Krabi and Phuket

A couple of days after the marathon, I caught my flight to Krabi. I had a tentative plan to head to Tonsai Beach, and that is what I ended up doing. I got up super early and shared a taxi with a French couple to the airport. We arrived in no time and had no problems getting through security. Except right before I entered the airport I realized I lost my fitbit. I was charging it as I packed up my belongings and put it on as I was leaving. However, I didn't secure it completely. So somewhere between my room and the airport, it came undone and fell off. I was going to add this to the list of causalities from my trip, but I contacted where I stayed and they found it! It wasn't in the guest house, but she called the taxi and they found it. So not only did no one take it, but the woman sent it to me to Phuket. I tried to pay for shipping, but she wouldn't allow it. It was very kind of her and grateful that it was found and she was able to send it. I plan to send her some sort of thank you.

So after the plane ride, I caught a minibus to take me to Ao Nang Beach, and then a longboat to Tonsai Beach. The boat ride was pretty nice, after ensuring my belongings were on the boat safely. Me and this one guy got off the boat and went in search for accommodation. After getting a bit turned around in one of the resorts they are in the midst of building, we finally found our way on the right path in the jungle to various resorts. I had a budget in mind, and before I knew it I was up high on this hill, a bit further than I had anticipated. I was so sweaty and a bit tired at that point that I took a bungalow that was available at around the 4th place we stopped at. I figured that was as good as I could get for the moment. The place had a bed and a mosquito net, which was good news. The not so great news was that the electricity ran on a generator from 6pm-3am. There was no wifi and no sink. Everything else was doable, like the toilet that flushes with a bucket and a shower that splashed all over the bathroom. Not a big deal and nothing I haven't dealt with before.

My ride.

However, the next morning I decided to go check out another place that a friend had recommended and I'm glad I did. Not that it was much better (and this was ok), but it did have a sink (no pipe of course) and a mirror, and the electricity was on from 5pm-7am. Much better. I didn't enjoy waking up in the middle of the night sweating the night before. The price was the same and since it was a bit closer to the beach, and the common area/restaurant had wifi, I switched it up.

Home for a few days.

I spent the first few days hanging out at the beach, meeting new people, and watching the rock climbers. That first day I checked out Tonsai Beach and wasn't super impressed with the swimming. The area is gorgeous, but I needed to be able to swim around a bit in water deeper than my shin. It was low tide though. And fortunately the neighboring beach was way better. So I headed over there in the afternoon, via the water route. This was shorter than the trail through the jungle. The water only came up to about my waist so that was good as I needed to be sure my bag stayed dry. I was able to swim around and enjoy myself a bit more in the water. I, of course, got a beer to enjoy on the beach, and met some new people.

The following day wasn't an ideal beach day, but I still had a good time relaxing and the sunset that night was spectacular. The night before was really nice, but this one was amazing. Probably the best one during my stay. They were all pretty nice in their own way, but the sky was full of pinks and oranges, which was beautiful.

Tonsai Beach sunset.

On a whim, I signed up for a Deep Water Soloing trip. So I spent Christmas Eve climbing rocks and jumping off of them into the water. That morning we headed out on a longboat to Ko Poda, a neighboring island. We spent the morning doing a bit of an easier course. I didn't manage to go very far across the course, but since I haven't done rock climbing, I was ok with it. I just liked jumping into the water. But even though it didn't seem like we were very high, I still got a little nervous jumping. Once I did it, it was fun. Some people were either more experience rock climbers or braver (or crazier?), and went very high and jumped in. But that was nothing compared to what we did in the afternoon.

Rock climbing.

After lunch at a nearby beach that was very secluded, except there were a lot of other people, we headed over to the other spot for more climbing and jumping. At the first place you had to wait a while to climb the ladder since so many people were doing it. However, this one was a bit more terrifying so there wasn't much of a line. A couple of guys went and before I could lose my courage, I swam over and climbed the ladder. Since it was pretty high at the top of the ladder, I decided that was where I was going to jump. I think I could have gone higher, but it would have taken me a while to get the courage to jump. Even at that level, it still took a minute to actually do it. I'm not sure how many meters it was, but there were guys jumping like 25 meters I think. Crazy. It was fun watching them. I only did this one twice, but since a lot of people didn't try it, I felt like I definitely accomplished something.

