Tip-Toe Through the Tulips

I've been back in Colorado for nearly two weeks now and spring has yet to make an appearance.  I'm pretty sure this is my Karma for posting pictures of 5-day weather forecasts of 100+ degree temperatures in Chiang Mai while it was snowing in Colorado.  Well played, Karma.  Well played.  With the snowfall and blizzard-like conditions yesterday, it had me reminiscing about spring and a trip I took 3 years ago to see the tulips in Holland.

When I was still living in England, my mom came to visit me.  As we had already toured around England together on a previous trip, I wanted to take her to Germany.  I had heard about a tulip festival in Holland, and as tulips are one of my favourite flowers (take note all you Mr. Darcy's lining up to take me on a date), I wanted to stop there first to tip-toe through the tulips. 

The beautiful gardens of Keukenhof

Wow.  All I could say was WOW.

We headed to the gardens of Keukenhof, about a 45 minute drive from Amsterdam.  Keukenhof was in full bloom.  With over 7 million bulbs of tulips, hydrangeas, daffodils, amaryllis, crocus, and chysantemums, when I say "full bloom", I mean FULL BLOOM.  With every colour imaginable planted in lines, patterns, shapes, I didn't only tip-toe through the tulips, I danced through them!

Tulips upon tulips upon tulips at Keukenhof

You could spend a full day walking along the paths, around the ponds and fountains filled with lilies and ducks, and have a bite to eat at one of restaurants in the gardens.  There are many shops in the gardens where you can purchase a variety of bulbs to be delivered to your home in the autumn so you can enjoy the beautiful Dutch tulips every year. 

Beautiful pink and reds!

I'll let you tip-toe through my beautiful tulip photographs of Keukenhof - hopefully they'll inspire you to take a trip to Holland to view this spectacle yourself! 

Yellow and white tulips and daffodils

Another "perfect timing" shot :)

Variety garden

My new pair of shoes!

Beautiful, right?

Red and white ones

They even have disabled parking in the tulips at Keukenhof!

Overlooking the fields from atop a Dutch windmill at Keukenhof

Tickets to Keukenhof are 15.00 Euro.  The best time to go is between the 3rd week of April to about the 2nd week of May when the flowers are in full bloom...and smell absolutely delicious!  If you're interested in further information, check out the Keukenhof website here.

Happy Tip-Toeing :)

Songkran!

Although I know I’m not in Chiang Mai anymore, I wanted to write one last Chiang Mai blog, given that this weekend is the Thai New Year and Songkran celebrations.  I went back and forth trying to decide if I wanted to stay in Chiang Mai for another Songkran and, as much fun as I had last year, I decided against it for quite a few reasons.  (However, I'm a little upset that I decided not to go - for one reason: This whole journey was inspired by Josh Gates - adventurer, host of SyFy’s Destination Truth, and my travel guru who I would love to meet , high five, and thank in person for being awesome.  I spent 14 months living in Chiang Mai and literally ONE day after I leave, ONE, Josh Gates shows up to Chiang Mai for Songkran.  What kind of shit timing is that?!  For fuck’s sake!!…but really, I didn’t want to do another Songkran, just really awful timing there, Josh.)

Anyways, back to Songkran and the Thai New Year!

Songkran is a day where the Thai’s visit the temples and sprinkle the Buddha statues with water to cleanse and purify them.  The water that runs off the statues is then sprinkled on people to bless them.  Nationwide, this lasts one day.  Except in Chiang Mai. 

Cute little guy...before drenching us!

Songkran in Chiang Mai will start anywhere from Wednesday afternoon and run through till Sunday.  And the “sprinkling” I mentioned?  It’s only sprinkling if you consider being blasted by high powered water guns and having buckets of ice water dumped on your head “sprinkling”.  During Songkran, the city turns into an all-out water war zone.  If you dare to leave your house or apartment, be prepared to get drenched, soaked to the bone and not dry out for at least 5 days.  You’re in serious danger of being tossed into the surrounding moat if you venture to close to its “shore”.  If you’re a white foreigner, you’ve got a giant target on your back.  Or head.  Depending on where the Thai’s aim!  It’s some serious fun!  Everyone who ventures outdoors participates.  No one gets angry or mad that they are being targeted.  If you’re outside, you’re fair game!

