Ruby in the Sky

After a few days in Bangkok, you’re ready to leave. So, as an unexperienced backpacker and traveller all-round, what do you do? Simple: you get on the night train to Chiang Mai!

When you’re in Thailand for the first time, there are a few things that could be considered must-do’s. One of them is taking an overnight train to the north of Thailand – Chiang Mai in particular. It’s cheap, it’s scenic; what’s not to love? So naturally, I went ahead and booked a train. A very late one, so I could have some food and get back to the train station at my own pace before departure. Pro tip: either have a better plan than I did, or just in general lead a more interesting life. Because by 20.00, I was back at Hua Lampung train station, with bags and all. My train was due to depart at 22.00.

Luckily, the train was hardly delayed – a rare occurrence in Thailand, according to the internet. It was all very well organized, as far as I could tell: the upper berth beds were already out, while the lower ones were still in use as chairs. Because they were beds as well, they were quite broad and comfy to sit in: I could put my bag beside me and curl up with my legs on the chair at the same time. Two people traveling together came to sit opposite me, and soon we figured out we were all from Amsterdam: pretty much my first social interaction since my arrival in Bangkok!

Then it was time for the chairs to be transformed into beds as well. The seat cushions were pulled down, connected in the middle and BOOM. bed. It wasn’t a bad bed either. Honestly, if it hadn’t been for all the shaking and the noise, it would’ve been a wonderful sleep. But alas, there was noise, and there was shaking. However, waking up  in the morning, seeing the sun and the beautiful nature all around you: if you can handle a night of kind of rubbish sleep, I would say it’s definitely worth it. Another tip in terms of preparation: if you can, bring your own breakfast things. I paid 120B for a small orange juice and a cup of coffee, which is ridiculous even by Bangkok standards, let alone the usual Chiang Mai prices.

When we got to Chiang Mai, my train buddies and I decided to share a songthaew (one of those open red minivan-like situations) together to our hotels. Staying at Eco Resort, I was just across the river from town, less than 15 minutes away from everything! On advise of the receptionist, I upgraded my room to a two person “dorm”, which I shared with a nice French lady doing a massage course in town. The hotel was great: a small but nice room, all very clean, a swimming pool and beautiful grounds, and a lot of facilities such as an excursion office and a bike rental.

Food-wise, Chiang Mai was amazing. My first lunch I spent at a tiny little restaurant down the road from the hotel, called Chuang Siang. The woman running it was incredibly kind, the food was great and so. cheap. I got a bowl of noodles and a plate with rice and veggies for 30 baht – I paid 50 because I just felt weird paying so little for such a big and tasty meal. At night, I went to the Night Market, immediately across the river from where I was staying. For 100 baht, I got myself some delicious Dahl with rice and naan. Afterwards, I went on an adventure to find a place recommended on Happy Cow called “Vegan Heaven”, where I got a hot brownie with vanilla ice cream on top. It was a good day to be me.

I rented a bike for the entirety of my stay, amounting to a staggering total of 400 baht – look it up. It’s nothing. On my first day, I wandered around town, trying to get a feel of the place and the atmosphere. Although I liked the old town, ultimately I enjoyed walking around the night market and the town wall much more. At night I went back to the night market, because I craved the Dahl I had the day before. It did not disappoint! After dinner I went back to the hotel for a chill night in, in preparation of the next morning’s adventure…

The next morning I got up early, got dressed, still half asleep, had some breakfast and then I was on my way. The objective of the trip: climbing the Doi Suthep. As someone who follows a lot of vegan youtubers, a lot of whom live or travel to Chiang Mai with some regularity, I knew there was a path called the Monk’s trail, going up to both temples on the mountain. So I got on my (slightly crappy) bike, cycled to the other side of town (a ride of about 30 minutes), parked my bike in a random spot and started my search for the path. I’d done some research on how to get there and screencapped the directions, but even with that information it wasn’t exactly easy to find. Locals don’t generally seem to care for or even know about the path, leaving you left to your own resources entirely. Luckily, I found another lost hiker, and together we figured out where the actual trail began.

The hike itself was stunning. I stopped every few meters, not because I was tired (although I won’t deny the climb wasn’t steep in some points), but because I just had to take a picture of the beautiful vistas that I came across. Before long (even with the small detour through the stream I accidentally took), I had reached the first temple. I would say this place is by far the most beautiful and peaceful and meditative I have ever been. There was an absolute serenity all around, and it was beautiful. Here I sat for a while, recharging physically and mentally. I probably could have stayed here for another few hours and be totally fine with that.

Alas, I wanted to do the entire walk, so it was time to move on! After another hour or so, I reached the temple, which I accidentally entered through the monk’s residences. If you look up the photos of this place (I didn’t take many, because it didn’t feel right and I wanted to experience it with my own eyes rather than through my lens), you’ll see how impressive it is. If you’ll allow me to drag Miley Cyrus into this though, “it’s all about the climb”. The most satisfying part of getting to the temple was absolutely the fact that I, my body, got me up there. It feels so powerful to look at the view, imagine where about you came from and realize you are the reason you made it up there. I would probably come back to Chiang Mai just to do this hike again (although that would be a very expensive hike!)

After the hike, I treated myself to a banana smoothie, a bracelet, and a songthaew ride down. After getting dropped off, I walked back to my bike, and I cycled to Maya Lifestyle Shopping Centre, where I got lunch. I did some groceries in what I have decided is my favourite Thai Supermarket (Rimping, in case you’re interested), and went on my way home.

Soon, my last day had arrived. I walked to the bus station, where I got a ticket and dropped of my luggage. I roamed around the nearby mall for a bit, and then it was time to move on to my next stop: Chiang Rai… More on that in my next post!

What is your favourite thing to do in a new place? Do you prefer going out into nature or are you more of a city person?

Love, Ruby

P.S. I didn’t take a lot of pictures in Chiang Mai, because this was when I realized how long it would take for me to upload my vlogs to Youtube – once the vlog comes out, you’ll hopefully be able to see much more of this town! Subscribe to my Youtube channel if you don’t want to miss that ;)