Jumping.

Christmas morning, I called home and we did a video chat with my siblings to exchange our Secret Santa gifts. I was really annoyed since I paid a ton of money to have my package arrive before Christmas Eve and it came a day late and they didn't even leave it at the house. So no one got their Christmas presents. It finally arrived, but after some family left. It's a little unfair to expect to pay that much money and it to not be delivered. DHL will be hearing from me again. Even without the presents, it was still fun to be there, albeit virtually. Since it was Christmas Eve for them, they eventually went to bed and I went to the beach. And it was such a good beach day. So hot, but good.

Spending the morning at Tonsai Beach.

I spent the day hanging out at Tonsai Beach in the morning and Railay Beach in the afternoon. I just swam around and enjoyed some beer. I headed back to Tonsai to watch the sunset. After the sun went down I headed back to my place to clean up and relax for a little bit. I made another quick call home to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and ended my day with a beer at a local bar. A very different Christmas from years past, but I still had a good day. I missed everyone back home, but glad I was able to be somewhere like Thailand to celebrate the holiday.

The following day was my last full day in Krabi, so I decided to do a hike I've been thinking about for a couple of days. I'm very glad I did it, but it was not quite what I expected. I started off on a mini trek through the jungle from Tonsai to Railay, instead of taking the beach route. I didn't see anything out of the ordinary, but man there are some huge leaves scattered about. I can only wonder what it's like deep in the jungle.

Jungle trek.

I made my way along Railay East and saw tons of boats carrying people to and from the town. I also saw some really cool trees in the water that must be in the sand when the tide is out. Very pretty.

Railay East.

I almost walked past the trail to the viewpoint and lagoon, but when I looked again, I realized that the hill that I thought was meant for rock climbing was the actual trail. I saw a few people head up, in flip flops, and went for it. There were ropes all along to help you get up the mountain. It wasn't actually that bad. I had to be patient for the people in front of me. Eventually I made it to the top and decided to go check out the viewpoint first. I was rewarded with a beautiful view of Railay, and Tonsai in the distance. You had to be careful at the edge though, as you could totally do some damage if you fall.

Tonsai and Railay.

I then headed towards the lagoon. I got to where I needed to go, but wasn't sure as it was going downhill, very similar to where I came up. I thought I had made a complete circle, but it did look a bit different. So I headed down. I heard voices down below echoing, so figured I was on the right track. After a bit of a climb down, I made it to the lagoon and went right into the water. After all that sweating, I needed to cool off.

Swimming in the lagoon.

I eventually made it back down the mountain and accidentally checked out a another beach nearby, Phra Nang Beach. It was very pretty, but very crowded. It seemed like a lot of boats bring in people there and there was a very large resort nearby. I went for a quick swim and went in search for food. I then spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out at Railay and watched the sunset again at Tonsai. Not as crowded and low-key.

Low tide at sunset.

I spent my last day at Tonsai Beach. When the tide is up, the water was actually great and I'm glad since I wanted as much beach time before the longboat was leaving to meet the ferry to Phuket. Of course we were on island time and I waited for about 40 minutes before we loaded up on the longboat. Not the longboat's fault, but the ferry just took time getting there. And I understood why when I boarded. They were picking up a lot of people. There was no room to sit, so found some floor space and read the 1.5 hours it took to get to Phuket. From there I took a minibus to my hostel, close to the airport. My flight was leaving the following evening, but wanted to be close to the airport and to pick up my package which had my fitbit in it. Which I got successfully. 

Loading up the ferry.

Since I had the entire next day, I hung out at Nai Yang beach, and made sure to eat some good food and drink some beer and watermelon juice to hold me over until I return to Thailand.

Watermelon juice and fried rice with curry.

I was sad leaving Thailand and Southeast Asia. It flew by and can't believe all that I got to see and do. I got to see friends and made some new ones. I rode an elephant and saw temples galore. I ate such good food everywhere. I will be thinking of how soon I can return and where I can go next. Malaysia, Myanmar, Indonesia? All of the above? I have arrived in Australia though and excited to explore the country and New Zealand, see some friends from NYC and to spend NYE in Sydney. It already reminds me of home a bit, which is great.