Defender!!!

Storefronts lining the roads turn into battle fields.  They open their doors, put a giant (clean) trash bin in front and let the water from the hose fill it up (convenient if you need to fill up your gun).  Last year, my friends and I went into battle protecting our favourite bars, standing in front and shooting anyone who walked by.  Trucks drive though the city selling giant blocks of ice for 50 baht that you can add to your trash bin to give your fight an extra kick…and this being summer in Thailand with temperatures soaring over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, that ice water feels amazing!

Protecting the Mad Dog from invasion!

As I mentioned, anyone who leaves their home is fair game.  I even started a battle with a military officer.  He had his back towards me, so I tentively shot him with my water gun, thinking he’ll either “engage” or send me to Thai prison.  He turned around laughing his ass off and blessed me by shooting me back and wishing me a Happy New Year!  Thai’s also run around and paint your face with a mix of talcum powder and water used as a blessing.  They’ll pile into a back of a truck with a barrel of water – when they drive by, they will dump a bucket over your head. 

The battlefield!

Sometimes, however, it can get a little out of hand.  Many foreigners will aim their high-powered water gun at people’s faces…Last year, I encountered a violently drunk ladyboy – who was dancing on a table, flashing her breasticles and mangina when she all the sudden threw a bucket of water so violently at my head I felt like I’d been hit by a wrecking ball.  Seriously, she hit me so hard with that water on the side of my face, it took about a minute for my hearing to come back.  You also need to take care not to ingest any of the moat water…If you drink any of it on accident, prepare to be on the toilet for a day or two.  It is known that there are more deaths during the days of Songkran than there are throughout the entire year in Thailand.  It’s easy to see why.  With motorbikers as targets, there are many accidents, a lot of people drown in the moat – with the chaos that goes on, it’s easy to see how that happens.  My Thai boss once told me that in preparation for Songkran, they put a net at the bottom of the moat to make it easier to find the dead, drowned bodies after the holiday.

All in all, Songkran is a crazy fun festival and it has to be said, the best party I’ve ever been to!  Once was enough for me, though – it’s hard to try and re-create the experiences you’ve had and knowing that my ankle is still in bad condition, I opted out of a second year.

War!

If you ever find yourself in Chiang Mai around the middle of April, the entire city shuts down for a good 4 days as the locals and foreigners alike are busy defending territories in this all-out water fight!

And Josh Gates, if you’re reading this, please note that I will be in South Korea from May 2013 for around about 2 years.  Please, if you visit South Korea, try to make sure it’s not the day AFTER I leave again.  Thanks!

Happy Thai New Year!

**All photos courtesy of my friend Dean, who sadly destroyed his phone for these photos!

CNX - DEN

I’m sitting here in the Chiang Mai airport waiting to depart and thought I would get in one last Thai blog before I’m gone, daddy, gone.  (However, it won’t be posted until I arrive at my final destination: DEN)

I have really enjoyed my last two weeks in Chiang Mai.  I was getting back that feeling I had when I first arrived to Thailand, because I was trying out new things and buzzing around on the Orange Rocket.

Map of the Mae Sa Valley Samoeng Loop

The Orange Rocket!

With many pleasant drives you can take, I finally put my fears behind me and opted for one of the easier ones: the Samoeng loop around Doi Suthep.  At about 70km, it really is a remarkable drive.  I went the backwards route, starting from Hong Dong and ending in Mae Rim.  There are many places to stop along the way, hike for waterfalls, grab a few photos at a viewpoint, chow down at one of the many resorts and restaurants along the road.  There are a few elephant camps hither and dither.  At one point, I pulled over to try and find a waterfall, only to hike about a ¼ mile and decided my ankle couldn’t take it.  I continued on and stopped at a viewpoint overlooking the Samoeng Forest.  As beautiful as it was, any other time of the year it would have been much better – this time of year is the “burning season” in Chiang Mai and there was smoke clouding every view imaginable.

