Feb 25, 5:00pm or am depending how you look at it.

I’m on my way home, currently somewhere over the Pacific Ocean. I’ve travelled about 7000km so far. Only another 10000 to go. There’s not much left to say about my trip, but every story needs an ending, and this one is no exception.

I had mixed feelings last night. I was sad to be leaving Thailand, because I have grown to love many things about it. But at the same time, I’m glad to be headed back home to the family and friends I miss so terribly. All in all, 25 days seems to be about the right amount of time to be away. I had managed to become comfortable with living in Thailand. I suppose it’s just a phase of travel. It’s possible the next phase of travel would be “I’m sick of this place and I want to go home.” I’m glad I never got to that phase, because I’d really like to return to Thailand some day soon. Now that I think of it, Sarah seemed a bit melancholy when I saw her last. It is two weeks into her four month trip, and if I had to guess–and really I do–I’d say she was feeling mildly homesick, like I did two weeks in. Do we all go through exactly the same phases? I can already tell that I’m going to be feeling a nostalgic phase for the Kingdom of Thailand. In fact, I feel it already.

My last evening in Thailand was pretty slow and easy. I only knew that I wanted to have a good Thai meal to end my trip. I considered a few fancy Thai restaurants mentioned in the Farang magazine that I bought in Chiangmai. I was hoping to burn off some of the extra Baht in my pocket so I didn’t have to exchange it for Canadian dollars. But in the end, I decided that if I wanted to finish my trip like I lived it, I wanted to be where the locals were. I headed to Sukhomvit Soi 38, under the Thong Lo Skytrain station, where there was a night food market serving an array of delicious street food to Thais of all description. Lowly beggers ate at the roadside, and maids from rich families pulled up in expensive cars to order food to bring home. I stuffed myself silly for 100 Baht on a few different things, including steamed pork and boiled eggs that had been continuously basted in rich brown gravy, some Chinese Kale, BBQ pork, and Thai donuts. No one there spoke a word of English, but all were willing to help me figure out how and what to eat with the friendly and patient smiles that are so common in Thailand.

I brought my camera and wide angle lens out with me, in case I saw something photo-worthy. I couldn’t resist another ride around the city on the Skytrain to hunt down subject matter. I’m not sure if I got anything worth keeping, but it was fun to have one last ride anyway. No regrets.

Finally, on my way back to the Trinity, I ran into a confused looking British couple. I asked them if I could help them find something. They were looking for the Silom night market, and seemed to be in the entirely wrong place. They had gotten off the Skytrain at the wrong stop. I was able to walk them to their destination. It felt good to know without doubt how to help these people. It was like passing the final exam in the learning experience that was this trip.

There will be a lot of things I miss about Thailand. I’ll miss the warmth and kindness of the people, and the quiet dignity they seem to exude. I’ll miss the myriad of inexpensive and delicious food choices at every corner. I’ll miss the shifting and ever-surprising life and energy that seems to be bursting from Bangkok’s every street and soi.

That being said, there are many things I missed about Canada. I missed the cleanliness of home, even something as simple as the fact that drinking water comes right out of our kitchen taps and garden hoses. I miss the fact that things just work, more often than not. I miss the fact that people and services are generally expected to be on time; things happen roughly when they’re supposed to. I miss the fact that our government and society generally cares about the less fortunate among us, and makes an attempt to help. I miss fast and reliable Internet access. I miss being able to talk to people in English without making enormous arm gestures to explain myself. Last, but definitely not least, I miss my friends and family.

I’ve learned a lot on this trip, both pragmatically and philosphically. I learned about a very foreign country and its people. I’ve also learned about myself. I learned that fear will not kill me. It’s okay to be afraid, because things have a way of sorting themselves out. Knowing this makes fear of the unknown and fear of the uncertain all the more healthy and beatable.

It’s hard to believe it’s all over, this exotic journey that I had been anticipating for months. But like I said, it’s time, and life must go on. I have no regrets at all. I don’t think I could have asked for more.

Feb 26, 1:00am

Ok I’m finally home. After missing a connecting flight in Chicago to Toronto because of long lineups at American immigration and customs, I eventually got back on a later flight. Dad had been waiting for me for hours at the Toronto airport. Thanks Dad for your patience and for footing the parking bill! He paid 640 Baht for parking at the airport. Wait. I need to start thinking in dollars again. Total travel time from door to door was approximately 31 hours. Anyway, it’s time for bed. Good night, and thanks for reading all of this!

Feb 24, 8am

I’m on a plane now, departing Chiangmai for Bangkok. Flight time should be about an hour. I finally got the hang of domestic air travel in Thailand. There’s no need to arrive at the airport any sooner than 45 minutes before your flight. Baggage check and security check are extremely quick.

Today will be the last full day of my trip. My flight for home leaves tomorrow at 7am. So, I must admit that although I’ve spent the last few weeks living in the moment, my thoughts yesterday turned to home. It really struck me how little time I really have left here, and that was a reality that was a long time in coming.