Chiang Mai Marathon Recap

Marathon #10 is complete. And it was a memorable one for sure. I did go halfway around the world to hit this milestone. And since Thailand has been on my list of destination for years, Chiang Mai seemed like a place to do one. And luckily the city was nice too.

Picking up my bib at Tha Pae Gate.

I can't believe a week has already gone by. Training goes on for months, and the morning of, you try to not think about how the race goes on for hours. You want to enjoy it, but you know it's going to hurt and you kind of hope it goes by relatively quickly. And then it's over. Just like that. 

So last Saturday, I had my final pasta dinner before the race and got ready for bed. I was lights out around 8pm. Why so early you may be wondering. Well my alarm was set for 2:15am. This is more of a nap than a night's sleep. But since the race started at 4am, I had to get up earlier to eat my peanut butter sandwich, cereal bar, and banana, and drink my Nuun.

Pre-race spaghetti.

I talked to my sister for a few minutes (you know since it was Saturday, 2:30 in the afternoon in NYC). And got myself ready. All of a sudden it was 3:40. I had to get to the start line. Fortunately the race was so close, and so small, that I had no problem getting to the start line. I dropped off my bag (which really only had my phone, a t-shirt, and chapstick), and made my way to the front of the start line. My friend Jane advised that is what I should do, and that was my intent all along. I didn't think I was going to win, but I figured I'd be a top runner, so should be up front with the other runners, whether they were fast or not. This is what happens with no corral system in place. 

At the start.

I'm trying to catch a GPS signal when I realize that I need to change my watch to kilometers and to switch it to manual lapping. Once that was done, the horn went off. I checked to be sure I had full signal and crossed the starting line. I was on my way in complete darkness, and in 72 degree temperatures and 64% humidity. Definitely not as cool as I was hoping. The forecast said a low of 60, but maybe that was in the evening, not morning? Since I trained in some brutal humidity, I hoped for the best and just ran.

The route consisted of some kilometers around the Old City and then proceeded to take us outside of the city. Since it was complete darkness, I couldn't tell you anything that I saw. Except for the 7-Elevens that seemed to be on every corner. I've seen them everywhere, but had no idea they were this popular. It's everyone's go-to for grocery shopping I think. On top of the markets of course.

I tried to settle into a groove, but every kilometer I clocked, it seemed a bit off. Either it was faster or slower than what my pace was telling me. At some point, I had to forget about my splits, but I still tracked them for a record. But I did get to a point where I either missed some markers or they were not on the course. And eventually they stopped all together. Kind of wish I kept the automatic lap setting on.

For the most part, there were lights all along the course, until I got to the 12k point. Then I was in complete darkness. And I know I sped up here and for the following kilometers. I think being in complete darkness made me nervous and I hurried a little to get out of it. After a couple of kilometers, we were back on a well-lit road.

At the 17k (according to the map not my memory), there was an out and back. When I turned to go back the way I came, some volunteers were handing out something. I instinctively go to grab it, but then miss. It had looked like a hair tie and thought that was a bit strange and wondered what Asian running custom this was. The 2nd time it happened before the 23k mark, I successfully grabbed it (actually 2 of them) and realized why they were handing them out. Since the timing mats were limited on the course, this was their way to ensure that runners were actually doing the out and backs. So I now have a nice collection of different colored hair ties.

Somewhere along the course.

Throughout the course, I steadily passed people, and was feeling generally ok. It was hard to exactly pinpoint my pace though. My intent was to stick below the 5 minute/kilometer pace (this would put me at a 3:30 marathon). If I could go faster later, that would be excellent. I feel like that is what I was doing, but definitely had doubts when some of the kilometer splits came through. I had to remind myself to just run and hope for the best. At some point in the first 3rd of the race, a guy went to pass me, but I was able to stick with him for a little while. I got the general sense that he was actually trying to pace me. I thought he could go faster and leave me in the dust, but he didn't. He also repeatedly looked behind him to ensure I was still there. Again, I didn't get the sense he was worried I was going to pass him. But who knows. Later in the race he asked me whether I was going for a PB (personal best) and told him it would be great, but didn't think it was going to happen. So I think he thought maybe he was helping me achieve that. He was helping me for sure, but not enough for me to get a PR (personal record as us Americans call it). He also wanted to be sure I had a gel (which I had 2). So yes, I think he we looking out for me for some reason. Unfortunately, towards the end, with about 10k to go, he pulled ahead and I couldn't stick with him. But I continued to look for him and tried to keep moving as fast as I could. Which may have been slower than I think but since the kilometer markers stopped at 34k (which I think was wrong), I have no idea what my splits were like. And of course I can't recall my pace now. 

