Toodle-oo Thailand!
(above: the street corner – with requisite gilded Thai spirit house, see image below – leading to my Chiang Mai apartment)
When I first arrived here in Thailand 4 months ago, I was uh, shall we say… underwhelmed? After my blissful years in Vietnam, the farang (foreigner) count here in Chiang Mai was dismally off-the-charts, and the “darling” of the Asia expats was… well imho, not all that darling. Then there was the ack of a certain pissy Thai Consul who shall remain unnamed.
Nonetheless…
Though I still waaaaay favor Vietnam and the dear folks there, I must say – I’m glad I stuck it out awhile here in “The Land of Smiles”. For I’ve grown – if not to love, then at least to rather like – both Chiang Mai, and the kindly Thai people. For me, the trick to bliss in Chiang Mai is but a matter of steering a wide berth around the whole expat scene here, and instead, focusing on the bitty neighborhood restaurants, enjoying the (undeniably fab) Thai street food, and bidding a friendly “sawadee ka” to my neighborhood locals. Along with – well o.k. $120 for a sweet a/c apartment with flat screen tv, fridge and view of the mountains – clearly chilling out in Chiang Mai a few months hasn’t exactly been a painful ordeal.
Indeed. knowing that I’d soon be flying out of Chiang Mai (and onward to the other side of the Planet), on my final day here I waxed a bit misty-eyed about bidding adieu (adiós?) to my favorite phad thai vendor and the lass that serves up my (near daily!) beloved Burmese “Tea Leaf Salad” at a neighborhood restaurant. Yep, no denying it – though I’m over-the-MOON with excitement about embracing a whole new continent (Ecuador, South America), I’m decidedly a tad melancholy to be leaving this part of the world.
So after packing up my meager nomad belongings (a single checked bag, plus carry-on rolling backpack) and exchanging the baht from my apartment deposit refund into greenbacks at the local mall, I slowly made my way home, snapping a few pics along the way to remember the simple pleasures of my stay here:
My dear Phad Thai Lady
My yummy Burmese Tea Leaf Salad Lady
My sweet Laundry Lady
Final sunset from my Chiang Mai balcony
How ’bout you? Have you ever waved “bye-bye” to a place – all misty-eyed?
About the Author
Dyanne Off-the-beaten-path travel is my passion,and I’ve always lived life “like-a-kid-in-a-candy-store” – eager to sample as many flavors as I can. Indeed, my life motto has long been: This ain’t a dress rehearsal, folks!
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Off-the-beaten-path travel is my passion, and I’ve always lived life “like a kid in a candy store” – eager to sample as many flavors as I can. Indeed, my life motto has long been:
I’m sure I’ll be misty eyed when I leave the US, but just for the friends I won’t be chumming with as usual, looking so forward to my new life and the big change. When I stayed at my place in Mexico, though only 3 months, I was definitely misty eyed saying good bye to my place and the family I had gotten to know so well, even though I thought at that time, it would not be long before I would be returning…but that was not to happen…so now on with yet another new twist in my best laid plans!
Yes, ’tis the downside of the nomadic life, Sue. Saying good-bye to both old and new friends (that in but a few short months can leave a remarkably indelible mark on your heart).
But on the bright side – all folks that I never would have met had I stayed put in my native land. And furthermore, with the magic of Skype, Facebook, email, etc. I can keep in touch with my special friends – no matter where I roam.
All the best on your move! Just moved house and after 10 years in Cambodia (where I managed to move almost all my stuff over to Vietnam) and 2 years in Saigon, I’ve accumulated so much stuff… Almost envious of your one check-in and carry-on bag!
While I loved heading over to Phnom Penh last week for Chinese New Year, I am starting to feel like Vietnam is home now.
Yes James – coming back here to Dalat after 4 months in Thailand, I too am wondering why on earth I’d leave this wonderful haven (for Ecuador). Just sheer wanderlust, I suppose, but I sincerely believe I too might return and call Vietnam “home” someday.
10 yrs. is a long time, no doubt easy to collect quite a bit of “stuff”. I managed to sell the bedding I bought in Chiang Mai, and threw out towels, etc. willy-nilly (not to mention my silly $6 electric tea kettle that served me so well there). I figure it’s just the cost of being a nomadic expat.
It is sad to let one place go, but exciting to head to the next.
Yep Mike – and some places are tougher to leave than others. In this case, Chiang Mai (and Thailand in general) was a bit sad – but it will be waaaaay tougher to say bye-bye to my beloved Dalat, Vietnam next Friday.