Part 1, in which we want to eat and sleep, and also get acquainted with the ancient state of Lanna.

When you travel around the south and north of Thailand, you feel as if you are in different countries. Other temples, other nature, other people. And all because these are really two different countries... they were once. The southern regions are ancient Ayutthaya, the north is even more ancient Lanna. Both states - Ayutthaya and Lanna subsequently became one country - Siam (present-day Thailand).

In fact, of course, today's Thailand is not two ancient countries, but much more. At different times, different states, principalities, provinces were created and died, both on the territory of present-day Thailand and outside it.

Although the unification (or rather, the absorption of Lanna by Siam) happened a long time ago, Lanna remembers her roots and preserves her history in every possible way.

Chiang Mai is the capital of the ancient state of Lanna, the city of three hundred temples, the second largest city in the Kingdom of Thailand and the cultural capital in combination. We will start with him)

November 19, Monday. Chiang Mai.

Plans for the day:

-Silver Temple Wat Sri Suphan

-Wat Chedi Luang

Unscheduled:

-Wat Phra Singh

The plane landed at 6 am. An interesting time loop happened to us. We flew all day and arrived in the morning. The night has simply disappeared from our lives. Of course, I tried to sleep on the plane, but the internal clock, grinning, ticked inside me and drove away sleep.

When we landed, it was one in the morning in Kyiv. Children's time)

We have visas, so we pass the control quickly. The exchangers are not working yet and there is nowhere to even buy a SIM card (although, in fairness, some SIM cards were sold, but we needed DTAC).

In any case, we need cash. We withdraw money from an ATM. The commission is terrifying, but there is no other way out. Although, perhaps, the taxi driver would have taken dollars. For some reason I didn't think about this before.

Looking for a taxi. At the exit 300 baht. Not proletarian, I think. We go to the right, there are 200. We go to the left and agree for 150.

The first moment you step into summer is always amazing. Moreover, even when summer comes on its own. And, in the middle of winter, getting off the plane, in a hot country, is a delight of the highest standard.

The heat is unbearable. It seems that it is at least 35 degrees outside, but the thermometer shows only 24. There is no expected humidity. North is north)

When I was going to Thailand, I chose the route and dates in such a way that the tickets would be cheaper and my husband's birthday would be celebrated in Phi Phi. The cheapest tickets were to Chiang Mai if you arrive and depart on Monday. So there was our first route - a ring, for two weeks. Of course, it required polishing, but the main points were clear to us - Chiang Mai - Chiang Rai - Phuket - Phi Phi - Krabi. Tickets were not taken for a long time, there were reasons for this, but they became more expensive and more expensive. And suddenly, when all our household affairs were sorted out, and we were ready to buy tickets, two things happened. Firstly, I found out that just 4 days before our arrival in Chiang Mai there will be a grand Loy Krathong holiday, and secondly, inexpensive tickets appeared with a flight home from Krabi. The tickets themselves might not have drawn the title of inexpensive, but since they saved us from buying a Krabi-Chiang Mai flight, which is absolutely expensive, and with luggage it’s generally sky-high, I considered it unreasonable to wait for something else. After looking at a few photos from Loy Krathong, I decided that there should be a holiday! Thus, we have drawn an "extra" week. And three weeks in Thailand is not at all the same as two, you see)

The driver was talkative. He asks and tells) From him we learn that the holiday starts tomorrow and will last 4 days (really spectacular events take place 2 days). He asks us about the nearest plans and offers his services to travel to Doi Inthanon. Too bad we didn't ask the price of this offer. We have a pre-booked car.

It's a short drive from the airport to the hotel. Our hotel is located in the historical center of the city - in the Square. It is really a small square, surrounded by a canal, in some places retaining protective walls and gates. Hotels in Kvadrat are a little more expensive, but it is important for us not to be too far from the center. Well, the environment is important. My husband is in Thailand for the first time. I want to show him everything from the best side.

This first hotel is very beautiful. It is exactly what the first hotel in Thailand should be - atmospheric, a little shabby, attentive to detail. And cheap)

Our room, of course, was not yet ready, but it was time for us to have breakfast. At first, however, we tried to take an early check-in, but we were offered something completely unimaginable - check-in at 10 am, and pay 200 baht for it. We looked at the clock, giggled, left things at the reception and went aimlessly.

We go, we turn our heads, we look in the menu of different cafes - the prices are not encouraging. We want cheap, tasty, colorful!

Oh, those first steps in Thailand! You are already walking through a bright, sunny city, your body is already exhausted from the heat, your sandals are full of sand, and your mouth is chewing some delicious food, but you are still in a home case, which in a couple of days, no, even before evening, will come off you completely, and only then will you really feel Thailand. Trust him.

- Well, let's have at least something to eat, - I whine - you're not trying to find macaroons here now, are you? )

Finally, we sit down in a cafe opposite the Chedi Luang temple, and have breakfast with delicious padtai and tasteless banana pancakes)

Banana pancakes can be completely different! If this is your first time in Thailand, then do not try to eat banana pancakes in a cafe. Real pancakes with a banana can only be bought at the top, when the thin dough is twisted, clapped, stretched and fried quickly, right in front of your eyes, adding bananas and condensed milk, putting it all in an envelope and cutting it to make it more convenient for you to eat on the go.

Oh, what a yummy! And even if you do not eat sweets, even if you have taken a vow to never eat fast carbohydrates, even if you have sworn to yourself not to get fat in Thailand, even in these cases you need to try this divine dish! To know what taste Thailand has)

What did the cafe offer us? Several large pancakes, between which sliced ​ ​ ​ ​ bananas huddled. Fe.

