Chiang Mai is also a city and province in northern Thailand. It means a New City in translation and this name has been since 1926. Chiang Mai was a capital city of kingdom Lan Na. Nowadays it is the second the largest city in Thailand. It is a very famous place for tourists especially digital nomads the last years. We can see a development of the city, a lot of cafes and restaurants, but we can find traditional markets and street foods. There are over 300 Wats (we can translate as temples, but it is a complex). We adored the remains of the old walls in the center of the city.

6.11.2017 – 11.11.2017
We had an original plan that we stay until 10.11.2017, but everything was different. We avoided after our departure Taxi services and we caught a grab-taxi from the app store (it is like an uber where you can see a price before). Our accommodation was near the center of the city in Bruuns Guesthouse. There was a lot of temples and places with beautiful nature, so we walked around the city almost every day. We found a park where you could relax in a grass, feed pigeons or exercise and run.

Architecture – Thai cultural heritage
There are thousands of temples in Thailand (around 40 000) and still, are built new. I will try to write their meaning and organization.

  • Wat – is a temple, it is not just a single building but a complex
  • Bot (Usobot) – the most sacred and most important place of the temple, new monks make a promise here
  • Vihara – the building is used to sermon of monks and folk preachers
  • Chofa – a golden cross flower located at the end of the rooftop, it is a charming ornamental decoration
  • Chedi (a stupa) – high decorated tower, it is exposed above the remains of Buddha or holy texts and dominates the entire complex
  • *Ceylon type – a tower in the shape of a turned bell

We can also see statues of mythological beings in the complex. The most common are:

  • Garuda (the image showing the god Vishnu)
  • Naga (king if snakes)
  • Yakshas (giant as a guardian of evil spirits)
  • Kinnaris (half of the woman and half of the bird)
  • Asparas (heavenly nymph)

Change of plan

Date of our departure was on Friday 10.11.2017 because we wanted to go to the city, Chiang Rai. It is located to the north. We bought our tickets online and Martin said that departure of our VIP bus is at 10:35 o’clock. (VIP bus means air-conditioned, big seats and snack with water) We went for the breakfast for pancakes on the street before departure and after then we went to the bus station. We wanted to be here around 10:00 o’clock but the time 10:15 o’clock was still great for us. We had 20 minutes until our departure. When we arrived, one bus had left…..and then….Martin found out that it was our bus and he was wrong with the time. We resolved our situation with office worker but the lady didn’t understand us. She told us that we need to buy new tickets and find a different time. It was very hot day and finally, we decided to find accommodation near the bus station. We will go to Chiang Rai tomorrow.

Eco resort

It was the nearest accommodation to the bus station and breakfast with swimming pool was included. We read from travel guides one information about accommodation. When you come to the hotel and ask them if they have a free room, sometimes the price is better. We had lucky, they had free room and price around 520 THB was great. After all papers, we saw finally price for the room. It was 1040 THB. So we forgot to ask if the price was for room or person. And then we got the next information about swimming pool. The swimming pool was out of service today. In the end, we paid a double price, the accommodation was without a swimming pool and temperature was around 45 grades on the sun.

Ps: I liked how the resort was connected with nature. After hot day we wanted to go to the shower. However, I could tell about showers and toilets. We didn´t have a private bathroom. There were share showers and toilets. When I came to the toilet, one spider had been in the first, one centipede had climbed in the second and geckos had run in the third. It was a little wildlife for me. It is so nice in the photos but the reality is different. I was so scared that I every time checked all rooms before the entrance. You don’t know how I was happy that I didn´t have something stomach ache. Martin was without problem and gave me advice – keep calm and don’t look around. It will be better for you.