Chiang Mai: Okay, So It's...Something.
right, so i’ve been in chiang mai for a bit now. it’s…a place. a lot of places are, i guess. i’m still trying to figure out what to say about it, honestly. it’s not exactly blowing my mind, but it’s not terrible either. it’s just…existing. and i’m existing with it.
first off, the location. apparently, it’s the biggest city in northern thailand, which is something. it’s like, 700-720 km north of bangkok. that’s a long way. it’s surrounded by mountains, which is nice, i suppose. doi suthep is a big one, apparently. the coordinates are 18°47′43″N 98°59′55″E. i don’t know why i’m telling you that, but here we are. it’s at 300-335 meters above sea level. it’s all very…geographical.
it’s got this history thing going on too. founded way back in 1296 by some king named meng rai. it used to be the capital of the lanna kingdom. apparently, it’s got strong ties to laos and myanmar. i’m not really a history person, but it’s cool, i guess.
and the weather. oh, the weather. i just checked and it’s 32.06°c, feels like 31.85°c. temp min is 31.29, max is 35.62. pressure is 1008, humidity is 37, sea level is 1008, ground level is 962. hope you like that kind of thing. it’s got three seasons: cool/dry, hot/dry, and rainy/monsoon. apparently, it gets really hot in april-may, like 38-42°c. i’m trying to avoid that. air quality is…not great, apparently, because of agricultural burning. fun.
if you get bored, shan state (myanmar), sam ngao district (tak province), chiang rai, lampang, lamphun provinces, and mae hong son province are just a short drive away. i haven’t really ventured out much yet. i’m still trying to find a decent coffee shop.
tourist attractions? there’s wat phra that doi suthep, which is apparently iconic. it’s on a mountain. old city moat and walls too. someone told me that the ping river area is nice, but i haven’t really explored it.
food. okay, the food is decent. it’s northern thai (lanna) cuisine. sticky rice, spicy salads (som tam), noodle soups (khao soi). apparently, it’s got milder flavors than central thai food. i like the sai ua sausage. it’s grilled meat. pretty good.
apparently, there aren’t any “notable” people from here. just king meng rai and some lanna royalty. i’m not really interested in royalty. the population within the city municipality is around 127,000. mostly tai ethnic groups with lanna heritage. lots of temples - over 300! it’s deeply buddhist. they have festivals like yi peng (lanterns). crafts like silk weaving and umbrellas. and apparently, it’s got this vibe called the “rose of the north.” pleasant, artistic, community-oriented. i’m not sure about that, but it’s something to aspire to, i guess.
things to be aware of? air pollution is bad in march-may. rainy season is…rainy. elevation effects. traffic. petty theft. respect the temples. cover your shoulders and knees. standard travel stuff, really.
so yeah. that’s chiang mai. it’s…there. i’m still figuring it out. maybe i’ll write more later. or maybe not. who knows?
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