Pics: #Bangkok, I’ve Returned

Even though I had had my fill of Bangkok just days before with Sarah, Joe, and Tanya, I didn’t get a chance to hangout with my friend Peter, who works at Thammasat University. And that’s not a good thing. So I scheduled my flight for a day later and spent some time checking out other parts of town, and an evening with him. First, the university and the library:

Pics: SF Friends 18 – Wat Ket Karem, #ChiangMai, #Thailand and Final Moments

Wat Katek, located east of the river in Chiang Mai, was one of the quirkiest places we visited. With its museum and estranged design, it offered a less touristy experience into the heart of town. After visiting, we enjoyed one last night together. This is the last gallery of the visit from the friends of San Francisco. Following, they went back to the USA, and I headed back to Bangkok for one more adventure before heading home.

Pics: SF Friends 17 – #ChiangMai, #Thailand

Looking back on it, Chiang Mai is a really absurd place. There’s mistranslations everywhere. There’s odd stuff everywhere. It’s kind of like going to an antique store: some parts are really beautiful, some parts are just plain old, and some parts are really, really strange.

Pics: SF Friends 16 – Doi Suthep, #Thailand

Following Wat Umong, we had our taxi bring us on up to the fabulous and hilariously tourist-infested Doi Suthep. This is definitely along the lines of Siem Reap in terms of how congested it is. While it’s a mountain, it’s also a temple for the Buddhists, with a ton of regal gold paint that makes it look absolutely stunning. There’s also a little miniature tourism city at the bottom of a hill-tribe-children-laden stairway. The pictures will show you. First, a picture of a Dunkin Donuts that looks like it’s out of the 90s.

Pics: SF Friends 15 – Wat #Umong, #ChiangMai, #Thailand

One of my favorite wats between Cambodia and Thailand is the reclusive Wat Umong, located in the foothills just beyond the city of Chiang Mai. It’s the type of religious space that feels more like a visit than a tour, because it’s filled with the daily life of monks obviously uncorrupted by the pressures of society. It actually reminded me a lot of the many religious spaces I encountered when visiting Japan years ago. And yet there’s still the Southeastern absurdity around every corner.

Pics: SF Friends 14 – A Night Out in #ChiangMai, #Thailand

After a couple days of peace and rest at Romyen, and our visit to the quirk Horizon place, we relocated into town at the Vingbua Mansion. Less a mansion and more of a ramshackle hotel, Vingbua was at least situated in a curious corner of the city which was devoid of tourism and close to some nice alleys. What begins here is a quirk photographic account of odd adventures out at night in Chiang Mai, which I consider to be what Siem Reap in Cambodia will probably become in 20 years. First, a nice strange advertisement:

Pics: SF Friends 13 – Horizon Botanic Gardens and Zoo in #ChiangMai, #Thailand

Horizon is a strange place right around the corner from Romyen. With a resort, zoo, pool, and endless gardens, it’s a surreal landscape to explore by a bicycle (cruisers, which you can rent at a really cheap price). Tanya stayed out of this one, drawn to her hammock, but we found the experience fantastical.

Pics: SF Friends 12 – #Romyen Resort in #ChiangMai, #Thailand

One of the best decisions (and I’ll take full credit for this) we made when going from Bangkok to Chiang Mai was to have our first two nights at the Romyen resort located outside of town. Set in a small copse of trees and maybe 10 kilometers from the center of the city, it was a true paradise. Essentially our daily activities included: reading, writing, eating, drinking, and hanging out in hammocks. Life was slow and beautiful.

Pics: SF Friends 11 – Final Moments in #Bangkok, #Thailand

Following our romp and exhaustion within Chinatown, we had one final stop to make, meeting up with a library friend, Peter Doolan, in a northern section of Bangkok before we flew up to Chiang Mai. But first, we went to pick up our bags at the State Tower and found the views from the Air BnB “office” quite impressive.

Pics: SF Friends 10 – #Bangkok Day 3 and the #Chinatown Extravaganza

First of all, I’m doing a test with hashtags used in my post titles, and checking out if they have any impact on my viewership. I’ve got this synced to WordPress so I’m anticipating it will work out, though I still use pretty personal titles that aren’t exactly hooks to audiences.

Secondly, I’m done with the italics for descriptions. I don’t think it’s adding anything.

Thirdly, our final day as a group in Bangkok was extremely fulfilling. We visited Chinatown, and that’s what you’re going to see here. But first, some incredible views from inside our residence.