sat for a cup of coffee. As I understand it, the hillsides are home to Thailand's Royal Family's coffee crop and this cafe, also belonging to the Royal Family, sat atop one of these hillsides. It was built entirely from logs right down to its tables and chairs. We grabbed a table overlooking one of these coffee fields from which I snapped the below photo.


The ride back was interesting. The sun was setting as we made our way down the mountain's treacherous and winding roads. On the way, we discovered that the light on our rental scooter was out. So it was a race against time. Were we unable to get out of the unlit mountain roads to civilization, we might have had a problem. But luckily, we made it out of the mountains okay.


The next day, as I had lunch at Cat House, I saw a flyer for a Muay Thai event which was happening in the city. One of my reasons for coming to Thailand was to see a Muay Thai event, so I was excited to see it. I had heard these events were fixed, but I've seen a lot of fights and can say with some certainty that these fights were real. And the first fight was one of the most epic, back-and-forth fights I've ever seen. For your viewing pleasure, here's the last round of this exciting fight.


Yesterday, I visited Chiang Mai's Elephant Camp before heading out to check out it's famous Night Bazaar. I know I must be 'going native' since I am no longer any more suprised or excited to see elephants than I would be to see cows in Washington State... Although it was nice to see the elephants in a place where they appear to be treated well.



The Night Bazaar:


But night bazaars, elephant camps, temples... These won't be the things I'll remember Chiang Mai for.

I'll remember Chiang Mai as the first place during this trip where I felt like I was truly at home, even though I was on the other side of the world. I'll remember having Jacky, a good friend to share stories and experiences with. I'll remember meeting Glenn, the long time expat from Wisconsin, and talking to him about his travels and United States politics. I'll remember having a place I could retire each evening knowing that I would be welcomed with open arms. And I'll be welcomed back anytime I return to Chiang Mai.


It's experiences like this that beckon me to the open road. Meeting people... Hell -- meeting myself. As long as there Jackys, Glenns, or Catherinas and Alexises (not to mention their kids) out there in the world, I will be there to answer its call.

Location:Chiang Mai