Chang Mai is Thailand's second largest city and the former capital of the Tai-Yuan kingdom of Lanna (as opposed to the southern Tai-Syam kingdoms of Sukhothai and later Ayuthaya). Lanna means Kingdom of a Million Rice Fields, and although Chang Mai is a large city, it feels green and manageable, surrounded by farmland, much of which is quickly being transformed into suburbs and shopping malls. The old part of the city is loaded with over 300 temples in an area 6 miles square. Buildings are not allowed to be built higher than the tallest temples and stupas. It still has a bustle, but is a pleasant and highly walkable town.
Lanna architecture is exquisite. There are some similarities with Lao temple design, but the flourishes and details, as well as the quality of craftsmanship, reaches elaborate new heights. Many temples are restored, but few were completely destroyed like they were in Laos. Lanna fell into alliances and wars with its neighbors (see this map of the area in the 13th century for reference) and influences from Sukhothai, the Shan states, Burmese Ava, and beyond can be seen.
Here, a temple built entirely out of teak. Despite quite a bit of logging over the centuries, the woods of Chang Mai province are in some of the best shape of all of Thailand, and beyond the rice paddies are beautiful forests and mountains. More on that in a moment.
Another typical home converted into a museum. In this case, the Center for Lanna Architecture. This home from the 19th century shows traditional Lanna details in teak on the upper floors with a more European flair on the lower floors. The people of Thailand, in the face of colonialism, quickly adapted new technologies, fashions and political mechanisms which ended up keeping Thailand from becoming a British or French protectorate.
Chang Mai has a bit of an earthy, hippy-ster vibe. There is lots of organic produce, loose raw cotton clothing, and "namaste" style bad art. There is an earlier tradition in the area for craftsmanship, carving, and furniture making, however. This interesting antiques and art shop, Srivalee, on Ratchapakinai road, was fantastic and I found all kinds of great textiles and wood carved antiques.
The number one draw to Chang Mai, however, has got to be the food. For the most part, it surpassed anything else we had during the earlier part of the trip (with the possible exception of a few meals in Vietnam). Not that it is a competition... we have had great food everywhere... just that in Chang Mai it was so varied and so new and so consistently great. Above, our guide Thong took us to his family's restaurant, Laab Lung Pan, on the outskirts of town. They specialize in Laab, or minced meats in a variety of spicy sauces.
Thong cooked for us himself. So much food!
Tom yum kai with chicken and banana flower.
Laab! Chicken, pork, gang aum nuam (buffalo), isan (NE Thai with pork & beef), and the local specialty, gang um mu (pork with 16 different spices). Chang Mai was on the southern spur of the Silk Road for much of its history, and the flavors here reflect an ability to get all kinds of ingredients from the sea to the mountains, and China to India to Indonesia. Incredible.
And for dessert, freshly fried bamboo worms. Our new favorite snack.
We also had delicious mango with sweet sticky rice.
Sick of all the northern Thai delicacies (just kidding) we opted for a southern Thai restaurant one afternoon. It showcased totally different flavors. Above, panang curry, gang dai pla (fish organ soup), catfish curry, green curry with buffalo, pork curry and fried pork with sugar cane.
My husband's favorite restaurant, Somtam, was visited twice at its pretty riverside location.
Khow soi ruam. The world's most delicious combination of noodles, curry, coconut, and chicken. I don't know what they do to this to make it so amazing, but we devoured ours.
Two types of papaya salad: Somtam tod, at bottom, and tam kong tod, at top. Tam kong tod is sliced green papaya with crispy river shrimp and peanuts. Somtam tod is crispy papaya with the restaurant's special sauce. They were even better when mixed together.
Tap tim, or steamed snapper from Pla Po Pak Sod restaurant, also on the outskirts of town.
Pad cha, or spicy snapper with red chili paste and vegetables.
And a southern import, pu sen, or crab with glass noodles.
We also saw an impressive amount of food at the famous Chang Mai night market.
We were full, but tried this delicious grilled banana.
The nature surrounding the city is also not to be missed. One day we drove up to Thailand's highest mountain, an 8,500 foot high peak that is part of the Himalayan mountain chain. The weather on top was actually really cool, and the plant life almost alpine like.
We hiked around, past a number of waterwalls and through flower farms deep in the woods that used to be opium plantations. The Kingdom of a Million Rice Fields really was impressive in its culture, nature, food and architecture. I am so curious to compare it to Bangkok and central Thailand, as well as the Malay-influenced south, where we are headed next. There will be a lag in posts, as I will be off the grid completely for the next week. Until then!
Chicken green-curry. Thailand is right across the river from the city, so the cuisine is heavily influenced by Thai cuisine, even though the area of Thailand that borders Laos is mostly ethnically Lao.
My favorite meal was at this popular lunch spot.
A Lao version of Pho, but with pork instead of beef or chicken. Lots of fresh veggies (our no-locally washed vegetable rule had to go out the window if we wanted to enjoy the local cuisine) lime, chilies and salt.
The next day at a similar roadside home/restaurant, we had grilled chicken and a green-papaya salad, along with some sort of exotic bean I had never seen before.
Grill warrior ladies.
Vientiane is not all moldy 20th century buildings. However most of the older structures have been restored and remodeled extensively. Here is Pha That Luang, the country's most important stupa and a symbol of Lao sovereignty. The legend has it that a bone from Buddha himself was buried here, unlike most stupas in this region of the world. Stupas are meant to be reliquaries for parts or ash of the Buddha, but very few actually prove to be.
It is good luck to purchase a few sparrows (odd numbers are best) and set them free. No doubt so this lady can trap them again and repeat the cycle with the next tourist. We did it anyway.
Above is Haw Pha Kaeo, the former royal temple near the former royal palace (now the presidential palace). This temple was originally built in 1565 to house the famed emerald Buddha (actually made of jade). In 1779 the Siamese stole the emerald Buddha and in 1828 they razed the temple. The current version was restored by the French in the 1930's.
At nearby Wat Si Saket, hundreds of broken Buddha images are kept in a pile. Around the cloister that surrounds the Siam-style temple, are hundreds of non-damaged statues from various time periods, including some from the 15th and 16th centuries.