There were 2 other races going on besides the marathon, the half marathon and a 10k. When I got to the half marathon turnaround point, I caught up to the back-of-the-pack people. Unfortunately, this involved a little bit of winding in and out of people as there were runners coming at me, and I was passing runners going in my direction. This wasn't great and I'm sure I expended some unnecessary energy. But that was nothing until we joined up with the 10k runners. Oh boy. At this point, traffic was stopped twice. I of course yelled out that this wasn't ok and tried to keep running, but also not get hit by a car. I still don't think it's ok to stop the slower runners, but to also stop the marathon runners towards the front trying to finish? Not ok. Earlier that morning, there was a car trying to turn down a street that I told to stop and the guy behind me also yelled them. That was nothing compared to this. And it happened again. Right as we joined up with the 10k runners. I wasn't happy at all. I'm just glad I wasn't as close to my PR as I hoped. Otherwise, every second is precious. But my time would have been a little faster if this hadn't happened.

Me in the far left. The photographer was too focused on the
 10k runners and I was trying to avoid them.

So all of a sudden, I'm amongst so many more runners. For most of the race, I felt like I was kind of on my own. Not anymore. I also had a moment of panic that I wasn't supposed to be on the 10k course. From what I remember of the course map, I thought I wasn't going in the right direction. I slowed down and tried to ask a few people whether this was the full course and got blank stares. That's what happens when you run an international marathon I guess. Even though I wasn't positive, I decided to keep running. I then saw a 2k left marker and figured I was on the right track. So I kept running around all the 10k runners and tried to focus on finishing. I eventually came to the 1k left marker and knew I was going to do ok. No PR, but still pretty good with all things considered. As I approached the finish line, they had 3 lanes for the different racers. Someone directed me to the 21k lane, but after looking, I realized their error and got in the 42k lane. And ran into a bunch of dancers. Right before the finish lane. What?!? So I squeezed through them and finally made my across the finish line.

I was done. I was handed my medal and a lanyard that had #1 on it for my age group. I was a little out of it, and a little confused. I thought at first I was the winner. Then looked closely and realized it was only for my age group. But still awesome. I think I was in a little bit of shock and the volunteers were telling me I should be happy. I think all that energy spent from running and the hiccups at the end of the race left me in disbelief. After collecting water, food, and my finisher t-shirt, I made my way to the race organizers and sure enough, I was first in my age group. I still wasn't sure what place I was overall. After I returned with my ID, I counted the others in the 40-49 age group and it looked like 4 runners had a faster time. So I think I got 5th female. After checking the results, I did in fact get 5th, and of course 1st in my age group. I also confirmed my time, which I had wrong by 10 seconds. Remember that first traffic stop? I instinctively stopped my watch as that's what I do when I go out running normally. I realized my error around 10 seconds later and restarted it. Another reason why there shouldn't be any traffic stops.

Jane and I hanging out post-race.

Even though running in the heat wasn't ideal, it was ok to hang out post-race. I got some liquids in me and found Jane. We hung out for a while waiting for the awards. She won the half marathon, so we both had some prizes coming our way. Jane encouraged me to do an ice bath, which I have never done. I'm a little bit of a wuss when it comes to staying in ice-cold water. I can jump into the ocean for a Polar Bear Plunge, but then I'm out immediately. I did the obligatory 5 minutes and actually felt better after. Partly due to numbness.

Ice bath.

We got some ice cream and local Thai food to recover with. I'm usually not starving after a marathon, but this food was perfect to consume so quickly after. I of course was going to be on the lookout for a burger and beer later on.

