After a lazy Christmas night, Dave and I wanted to do some exploring. I had originally planned for us to go mountain biking to hot springs and then take a little elephant ride in the river, but when I tried to look up the website again I couldn’t find it for the life of me. I was pretty bent out of shape about it. It sounded like so much fun, adventure, exploring and elephants, what more could we want from a Monday in Chiang Mai? After realizing that my perfect plan wasn’t going to happen we decided to just go with the flow and let the day take us where it may. Of course that meant our first stop was coffee at the morning market and breakfast at the Backpacker Inn. Once you find a reliable spot to eat in Thailand you stick with it. We gulped down our coffee and ordered a couple of banana pancakes.
While we waited for our food we looked at a few of the dozen pamphlets on display. We picked up ones with mountain bikes, elephants and massages. We had planned on getting massages at the women’s prison on Saturday, but we ran out of time. All the biking excursions and elephant trips seemed pricey and time constraining. We wanted to have a bit of flexibility in our day so we opted out of those adventures. The spa pamphlets however really peaked our interests. If Dave wasn’t in town, I would have never thought of treating myself to a spa treatment, but he threw out the idea so I decided to entertain it. We looked at all the package deals and found a couple that seemed perfect for us. After breakfast we went back to the Royal Guest House and read the online reviews. The Cheeva Spa sounded elegant and fancy and it got great reviews so we decided to book a four-hour spa treatment. The spa was open until 10 p.m. so we reserved our treatments for 5 p.m., which gave us the rest of the day to do what we pleased.
For the past two days, Dave had been eyeing up the mountains that surround Chiang Mai and after hearing Claus talk about riding his bike up Doi Suthep we decided we had to try it as well. We rented the same motorbike as the days before, strapped on our helmets and cameras and set off for the hills. We had a general idea of how to get up there and for once we got it right on the first try. We sped through downtown Chiang Mai, flew by the Zoo and Chiang Mai University and before we knew it we were outside the city making the climb up Doi Suthep. After a few kilometers we saw a sign for a waterfall so we decided to pull over. We hiked down a steep and slippery slope before coming to the edge of the bottom of the falls. From there we wandered around gathering footage and enjoying the scene. As Dave came bounding down the rocks he stopped right in front of me to take a video of the falls. I was about to tell him he stole my shot when all of a sudden he started sliding backwards into the pool at the bottom of the waterfall. He looked like he was in a cartoon. His legs were moving and trying to keep him up on the rock, but his body was slowly drifting backwards, it all ended with a splash. Dave, his backpack and his go pro camera were soaking wet. After I stopped frantically yelling his name, I could not stop laughing. He pulled himself up and out of the water, took off his shoes, clothes and backpack and set everything in the sun to dry. While all his stuff was drying out we both wandered around the falls taking more photos and video, we even managed to snap one of ourselves.
After we took a photo of every possible angle at every inch of the waterfall we climbed back up the side of the mountain and got back on the bike. We had a while to go until we reached the top of Doi Suthep. We rode up the curvy mountain for the better part of an hour only stopping to adjust camera angles and look back at the view once or twice. We decided to head all the way to the top instead of stopping at the main Wat that stood about 10 kilometers from the summit. We came this far and we wanted to know what was up there and we found out, it was a palace. A really boring, basically closed palace. We had to pay an entrance fee to get in, but we decided it was worth it since we came so far. I tried to get the Thai rate since I live and work here, but they wouldn’t budge unless I had my passport with the work permit. I gritted my teeth and shelled out 100 baht for the both of us. We were handed a map and led inside the grounds. The landscaping was beautiful, but that’s basically all that was there. The palace and other structures on the property were all closed, no one was allowed inside. I’m not sure if this is always the case, but if so what a bunk tourist attraction. We paid to see a palace and all we saw was a stinkin’ rose garden. We actually did enjoy the one walkway that was lined with enormous elephant ears and big, green, leafy palms, but other than that we could have done with out it. After the palace let down we walked across the street and got lunch. I had a delicious plate of rice and mushrooms and Dave had pad thai with chicken.