Smokey Samoeng Forest

Safety first!

Playing in the Mae Sa Waterfall

Missing out on the elusive waterfall, I stopped at the Ma Sae waterfall outside of Mae Rim.  There is a series of 10 waterfalls to which you must pay an entrance fee (luckily I was carrying my work permit and paid the Thai price at 40 baht.  Skin Tax price is a hefty 120 baht per person).  The waterfalls were beautiful, but awfully crowded.  With temperatures reaching triple-Fahrenheit-digits since February, many Thai families were picnicking at the falls and swimming to cool down from the heat of the afternoon.  Add in the many “farang” folk (foreigners) and I decided not to stick around. 

Mae Sa Waterfall

The Samoeng loop is a great way to spend the day.  I spent about 6 hours on the drive.  My little Orange Rocket could only do about 35km driving up some of the steep hills, but that just gave me the opportunity to look around and enjoy the beautiful (albeit, smoggy) scenery.  There are many other places to stop near Mae Rim – tourist traps in my eyes.  There’s the Monkey Show, Snake Show, an Elephant Camp, a Crocodile Show, and the Tiger Kingdom – where one can pet and play with tigers (I’ve heard rumours that the tigers are drugged, but read reviews that discredit this…not having been there, I’m still sceptical that they’re not drugged).  I’m not really the kind of person to pay money and support these kind of shows and attractions (exploitations…), so if you’re further interested in them, I’m not the person to ask.

Picnics at the 'falls

A few days later, two of my friends and I drove out to the Chiang Mai quarry.  I had never heard of the quarry, but it was absolutely beautiful and something unique to do to get out of the city (and away from the crowds).  The quarry is out just past the Hong Dong golf course, a massive hole in the ground filled with water which makes for great swimming.  It’s deep as hell, so if you’ve got the balls, you can also do some cliff-jumping.  However, “Kaycee don’t jump” so I was having none of that business (and rightly so, my two friends grabbed the bull by the horns and both injured themselves jumping, er, should I say “falling” from the cliff).  The water was cool and revitalizing.  There was a small group of Thai teens swimming and another small group of foreign cliff jumpers.  All and all, it was really quiet and, minus the injuries, made for a lovely afternoon.  (It’s also freeeeeee!)

The Chiang Mai quarry

Crazy cliff jumpers at the quarry!

Combine those two activities with market shopping and eating lots of delicious food, yes, my last two weeks in Chiang Mai were a success!

I have a feeling that a lot of my friends and family have felt like I’ve just been on a permanent vacation in Thailand.  Let me tell you, it’s definitely not the case.  Sure, I live in a tropical environment, but I still get up every morning and go to work.  I’m (was) more than a Nine-to-Fiver.  I put in over 40 hours a week teaching at my school and get very little back (in regards to monetary value…and insanely pathetic amount if I’m honest).  It’s not all coconut shakes and sunshine, Thai massages and smiles.  If you’ve been reading this blog from the beginning, you know I’ve had my ups and downs here.  I woke this morning feeling immensely excited to be leaving Thailand, which reinforces the fact that I know it’s time.  However, that being said, I’m extremely grateful for this opportunity.  I now hold in my hand a Golden Ticket to take me anywhere in the world and be able to make money wherever I go.  I’m looking forward to refreshing and re-energizing myself for a few weeks at home before starting my next adventure: I got that Big Bad job in South Korea and will be off again come May (that is if South Korea still exists by then…Kim Jong Un, play nice dammit!)  So, stay tuned for a few Photo of the Week blogs until the time I head off into the great unknown again to grow and learn something new!

