5 – Visas & Vespas

Hong Kong to Chiang Mai

It’s probably fair to assume that when you’re traveling you can only believe half of what you hear half of the time, particularly when dealing with embassies. Chinese friends of Juanli’s assured her that she could get a long term visa on arrival at Bangkok airport -up to 30 days no problem, and for me, as a Brit, maybe even 90 days on arrival.

Of course when we get to immigration at 11pm on Monday night, it’s a different story. 15 days for Juanli, 30 days for me, by the book.

As stress is arguably the biggest killer, I try to eliminate as much as possible, and we’re both philosophical - changing our plans at the drop of a hat and eagerly awaiting whatever we decide to do.

We check into a hotel nearby the airport, suitably called the Convenient Hotel, and grab a few hours sleep before we head back to the airport for our 10am flight to Chiang Mai.

We’d never been to this northern Thai city before, and as we passed over the central lowlands, the severe flooding that is currently plaguing Thailand  is painfully evident. But Chiang Mai is clear, sunny and dry.

Both of us have spent a lot of time in Thailand in the past, and are no strangers to the lifestyle, architecture and culture – but it’s been a while. We’re both delighted by the sights and smells again – there is nothing quite like an early morning walk through the markets, with the smells of delicious food, gentle voices and smiles massaging the senses.

Due to the lack of visa, we have changed our plan – just a week here in Chiang Mai, then a week in Phuket to complete our 15 days. Then off to the Indonesian Island of Bali for a month. Much of Juanli’s time this week has been taken up with sourcing various accommodation for the next few months, especially with Christmas and New Year on the horizon. We have however had time to explore two must do things here – Temples and Food.

We rented a small motorbike for the week, an ideal commuter from our quiet rural hotel into the city and surrounding mountains. The driving here is very sensible, and nowhere near as bad as I have been used to in China.

The food is sublime – Tom Yam Kung, the famous spicy Prawn Soup, Red Curry, rich with coconut milk and stir fried mushrooms. These three dishes plus rice and a couple of soft drinks costs us around 260 Thai Baht = US$8.50

Monks in their rough Saffron-colored robes walk the streets or congregate at their Wat’s – or temples. Juanli and I stand below Doi Suthep, a stunning golden temple located high on a mountain about the city. The sunrise is still some time off, and the illuminated architecture is striking against the blue hour sky.

A Drongo flies off a tall perch to catch insects and Bulbuls chatter from the flowering trees. The mist in the valley obscures the city and we float high in the forest. It’s a delightful moment. Stray dogs hoard around us as we climb the 309 stone steps – yapping among themselves, but content enough with us – can they smell our food, or are they just hungry for affection?

Our plan when we left Spain was to detach ourselves from the concept of home – we’ve stripped our belongings down to the absolute minimum, a few clothes, an iMac and our cameras. We can pack in minutes and move wherever we choose, whenever. I have drafted out our itinerary on the right that takes us up to the end of the year.

Next instalment – Island Life