Post-race Thai food.

After doing the 10k and half marathon awards, it was finally time for the marathon awards. I got to go up on stage and collect my prizes which consisted of a heavy duty trophy, a Banana Boat gift basket, and 10,000 baht. Pretty amazing. My prize money was taxed of course, but I walked away with 9500 baht, which is about $262. The only money I've ever won in any race.

5th overall female and 1st in my age group.

I showered and cleaned myself up, and Jane I went to celebrate with a burger and beer. My usual post-marathon meal. And it was delicious. I spent the rest of the day resting a bit and consuming local food to get back all those calories back. 

Post-race Western food and beer.

I've taken a week off of running, which has been good. But I am getting anxious to run again. Being at the beach when it's hot to rest was actually good, since my motivation was to get to the beach instead of going for a run. We'll give it a few more days and think about getting back into it. Maybe I can find a race in Australia. 

Marathon #11: Berlin 2016.

Chiang Mai

I spent about a week relaxing, and of course running a marathon in Chiang Mai. And it was pretty great. I heard good things about the city and am glad that I decided to run the marathon there, which forced my visit. I arrived at the bus station from Chiang Rai and got a songthaew into the Old City. I was crammed on there with a bunch of other people. No different from any other type of transport I've taken on this trip.

The way to get around Chiang Mai.

I got dropped off at Tha Pae Gate and walked to my accommodation, which wasn't too far luckily. I chose a guesthouse to stay in and cancelled what I had previously book since it was a little pricey. I was trying to balance budget with comfort. With the marathon, I definitely needed somewhere quiet and I didn't want to share a room. But I had to compromise and I did have to share a bathroom. It wasn't that bad though and I rarely saw the other guests. 

My home in Chiang Mai.

I was on a relatively quite street and the neighborhood had lots of restaurants and cafes. Of course a lot of catering to Western tourists, but that was ok. I knew I was paying more, but I also knew I could get some pasta to carbo-load later in the week. After arriving, I headed to a cafe to catch up and met up with one of my friends from Pai. After a bit, we headed to the Night Market and I went Christmas shopping. I tried to buy what I needed, but didn't end up doing it. Luckily I still had the Friday Flea Market, the Saturday Market, and the Sunday Walking Street to hit up before I sent my package home. We hung out at this really cool plaza with food trucks and live music for a while. I tried some more papaya salad, a very delicious mango shake, some ok pizza, and yummy sangria. A little pricey, but pretty good overall and the atmosphere was great. And there were hay bales everywhere, which was kind of cool and reminded me of home. 

A great place to hang out to eat and listen to live music.

The following morning I met up with my friend Jane from NYC who used to be on my running team. She's currently training in Thailand for the national team with the hopes of going to the Olympics. Which is pretty awesome and impressive. She took me to a legit running specialty store in Chiang Mai. I've been on the lookout for one for months and haven't come across any. So this was great. I got some Gus for the marathon. I had run out months previous. But didn't want to risk trying anything new for the race. Wanted the tried and true. 

Found a running store. 

We hung out nearby in another part of Chiang Mai where there were a lot of shops and restaurants. We stocked up on some race essentials and tried some local Thai food and desserts. All so good. We also got a little bit of shopping in. Of course. 

More dessert.

The next day, I got in an easy 4 miles around the Old City. The square is just about 4 miles, so it was perfect to run around the perimeter. And I got to check out the race course a bit. It was a pleasant run and not too terrible weather wise, so was hoping for the best for Sunday. After some breakfast, I headed to the expo, which was at Tha Pae Gate. And it was definitely low-key. Some people were still setting up actually. I picked up my bib with no issue and wandered the expo for like 15 minutes. There wasn't much to see. The following day, there would be more to see. And it was all outside, which is very unusual since at home the weather is typically much bit cooler. Not for this race though. 

Marathon expo.

I explored the city a little bit and checked out the Friday Flea Market which was held at a temple. I came across it as I was looking for the Thai post office (which I did not find). And I did some more Christmas shopping. Go me. I was getting there. Goodness. I should have done this a month ago, but some things don't change even when you are traveling and have seen markets everywhere you've gone. Since the market was at a temple, I also got some words of wisdom as I shopped. 