I would have liked to have spent more time in Chiangmai. The city and surrounding region has a lot to offer. It would have been nice to have done a three-day trek through the hills, but there simply wasn’t time. I think before I left home, and even a couple of weeks ago, I would have thought I’d have time to do a trek like that, but once on the ground, the truth set in that many things would have to wait until my next trip to Thailand.

Instead, I spent a rather casual and relaxed day in the city, sleeping in until 9:30 and then lounging around for an hour or so with a dish of mango and sticky rice that I bought from a street vendor. Afterwards, I headed to the Chiangmai Centre for Arts and Culture, which is a museum in the former city hall. The building is beautiful, designed in British colonial fashion. The museum gave an interesting overview of the Lanna region’s history, from prehistoric times until the present. I learned a few fascinating things. For instance, the ancient people who settled towns like Chiangmai considered a city to be a living thing. The “head” of the city was always oriented towards the north, and was the most important part of the city. Nothing that could bring bad fortune was allowed to enter through the northern gate. The city also had a navel, where there was usually an important temple.

I walked back to the hotel through some of the smaller streets, passing a high school. I tried to use the Internet in a café that was advertising 15 Baht per hour, but it was jammed with high school kids playing video games on their lunch break. I stopped to have a delicious lunch of stir-fried pork, basil and chilis on rice for 20 Baht. The tiny restaurant was also packed with kids eating fried noodles and other local treats.

Walking back towards the hotel again, I ran into Sarah. That was quite a surprise, since Chiangmai isn’t exactly a small city, and I also thought Sarah had left already. Turns out she and Kubba needed another day to sort out their travel plans before heading to Cambodia. We arranged to meet for dinner.

I spent the rest of the day taking pictures around the city. I hadn’t brought my camera with me the previous day, because I wanted to explore without the extra weight. I returned to some of the spots I had scouted out at around 4pm, when the light turned that particular hazy gold that looks so good in photographs.

I met Sarah and Kubba for a quick dinner. I had Khao Soi, which is a local dish made from egg noodles and yellow chicken curry. I also had a small plate of pork sausages made with basil and garlic. We talked about how it’s impossible to see everything you want to see on trips like ours, and although we all may have different reasons for travelling, our main objective is basically the same: to just to have fun.

After saying goodbye and bon voyage to Sarah and Kubba. Their trips make mine look like a weekend getaway. Sarah is travelling for four months, and Kubba is away for eight months. However, I’m sure time will do that magical trick, both creeping and flying by for them like it has for me.

Feb 24, 2:45pm

I’m back in Bangkok, checked into the Trinity again for one last night. I am exploring the city a bit more today, mainly seeing if there’s anything worth buying and bringing back to Canada. I went to Pantip Plaza, which is nerd heaven. It’s a mall about 4 floors high with nothing but computer gear. Prices are nothing special though. Most things are about the same as we pay in Canada, which surprises me. Oh well. I don’t really need any computer stuff, but it was fun to walk through anyway.

My time is short here, so I’m not going to spend a lot of time on the computer. Maybe this will be my last journal entry before I get home? Who knows.

I ate way too much today. I had a choice: sign up for cooking school, or try to get myself a better room at the Montri. I opted for cooking school, and I’m glad I did. Class was from 10am to 4pm. We made a lot of delicious stuff today. I can’t say I learned a lot, because most of the preparation was done for us. However, I got to chop things, and mix things, and fry things. Most importantly, I got to eat things. We had a trip to the market, where the instructor got us to choose out the ingredients we’d be using that day.

We made several popular Thai dishes, starting with fried rice noodles with vegetables and sliced pork in sweet soy sauce (pad see-ieuw). Then we made fish and red curry with vegetables, wrapped in a banana leaf. Then it was on to yellow chicken curry with a cucumber sauce to put on top, and then chicken with cashew nuts. For dessert, we made bananas in coconut milk, and strangely, spicy shrimp salad.

After the class, I went for a Thai massage, but it was underwhelming. The woman who was giving the massage got tired and gave up before the hour was up, I think. In any case, it was a fairly half-assed massage. At least it was cheap. I’ll try a different place tomorrow to try to repair the damage she did to my back.

I spent the rest of the afternoon wandering the city. I just picked a street and walked on it for about an hour. I ended up in a weird part of town that was filled with stores selling mainly motorbike parts. It didn’t look like it was going to get any more interesting than that, so I hopped on a songtao and rode it back up the street. That ride was 5 Baht (about 15 cents), so I gave the guy a 10 and told him to keep the change. He was thrilled. It’s easy to be a high roller in Chiangmai.

This evening I walked down to the famous Chiangmai night bazaar. It really was nothing special. Just blocks and blocks of the same touristy stuff you can buy in Bangkok, but heavy on the hilltribe crafts. Although I’m sure the hilltribe crafts are handmade, they still manage to look mass-produced, probably because of the acres of hilltribe booths selling them.

The sun has set on Chiangmai for another day. I’m going to go back to my hotel room, have a cold drink, and see if I can figure out what I’m going to do tomorrow.

