I crossed the border from Laos to Thailand with very little
hassle, the customs guys were very friendly and once the paperwork was done
they asked to take some photos with me and the bike, my rule with anything
involving government officials is not to stick around for too long in case they
happen to ask for more paperwork, which can only cause me more holdups, I
snapped my pics and was quickly back on the road. The difference between Laos
and Thailand was immediately evident, the roads were busier the towns were
bigger and there was more pollution and noise. My first destination in Northern
Thailand was Chang Rai which I was told was the country’s arts capital. Chang
Rai is home to Wat Rong Khun, which is better known as the White temple and is
the creation of artist Chalermchai Kostitpipat, it is not actually a religious
site but more of a tourist attraction and has a modern artistic flavour to it
with sculptures throughout the grounds. As you enter the temple you pass a
bridge surrounded by a sea of grasping hands and the inside of the temple is
decorated with a modern space scene mural depicting images of transformers and
George bush riding a rocket with Osama Bin Laden riding pillion. The Temple
complex also includes a gallery of the artist’s work, this showcased some very
impressive art however it also included a high proportion of portraits of the
artist, I couldn’t help but feel as though much of what was on show at the
white temple was for the gratification of the artist’s ego. I must say that I
enjoyed visiting the white temple, it is one of the most beautiful and
interesting I have visited but as far as the art goes I had the feeling that
the artist was trying a little too hard to be provocative. It seemed to me that
the artist is attempting to be avant-garde in the meaning behind his work but the
ideas are reminiscent of something you’d see in a high school final art
project, unoriginal art with borrowed political undertones, I can’t help but be
a little unimpressed when you compare it to the likes of Hironimus Bosch and
his artworks that pushed the envelope
over 400 years ago. Another must visit on the artistic trail in Chang Rai is
the Black House, the grounds of which comprise of a number of stunning
traditional buildings showcasing the art of Thawan Duchanee. The art is of an
animist nature with many stuffed animals and skulls on display as you stroll
your way through the grounds. The main building houses some very interesting
furniture and artwork which are created from natural materials such as wood,
bones and furs. The main building also has many paintings on display and
although the artwork is very good, once again the main theme is portraits of
the artist, which again left me with the feeling that these galleries are more
for stroking the artist’s ego than for the artwork itself. Many of the people I
talked to weren’t impressed with the black house, describing it as merely a
collection of stuffed animals, I on the other hand quite enjoyed it, as much
for the buildings as for the art itself.
I also visited a few smaller galleries around Chang Rai to
get my art fix and these actually
delivered some more impressive work than the more well known artists, the art
was great but I was starting to get keen to get out of the galleries and
explore the surrounding area on bike. The North East of Thailand shares its
border with Laos and Myanmar in the area which is known as the golden triangle
and which is traditionally notorious for its poppy fields and opium production.
I took a ride to the river junction that separated the borders and from the
viewpoint you could gaze out over the 3 countries, very impressive indeed. A
visit to the golden triangle isn’t complete without a tour through the opium
museum, the little museum was full of interesting information about the history
of the poppy and opium use throughout the years. The roads surrounding the area
were great to ride and I enjoyed the twists and turns as I headed back to Chang
Rai stopping in at a local Karen tribe village on the way, the Karen tribe are
best known for the collection of brass Rings that the women wear around their
neck. The girls in the village were busy doing traditional weaving and although
they were a little shy they were more than happy to sit down and have a chat,
it was great hear about their traditions and everyday life first hand.
From Chang Rai I headed to Chang Mai, the
capital of the north, Many travellers I had met had told me what a peaceful and
open minded place CM was so I had high expectations, I arrived to find a
another large city, compare to the towns of Laos, Chang Mai didn’t rate on the
peacefulness scale. The old city of Chang Mai is lovely however and after
settling in to my bungalow at Jaidii Guesthouse I spent quite a few days
walking the streets and laneways. Chang Mai is a hub for travellers wanting to
explore the north of Thailand so there was no shortage of interesting people to
talk to, it also has plenty of delicious food and great bars, one of the best
being the Northgate blues bar, which would have punters overflowing onto the
sidewalk to see some of the quality bands that performed there. The old city of
Chang Mai was a great chance to drop the pace of my travels down a notch, do a
little less sightseeing and a little more hanging out, I spent most of my time just
chilling out at cafes, street food stalls local markets. I did allow myself to
do a few touristy activities, one of which was enrolling in Thai cooking class,
it would be a travesty to visit northern Thailand and not learn how to make a
quality red curry, it was a great day, an added bonus being that most of the
other aspiring Thai cooks were women. Something that drew me to Chang Mai was
the roads, the area is a bit of a Mecca for riders throughout South East Asia
and from around the world, it is home to some of the best riding roads in this
part of the world, the most famous being the Mae Hong Son loop, which famously
has 1864 corners. I was keen to get the bike onto the twist and turns of the
loop but the bike needed a service after the punishment of Laos and Cambodia,
Luckily Chang Mai has a BMW dealer so I was able to book the bike in while I
relaxed in old town. They staff at Jaidii guesthouse were super helpful and let
me store some of my baggage so I could enjoy the next few days riding with a
little less weight on the bike, I picked the Beemer up from the dealer, got her
packed and embarked on a ride that I had been looking forward to since I began
my trip through South East Asia.
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