Shopping and some advice at the temple.

On Saturday, I got an easy 3 miles in, my last run before the marathon. I did an out and back along the moat. I felt good, but there's always a twinge of tiredness, nervousness, and whatever thoughts that go through your mind pre-race. I tried to brush them off and just told myself that it was happening and I was as ready as I was going to be. I've been eating a lot of Western style food, which I feel weird about sometimes. I think it's strange for people to visit a foreign country and not eat the local food. But I wasn't taking any chances with the race. I got as much Western food as I could in the days leading up to the race. Right after the race, I was reverting back to Thai food immediately. And beer of course. 

I met my friend Jane at the expo which was definitely more lively than the day before. We met a few folks and I checked out some of the stalls. I didn't end up buying anything, although I did contemplate it. I decided I didn't need more running shorts at the moment and didn't need to carry anything extra. Even though it was cheap. But I also saw knockoff brands, so you did have to be careful on what you paid for. 

We headed to the Saturday Market, which was pretty great actually. Some nicer stuff, and of course I bought some more items. We also snacked a bit and had dessert before dinner. I still haven't tried durian, but my friend recommended trying the ice cream first to see if I would like the flavor. And I did. it's a little different, but not bad. I actually got another one the following day. 

Trying durian ice cream.

After we had our fill and decided we were on our feet for long enough, we went to get some pasta dinner. I wasn't too hungry since we snacked at the market, but I needed to try to get to bed at a decent time. I picked up some race food and headed to bed.

Race outfit.

I woke up at 2:15am, ate some food, talked to my sister, and ran the marathon. The recap will come in another post though. 

I didn't too much else in Chiang Mai after the race and before I left town. The evening of the race I headed to the Sunday Walking Street to consume back all the calories I lost during the marathon and to buy final Christmas presents.

Sunday Walking Street.

I did some more wandering on Monday and checked out the Wat Srisuphan, a temple made completely out of silver. It was pretty cool, except for that fact that since I'm a woman, I wasn't allowed inside. I'm not sure how they decide what temples women are allowed into or not. And why do they have that? I know it has a religious basis, but I still don't like it. This young French girl was there with her mom and grandma and was also wondering why we weren't allowed inside. I hope there aren't too many things in her life that she won't be allowed to do because of her gender. Even with that, the temple was still very beautiful with the sun sparkling off of it. 

Wat Srisuphan.

I was pretty tired, so took a short nap in Suan Buak Haad Park. The weather was perfect in the shade, so found a bench to relax on for a short while. After a while I decided to make a move since I had to use the restroom. I spent my final night back in the Night Market and got some khao soi (a Northern Thai specialty) before heading out of town. I also got some more papaya salad (level 3 out of 4), and that was the perfect level of spiciness. It was spicy, but just enough to wash it down with my beer. 

Khao soi and Singha beer.

I think I would have in Chiang Mai for long enough under different circumstances, but since I had the marathon, I think I could have used a couple of extra days. There were things I didn't really do since I was either resting up for the race, or too tired after the race. I figured renting a motorbike the day after the marathon wouldn't be the best idea. But I still had a good tie exploring the city and enjoying myself. I was also ready to head to the beach and truly relax. Like with most places, I'll just have to think about coming back someday. 

Chiang Rai

After a week in Pai, it was time to go somewhere else in Thailand. I decided to check out Chiang Rai. Instead of a direct bus, I unfortunately had to go back to Chiang Mai. Which involved the reverse of what I did the week before, going down the curvy, mountain roads. Despite the curviness, the ride wasn't as bad as those in Laos. The roads are much better in Thailand. But they drive faster because of it, which may not always be a good thing. Regardless, I made it to Chiang Mai in one piece, after constantly bumping into my neighbor the entire ride. I booked the next available bus to Chiang Rai, which wasn't for a couple of hours. But luck would have it, I bumped into my friends from Pai. So I hung out with them for a couple of hours before heading back out of town.

