It was the “Magic Festival” across the road. A loud and proud band played on stage facing four rows of food stalls. I’ve sampled a few different things, but not from the insect stall (yet). Need to start getting used to the future of food. There was also an animal section, with puppies, kittens and baby goats. You could feed the piglets for a few Baht. I’m told that the Thai love their pets, but I’m not sure how pet-friendly and sofa-safe a goat would be?
Speaking of food, I had been working my way through the local menu. It would honestly take months to sample everything! At one tiny restaurant run by a husband and wife, with no more than four tiny tables, there were 147 food options. I can’t pronounce or recall many of the things I’ve tried, but I loved it all! I was starting to side with those who say that Thai food is the best they’ve ever had. Apart from the deep-fried things and oil overuse, it doesn’t feel UNHEALTHY to eat out. It’s cheap, but portions are small, (probably a good thing).
A downside of all this is the shear amount of plastic used… Buy a banana and this gets double-wrapped in thin plastic and placed in a plastic bag. Order khao soi and every individual ingredient is in plastic. I did pass a place compressing the foul substance into big blocks, so maybe there is hope. Nonetheless, the streets in Chiang Mai are CLEAN! The people take pride in sweeping their doorsteps each morning.
Thailand has no shortage of water or electricity – something that takes getting used to for a South African! Fountains and water features are everywhere, and nightfall illuminates the city in an array of colours. The powerlines are in tangled balls of frozen spaghetti, but they clearly work! In general, this is high-tech country, with facial recognition, the ability to pay-scan for almost everything, and automated doors. It’s just a little sad to see the majority always looking down at their phones, even couples dining together.
A final highlight was visiting a friend of my friend who stayed in an incredible place with his partner. Young monklets (monks) used to train here. It had a large pool and garden. The building itself has multiple bedrooms and basins in random-seeming areas. It was beautifully decorated and could house about 10 people comfortably. They were paying peanuts for all that.
I was looking into teeth-whitening options as a first-timer. A lot of people come to Thailand specifically for dental and cosmetic work. I had to swear an oath before coming that I wouldn’t use my travel insurance for such pursuits. However, after some research, I could get “Confident Smile No.1” for cheap, with the top-rated, global brand. I was keen! I considered getting a tattoo as well.
Next: Thailand #9 – A Farang Takes a Stroll
Previously: Thailand #7 – Life of Pai
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