A few dozen food stalls clustered together on the north side of Chiang Mai, whisking up delicious Thai food to order?! We wouldn’t dream of missing out…
Chang Phuaek Market in Chiang Mai, commonly referred to as the North Gate Market, is a wonderful place Continue reading
Godzilla is coming!
Tokyo:
It is a whirl, a twirl, a blur.
Facades of steel and glass make angles against the blue sky. Mind boggling crowds of humans move like liquid across wide intersections, down shopping streets, and through perfectly manicured parks. Kitchy pop music finds my ears as I stand on a corner. Continue reading
Where is the place where two rivers meet? Dumulmeori…
Two watery heads converge, making one. Liquid expanse meets distant mountain, and all around a sea of green. Lotus, lotus, everywhere… Continue reading
We entered the market and walked straight into a tide of kinetic energy.
A steady buzz,
A jostling of elbows.
Nimble fingers press dough into perfectly shaped mandu. Continue reading
High above. Gaze out and over the city. Hundreds of buildings rise up- repeating patterns of grey and white blocks.
It feels bustling, even from here. Not far beyond: the soft blue of mountain silhouettes.
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The smell of fresh lime filling the air. The rhythmic motions of the mortar and pestle smooshing and mixing, smooshing and mixing. Continue reading
A plethora of beautiful temples. Night markets filled with delicious selections of the local cuisine. Waterfalls, mountains… It is easy to understand why Chiang Mai is a hugely popular stop on any traveler’s Thailand itinerary. Mix in the more adventurous options like zip lining, jungle trekking, and off-track dirt bike expeditions and there is surely something for everyone. Oh, and let’s not forget the elephants…oh, the elephants! Continue reading
view of Huang Tung Tao from our beach hut
It was a meltingly hot day, and there was no way that we were ever going to entertain thoughts -no matter how fleeting- of doing anything that required any sort of exertion. Just stepping out of the cool oasis of our hotel seemed daunting. Continue reading
In my head I had been imagining a single lane road on the outskirts of town. A winding road, possibly dirt, flanked with lush greenery, and lined with small booths where local artisans were selling their wares. Little open air shops stocked with lacquerware, silk, Celadon pottery, and ornate silver- all with nearby workshops allowing one to peer in at master artists in the midst of their works. I am not really sure where my vividly detailed visions of San Kamphaeng Road had originated, but Continue reading
up, up, up the mountain…
I love coffee. I love the moments of contemplation found between sips of a deliciously dark brew. I love magic spots in foreign places, suddenly made familiar with a single cup. It’s powerful stuff. A fuel. It generates, and it brings together. So when I got wind of a Hmong Village somewhere way up and into the wilds of Chiang Mai’s Doi Suthep where there was locally grown coffee to be had, I knew that we had to venture out to find it. Continue reading