Chiang Mai has a very fond place in my heart.
It was the first place I visited on my very first trip to Asia, back in 2010. I was a lot more innocent then, about a lot of things (I've recently reread my blog posts from that first trip, and I won't lie - there was some cringing). But I also remember being astonished and almost overwhelmed by my first experience of Asia: the heat, the noise, the food, the scenery, how helpful strangers were to me: all of it.
After I came back from that first trip, I had trouble slotting back into my old life. It felt like an old shoe, that used to be comfortable, but now somehow feels stiff and awkward.
And I know that's hardly unique - it's a very common feeling at the end of a long-term trip. But it was during this transition period that I first came across a quote from Anthony Bourdain, which clicked with me:
"I remember the moment I first realized I've been living my whole life in black and white. It was like discovering a color I never knew existed before. A whole new crayon box full of colors, that was it for me. From then on, there was no putting the pieces back together. No going home. Things were different now. Asia had ruined me for my old life."
Which is a very long-winded way of saying: I bloody love Chiang Mai, and always will.
Yes, it's really touristy in the central walled city (even more so in 2019 than it was in 2010). It can feel a little theme-park-esque in parts, with its concept-cafés and hoards of tourists.
But I still love it.
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| A quieter corner of Wat Chedi Luang |
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| Part of Wat Lok Moli, just north of the old wall |
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| A thousand, thousand chickens within Wat Lok Moli |
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| Kamthieng market (essentially the garden centre neighbourhood, with street after street of plant sellers) |
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| Into the Woods café, near the Chang Phuak Gate, chilling with a tasty cup of coffee |
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| Sunset as I arrived at my guesthouse |
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