But my husband, tormented by numerous diets, looked plaintively into my eyes with a silent question: “Do you want to leave it? ? "")

“This is prey - beaconing him in response - grab and conquer! »

But that was my first strategic mistake. Carbohydrates have a sleeping effect! ) Never forget about it! ))

The first place I wanted to go was the Silver Temple (Wat Sri Suphan). From the place where we are, to the place where we aim, one and a half kilometers. And we, with pleasure, set off on the road.

Chiang Mai is a very big city. More than him, in Thailand, only Bangkok. Probably, in every country, there is a city that is called the cultural capital. In Ukraine it is Lviv, in Russia it is St. Petersburg, in Vietnam it is Ho Chi Minh City, in China… in China it is hard to imagine something more cultural than the Chinese capital, but this is an exception) In Thailand, Chiang Mai fully corresponds to the title of cultural. Because here, wherever you look, there is a solid cultural heritage.

Thai temples fascinate and fall in love. I will not now sing the praises of temples. Although, believe me, I have something to say, but in this way we will never get to the temple, which was number one on my list of temples.

We will not even linger near the wonderful vertical garden with rain watering. After all, we are already in a hurry)

Wat Sri Suphan

The Silver Temple is very different from all other temples. At least because it is silver)

Entry 50 baht, give a bottle of water.

Entrance inside the temple for women is prohibited. My husband didn't want to go either. Outside, the beauty is incredible.

I walk around the temple. I'm looking at the details.

I could probably spend the whole day here.

But I have a husband)

The time is about 10 am, the sun is merciless. We no longer have the strength to move our legs. Carbohydrates pull my husband to the pillow. And I'm dragging him to the city park.

- There - I say - coolness and bliss. And palm trees. And you can lie down. At least all day long. Do you want to lie down all day?

- I want. But in the room.

Carbohydrates win. I give up. Although, adrenaline rushes through me, and I am fresh, cheerful and jumpy. But I am not free and I obey.

Slowly we crawl to the hotel. Our room is already waiting for us there, at no extra charge. Time is 10:30. Oriental wisdom says not in vain - do not rush and everything will resolve itself.

The husband immediately falls asleep, and I go for a swim in the pool. Do you understand me? The end of November, it was still minus nine in the morning. And now it's summer and the sun, and they put me to bed. No and no! I just urgently need to go to the pool! )

Summer is around, of course. And the sun, and heat, and greenery. But the pool is very small, the water is cold, you won’t swim for a long time.

Wandering around the courtyard of the hotel. How wonderful! It's wonderful!

In the end, I fit in for a quiet hour and I.

Wake up at 3pm.

We have Wat Chedi Luang on our agenda for the evening. We were right there in the morning. They licked their lips already at all the gold that could be seen from the road. But my route was built with such a complex squiggle - to immediately visit a distant point, otherwise it would not work out later.

We leave somewhere at 4. We come across an interesting sight - near the school, children regulate traffic.

It's still hot in the city. But the sun is already low and breathing is much easier.

Wat Chedi Luang

Chedi Luang is an unusual temple. A lightning strike destroyed the top of the chedi and it has not been restored.

The territory of the temple is quite large. The energy is pleasant.

Entrance 40 baht.

We have been in this temple for a very long time. It's evening. I don't want to leave at all.

We have dinner with Tom Yum. Rather, I am a pit, and my husband is a bland soup with soy balls. He can't be spicy. In Thailand, you can find non-spicy food, but you need to make an effort. Therefore, sometimes, I was forced to eat two portions, and my husband none.

I ate Tom Yam for the first and last time. I cried, pricked and chewed-chewed this cactus. A large bowl of rice helped a little, but the fiery water had to be left anyway.

After dinner, we wander aimlessly around the center, accidentally go out to the Wat Phra Singh temple.

In the dark, backlit, the place is a bit mystical.

Beautiful.

There was one more important thing to do - to book cooking classes for my husband and a massage for me. We asked the girls at the hotel reception to help us with this. They started calling, and I commended myself for my forethought. Explaining when you see the interlocutor is much easier than on the phone. And with the reservation was not all smooth. Husband wanted Thai Farm Cooking school. But on our dates (November 22 and 23, the height of the Loy Krathong holiday), there were no places. We were offered another school, but it turned out that there were no places there either. After a few calls, Sammy's organic cooking school was finally found and accepted my husband for 1000 baht. This is a cheap price for cooking courses.

It was much easier with my massage. I wanted Fah Lanna Spa for the middle of the day, for 2 hours. And I got everything exactly as ordered.

I would like to have more hours, of course, but even 2 hours was quite expensive - 2100 baht. My husband looked askance at me with one eye and joked that it would be half the price for him to work all day than it would be for me to lie down for 2 hours.

What if I like massage more than cuisine? That's exactly twice as much and I love it! )

In Thailand, frankly, you can get ten massages with this money. Well, seven or eight for sure)

And in the Truskavets hotel "Higina SPA" - a three-day relaxation complex) With baths, massages, peelings and other pleasures. Also a sauna with a jacuzzi for free. By the way, you will be in those parts, visit, you will like it.

And then it hit me - I want it, I can’t, take it out and put it, it’s for my birthday, I’ll also have it soon!

The first day went exactly as we wanted. We rested and slightly touched the exotic.

And tomorrow we are going to the mountains! )