On our second day in Chiang Mai, we made like the locals and mounted a motorbike. Don’t worry, Mom and Dad, Chiang Mai traffic is very calm and safe. As if backpacking through SE Asia isn’t enough of a high already, exploring a city and its surroundings by motorcycle makes me feel like I’m flying.
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We made our way north to meet some felines of the massive, striped variety. If we wanted to go in with the tigers, the staff member at the Tiger Kingdom told us, we’d better go soon, because the tigers were getting active. We looked out to see the furry guys pacing aggressively. Before we could chicken out, we signed up for the “large tigers.” The staff whisked us inside before we had time to read all of the safety warnings. The only one I caught was “Don’t approach the tiger head-on.” Our designated tiger trainer roughed up one of the guys playfully and cajoled him into sitting. We nervously approached from behind to steal a pet and a picture. While I patted him, all I could think was, “Holy cow, this guy is massive and pure muscle!” I think you can detect this anxiety in my expression in the pictures if you look close enough. We also checked out an albino tiger, an African lion, and newborn tigers. Mother Nature is truly incredible to transform those small, helpless cubs into kings and queens of the jungle.
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We then ascended a mountain to see a famous temple, Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, at sunset. The mountain-top temple is slightly closer to heaven, and it feels especially surreal in this setting of melodious monk-chanting, golden Buddhas reflecting the sun’s last rays, and pagodas shooting into the skies. You don’t need to be a Buddhist to connect with the spiritual majesty here. Built atop a mountain to look out over Chiang Mai, the temple also offers brilliant twilight views of the city.
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It was time for me to experience a Thai massage. Unlike other massages we’ve had during this trip, sans clothing and in privacy, this one happens in jumbo baggy pajamas and out in the open. As the masseuse pulled and stretched my limbs, I wasn’t sure whether to close or open my eyes. I felt like a big, awkward, silly baby as she tugged and pushed my body into all sorts of contortions. This is like a lazy woman’s yoga — no effort required but great therapy, especially for the hip joints and the back. The constant chattering and chuckling of the masseuses soothed like a bird’s song and lulled me into forgetting myself, allowing me to fall into the rhythm and enjoyment of the ancient practice.
Dinner was a feast of pad thai, tom yum soup, and khao soi, a northern Thai specialty of rich coconut milk and braised chicken noodle soup. It was one of those meals during which I couldn’t stop saying, “This is sooo good,” as I blew through countless tissues in response to the sinus-clearing spice. I promised myself that I would find a cooking class to take here in Thailand and work on perfecting my preparation of these dishes myself when I go home.
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We went to the local boxing club to watch some notoriously fierce Muay Thai. The ritualistic tone of it all was fascinating, with live music like that of a snake charmer, suspenseful pacing, showy stretching, and ceremonial bowing.
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One round was particularly entertaining, with seven guys of different weight classes blindfolded, punching and kicking randomly around them, hoping to get a good swipe at each other. Another round featured two men in a traditional sword fight that was really a choreographed dance. Still, I didn’t stop holding my breath until those pairs of serious swords finally stopped their wild twirling.
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The finale was a fight between a Thai and a German, both of whom looked even fiercer than the twenty others we had seen thus far. The matches usually culminate in one fighter pinning the other against the wall of the ring so that he can give him swift knee kicks until he has racked up enough points to win. I would have put my money on the Thai guy, but zee German, enjoying an advantage of a few inches in height, won in the end.