Feb 21, 5:40pm

I’m sitting on the VIP bus to Chiangmai. It’s much nicer and more modern than the one from Surrat Thani. Everything is a soothing sand color. They still insist on blasting Thai love music though.

The view outside is spectacular. I wish I could reach my camera, but it’s in the storage area underneath the bus with my other luggage. The sun is hanging low and blood red in the smokey sky, just above the shadowy mountains. It illuminates the stepped farmland of the region, with abundant fruit trees and tea plantations. The bus is rolling deeply in its suspension as the driver throws it enthusiastically into the road’s snakelike curves. Many people here seem passionate about driving, no matter what type of vehicle they’re piloting.

Feb 21, 11:55pm

I’m in Chiangmai now. It really is a beautiful place. I can see why the people who live here are proud of it. It’s a vibrant and lively city, even at night, yet still feels like a small town. The “old” city is a square, surrounded by a moat from Thailand’s medieval times when it was resisting Mongol conquest. I’m staying at the Montri Hotel, just inside the main gate and bridge over the moat.

The bus ride turned out to be quite nice. I met a nurse from Chiangmai, who was sitting in the seat beside me. She looked quite miserable when she got on the bus. This is unusual for Thai people, who usually seem to be happy, or will at least pretend to be if they’re not. At first, she appeared to be absorbed by her cellphone, making calls and sending text messages. As I mentioned before, young Thais are quite fixated on cellphones, so this was not surprising. When she finally gave it a break, I said hello to her and told her I thought she looked sad.

She turned out to be very sweet, and very patient in trying to talk to me. It was a fun experiment in communication. We talked in very limited English, and I gradually learned what words she understood. I was even able to throw in the few Thai words I know, like “sanook” (fun). It’s amazing how ground you can cover with very little language in common. We talked about family, school, work, Canada, relationships, friends, cars, motorcycles, religion, health, drinking and traveling. When it was time to get off the bus, she gave me a little silver ring and stuck some cute girly stickers on my PDA and cellphone as a souvenir of our friendship. I gave her a big pack of Chiclets that I was carrying in my camera bag and promised to send her a postcard from Canada.

The taxi ride from the bus terminal to the hotel was interesting too. My tuk tuk driver was very talkative and colorful, and spoke good English too. Apparently his brother lives in Toronto and is taking graphic design there. His brother wants him to move to Canada too, but he says it’s too cold for him. He said Thai people are frozen solid if the temperture goes below 14 degrees C. Funny guy. He was excited to hear that I’m a photographer. Apparently he borrowed his brother’s digital camera and took some photos at the botanical gardens. He asked if he could email them to me for my honest critique. Of course I agreed to help him out. I feel like I’m back at dA already!

After checking into the hotel, I strolled down the street to The House, a restaurant recommended by Frommer’s. It’s a Thai Fusion place, with an internationally trained Thai chef. This was another very memorable meal from Thailand. The bread was some kind of crumbly olive cornbread. They served three toppings with it: a red pepper pate, finely chopped cucumbers with dill, and a tomato and cilantro salsa. I had a smoked duck appetizer, which was served sliced very thin on a bed of lettuce with balsamic vinegrette. It was garnished with mandarin orange slices and a fancy pattern made from hoisin sauce. For a main course, I had pan seared red snapper served with crispy stir-fried lettuce on top of roasted almond and saffron risotto. It was covered in some kind of rich, buttery cream sauce that is still making my mouth water just thinking about it. To drink, I had a smoothie made from fresh apples and ground ice. Not a bad meal for 20 bucks. I tipped the staff heavily.

I felt like I needed a walk after dinner, so I explored the city a bit. I’m glad I decided to spend three or four days here. I get the feeling that it might not be enough.

Only one month in Thailand, and I now have two friends named Bee. Are you jealous yet? Bee was my tour guide today.

She’s a trainee, so she came along with me for free. Little did I know that when you rent a car, you also get a driver here. This meant I got to avoid driving in Thailand one more time. So, Bee, our driver, and I set off for adventures around the Chiang Rai area. We drove up into the mountains and explored some of the nearby hill tribe villages. If I’d had more time or willingness, I could have hiked into the jungle for a few days and gotten a slightly more authentic experience. As it was, I had to endure a lot of souvenir stands, but I still managed to see some honest to goodness hill tribe people.

The hills here are insane. In Thailand, they don’t blast holes through mountains like we do. They build snaking, winding roads around them. So they’re VERY steep and VERY winding. Lots of fun to drive on! Too bad I didn’t get to. I think I’ll try when I’m in Chiangmai. We also checked out a tea plantation, and had Chinese lunch on top of the mountain overlooking the Chiang Rai area. It’s a little hard to take photos of scenery here, since everyone is burning wood and dry leaves. It makes the air very smoggy and opaque. Bee says the air is much clearer during the rainy season in August and September. Maybe I’ll try to come back at that time of year some time.

Right now I’m waiting for my bus to leave, which means sitting in an Internet cafe with my luggage for a couple of hours. I’m taking advantage of the break to burn a few CDs of my photos. I have the portable HD, but I’m feeling paranoid about losing these images, so I’m making a backup.