The ride to Chiang Rai was a coach bus instead of a minibus, which I took as a good sign that the roads weren't as curvy. The ride wasn't so bad, and they gave us snacks and water. Very similar to some of the buses I took in Turkey. Very appreciative. Especially for the moist toilette to freshen ourselves when we arrived. Once we got to town, I walked to the hostel that came recommended from multiple people. And it was nice and clean. It was pretty great having a bungalow to myself all week, but it was time to spend a couple of days in a dorm room. I've been going back and forth with the housing and it's actually been good to change it up. Although this hostel wasn't much cheaper, but the facilities were nicer.

Hostel courtyard.

Once I settled in, I walked back to town to find dinner and check out the Night Market. I do quite enjoy the Night Markets. Especially as people don't bother you so much, so you can browse in peace. I was more focused on food, so got some pad thai and sat down in this plaza to eat and listen to some live music. I didn't last too much longer than that and headed back to get some sleep.

I really only had one full day in Chiang Rai. People recommended one night, maximum 2 nights. I decided on 2 nights to give me some flexibility. Although 3 wouldn't have been so bad actually. But I was anxious to get to Chiang Mai to settle in before the marathon.

The next morning I went for a run around town and actually a little outside of town. First run of the week to kick-off marathon week. Marathon week isn't like the NYC marathon week, but it's my marathon week. The weather still isn't as cool as I would like it, but it's not so warm and humid. So hopefully it holds up in Chiang Mai and will be a pleasant morning.

After breakfast and buying my bus ticket back to Chiang Mai, I made my way onto a local bus that would take me to Wat Rong Khun (the White Temple). So this was a very local bus. It was cheaper than expected, and I soon learned why. Before leaving the bus station, I watched some guys load up some long parcels onto the bus. Since they were so long, they had some trouple maneuvering them and some passengers had to help. After they were all loaded, the bus, aka package delivery bus, we headed out of town.

Loading up packages on the local bus. 

I made friends with a guy on the bus from Germany (who was Russian) and we explored the temple together. After a stop at the other bus station, we finally made it. Right before it opened up. Which was good, since I wanted to capture some photos with no people in the shot. Which I was successful in. The temple was very impressive. So white and bright. It almost looks fake. The temple is a work in progress and people are still building it and painting inside the temple. I read that it opened in 1997 and isn't expected to be completed until 2070.

Wat Rong Khun.

The temple was built to be white to represent purity. But on closer inspection, you find some scary parts throughout the temple and surrounding area. You see hands reaching out from the ground as you walk up the bridge to the temple. A few scary characters are on the grounds and inside the temple you'll find depictions of Darth Vader, the Twin Towers attack, and Freddie Kruger. But you'll also find some good, such as Harry Potter, Superman, and Leonardo from the Ninja Turtles. As I was inspecting the walls and looking at all the artwork, I had to remind myself I was in a temple.

Lurking in the moat.

After wandering the grounds for a bit, we made our way to the bus stop. We waited for a while, and while we were waiting, a couple of guys come up to wait with us. One of them asks me if he's met me before. And as I look at him, I realize I met him in Jordan. Back in October. Now I've run into people again in various cities. But it's not as surprising when people travel along the same path in the same country. It's always a bit cool and strange when it happens. But this was incredible. We met on a bus leaving Wadi Rum, heading to Petra. After that, he took one path to Thailand and I took another. And randomly met again in Thailand. He was headed to Laos and I was continuing to explore Thailand. What a small world. 

Welcome wall at my hostel in Chiang Rai.

Even though the day was ending, I decided to risk taking the bus out to  Baan Dam (the Black House), a museum of some sort, which includes various buildings on the property with different installations. As opposed to the White Temple, this is a darker alternative since it includes a lot of dead items throughout, such as crocodile and snake skins, skeletons, and other items of that sort. 

Baan Dam.

It was mostly dead items, although, there were a few live animals on the property, including 2 pythons. At first, I felt a little bad that they were in the cage. But then I was like, well I don't want them roaming freely either. When I was trying to take a photo of one of them, I would remember about the other and quickly look around to make sure it wasn't too close. They totally creeped me out. They were enormous. And they were snakes. After spending too long with them, I rushed through the rest of the property before I had to exit. On my way to the bus, I played basketball with a boy for a hot minute, and carried on my way.