After refueling we rode back down the mountain to Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep, the enormous temple that we had been looking at from Chiang Mai for the last couple days. We had to climb at least a hundred stairs to get there, but man were those stairs pretty. They were lined with golden dragons and decorated with mosaic tiles. I’ll admit I did have to stop twice to give my calves and bum a rest it was rough. Once we reached the top we realized we were supposed to pay another entrance fee. After how our last experience turned out we were not to keen about fees. We were pretty sly and able to blend in with the rest of the crowd as we snuck on by or maybe it was late in the day and they weren’t collecting the fee anymore, but either way we didn’t pay. A little part of me almost felt bad, but then I thought about religions and the massive amounts of money people throw into their faith and how that money may or may not be used in the best way, so I figured rather than support an unknown cause, I wouldn’t support anything. I did however explore Wat Phrathat while taking some cool pictures along the way. This was one of the more religious temples I’ve been to in that there were a lot of Thais there praying or taking part in rituals rather than flocks of tourists posing in front of statues. It had a nice solemn air to it and I loved picturing us on the side of an enormous mountain. After doing a lap or two we decided we had seen enough and descended down the dragon lined staircase. By this time it was about 3 p.m. and we were both feeling a little tired.
We turned left, right, left, right, left winding back down the mountain. We stopped for breathtaking views of the city and to explore another temple known as the forest temple. I really loved the enormous white Buddha. I’m so used to seeing huge temples that house a little jade or gold Buddha, but this Buddha was proportionate in size to the roof over its head.
By the time we made it back down the mountain it was time to find the spa. We made only one wrong turn, but were quickly corrected and placed within our map. We found the spa in no time and headed inside to begin our four-hour treatment. The ladies took our shoes at the door and we were given slippers to wear. We were led into a room with two comfy chairs where we sat down and drank iced ginger tea. Then our two masseuses brought us big bowls of warm milky water for us to soak our feet in. After a good soak we had a 45-minute foot rub. It was amazing. The last foot rub I had in Thailand was more of a leg massage, but this one was all feet. I felt like they touched every nerve, which is why I had to a laugh a little bit during it. After the foot massage we were led outside on a stone path where were passed a couple villas and an outdoor massage hut. We were led into our own little villa that had two massage tables, a bathroom and a huge stone bath inside. We were told to undress and wait for the masseuse. I had never gotten a massage at a spa before so I wasn’t sure if undress really meant undress, but it did. I thought it was going to be a little awkward, but it wasn’t at all. You immediately feel comfortable knowing that they’re just doing their job and that they do this all the time. Next we were treated to a full body scrub. First they poured some type of really hot oil onto our skin and then they rubbed on a gritty brown scrub. It was an awesome mix of temperatures and textures. After the scrub we were given a body wrap. They applied some type of cold cream, which had the consistency of yogurt, all over our bodies and then they put a towel and a piece of plastic over us. It was really nice because at that point we were both a little cold because of the air conditioner so the cocoon of plastic wrap really warmed us up. It was interesting getting a massage treatment done with someone else because even though you’re in the same room you’re not communicating or looking at each other so we didn’t congregate until the masseuses left the room. Each time they left we would say a few sentences and then fall back into a half dream state that came with being so heavily pampered. After the scrub and wrap it was time for the milky bath. That was one of the best parts because I haven’t seen a single bathtub since I’ve been in Thailand. It was the ultimate treat to have a bath prepared for you at the perfect temperature complete with flower petals and blossoms floating on top. We were also given cold water, yogurt and sticky rice, all of which were delicious. After the bath it was time for a 75-minute oil massage. That was definitely the best part of the package; I still can’t help but think it wasn’t long enough. I guess the best massages leave you wanting more. After the massage we were treated to a 45-minute facial, which was also wonderful. It’s so relaxing to have your temples rubbed. My masseuse even braided my hair after it was all done. I felt so ridiculously pampered I almost didn’t know how to feel about it. It was amazing, but at the same time I didn’t want to love it too much because I know it probably won’t ever happen again, unless of course I’m in Thailand and have $60 and four hours to spare.