Thanks for everything, Thailand…keep it real.

Happy Trails!

 

 

UPDATE: July 7, 2013

 

I've heard word from some friends in Thailand that the Chiang Mai Quarry is now closed to the public.  Apparently, a Thai teen was jumping from that cliff I mentioned and died.  Very tragic and sad!



I just paid for a prison beat down...?

This week has been upwards of 104* Fahrenheit in Chiang Mai.  We've actually had triple digit heat since February.  It's unrelenting without even the slightest breeze to stir the air.  I never thought I would miss cooler weather, but damn!  I've been trying creative ways to beat the heat this past week as my Thailand teaching days in an air-conditioned classroom are over.  Today, I headed to the Chiang Mai Women's Prison for a beat-down, or 'massage' rather.

With my BA and Master's degrees in Forensic Psychology and Criminology respectively, I am 100% an advocate for community rehabilitation programmes with criminals.  The Chiang Mai Women's Prison massage programme is really a great rehabilitation service!  Not only is it giving the incarcerated women a chance to work with the community, but it's also empowering them with a top trade skill in Thailand: Thai massage.  The women at the massage center are due to be released from incarceration within six months, so this skill they have learned can greatly increase their chances at finding a job and starting over after they are released.


Chiang Mai Women's Prison Massage Center

I would imagine that this is a great honour among the inmates to have this opportunity.  Instead of being stuck in the prison all day (especially in the summer heat), they are brought into the massage center, with air conditioning, and get to work - the money they make is theirs to take when they are released from prison.  It gives them invaluable skills - and let me tell you, the massages at the women's prison are the best massages I've had in Thailand...and I've had a LOT of massages in Thailand. 

This programme also brings in a lot of money to the community.  With roughly 15-20 massage beds and around 10 foot massage chairs, they are full every time I've gone in for a massage.  Many days, unless you're there early to make an appointment, you're out of luck because they are full of appointments for the day.  (You don't need and appointment and if you show up after 12 noon, you're more than likely able to get a massage for the day, but you'll probably have to wait 10-30 minutes...after 2pm, you might not get one as they close at 4:30pm).  The massages are 150 baht ($5.00) for the best hour massage of your life.  Bargain.  Especially considering that since January 1, 2013, most massage parlors in Chiang Mai have increased their hourly massage prices to 200 baht.

The massage center itself is not what you'd expect, either.  It's luxurious, comfortable, and extremely calming.  It's in a beautiful teak wood house with a lovely garden and cafe in the front.  The women are not walking around in chains or cuffs.  There are friendly prison guards that run the center and keep things in order.  With relaxing traditional Thai music playing softly, it's hard not to fall asleep in your relaxed state.  (The guards do tell you to keep your money and phone with you in your bags however...these women are incarcerated after all - common sense).

Buy products made by the prisoners at the Chiang Mai Women's Prison

The prison used to be directly across the street from the massage center, but it closed this past February and the women are now bused in daily from the prison in Mae Rim - about 30 minutes away.

Before or after your massage, you can enjoy a meal, a coffee or tea, or a delicious fruit smoothie.  There are also a few carts in the small courtyard that sell products made by the prisoners.  Today, I decided to enjoy a delicious coconut smoothie while waiting for my friend (our massage times were off-set by 20 minutes as we walked in after 2pm). 

A delicious coconut smoothie!

If you're in Chiang Mai and want a break from temple spotting in the heat, I recommend going to the Chiang Mai Women's Prison for a massage.  Not only are you in for a great massage, you're also helping to support a great rehabilitation programme.  Then you can tell all your friends at home that you got a beat down by a prisoner and they'll think you're a badass ;-)

The massage center is located behind the Three King's Monument, near the center of the Old City and it's open from 8:30-16:30.  As mentioned, it's 150 baht for 1 hour, either a foot massage or traditional Thai massage.  Enjoy!

Happy Trails!