For dinner I headed towards the Clock Tower and got some good pad thai and roselle juice at a popular spot on the corner. When I finished, I was pleasantly surprised with a light show on the Clock Tower, which was accompanied by some music. I was wondering why there were so many people standing around while I was eating. I inadvertently chose the pefect spot to watch. 

The Clock Tower.

The following morning, I went for another run around town, which included some dirt trails and a dead end at a corn field. I got back to the hostel after breakfast and packed up my stuff for the ride back to Chiang Mai. Which was uneventful. I don't mind the bus rides, but I do wish they were a bit more comfortable so I could do something on them. But they just drive too fast down the curvy  roads. Good time to try to nap I guess. 

Pai

I spent my first week in Thailand in the small town of Pai and it was amazing. I really needed some down time and Pai was the perfect place to chill. There is a certain party vibe there, but since I'm not a big partier, I didn't really notice. I literally spent the first 2 days hanging out in cafes catching up on my running and travel journals, blogging, and uploading photos. 

Catching up on my journals with cake of course.

And eating Thai food and drinking Thai beer. Since I was in town for a week, I had a few regular spots for breakfast and lunch/dinner. Generally speaking, I ate a lot of spicy noodles and pad thai. I've been warned a bit about the spicy dishes. They ask you if you want spicy, and I've been saying yes. But it doesn't show up spicy, I have to add it. Which is a little odd, but ok since I can decide on the level of spiciness. Too many Western people can't take their spice so they must not add it in the dishes themselves. I still haven't had a very spicy papaya salad, nothing like what I had in Laos. But there's still time.

Pad thai and Thai beer.

I also ran and walked in and around the town to check out the beautiful scenery. The mountains and bridges are so pretty. My runs out in the middle of nowhere were amazing. I could just have kept running. Which at elevation, and with hills is normally not an easy feat. But maybe it's a good sign that my taper is going well.

One of many bamboo bridges in town.

A few days into my time in Pai, I decided to be a bit more adventurous. I made friends with a couple of guys staying at the same place as I. Which happened to be these cute bungalows right next to the walking street. This is what it's called, the walking street. Super convenient to everything. The bungalows were pretty basic, but definitely good enough for the week. I also loved the veranda to hang out on in the evenings to have a beer and relax.

My home for a week.

So at breakfast one morning, my new friend and I, decided to rent bicycles and explore the surrounding area. Well that isn't necessarily what happened. After a little research and some thought, we decided to try out the motorbikes. Yes a motorbike. I wasn't entirely convinced I was or was not going to ride a motorbike on this trip. I definitely wasn't going out of my way to do it. But if the opportunity came up, I wasn't going to dismiss it either. After talking ourselves into it, we decided to give it a go. Plus, I've seen a LOT of people driving them. I mean if any Joe Schmo off the street can do it, I can do it. But just in case we did get a test run before we headed off on our own. I may have had a close call shortly after I got on the bike (after the test run). But I somehow managed and was able to drive the thing out of town. Oh did I mentioned that they drive on the other side of the road in Thailand? I had to keep telling myself, 'Stay on the left. The left'. 

Trying it out. 

We were following a group of people who had to wait a bit for us newbies every so often. But we eventually made it to our first stop, the Sai Ngom Hot Springs. We chatted and relaxed for a little while in the hot springs (which I did think could have been a bit warmer). We even gave ourselves a mud face mask. Even though we were not entirely sure if it had any benefits, but the idea was fun. We got out and immediately got cold. Good thing we brought sweatshirts. After being in the warm water and then getting on a motorbike through the woods, you get a little cold.

Sai Ngom Hot Springs.

We headed back to town for some lunch and then made our way to Pai Canyon to watch the sunset. The canyon was pretty cool. Of course it wasn't the Grand Canyon, but still impressive. There were trees everywhere, so it was definitely different from what I'm used to. Also, there were these narrow paths everywhere with steep drops on each side. We ventured in a little bit to get a good view. You could keep going, depending on how adventurous you were. At one point on the return, we all heard something drop and it didn't sound like a person (there also wasn't a scream to go with it) and I hoped it wasn't someone's camera or bag. Luckily it was just a bottle of water. A few people were heading out after the sun went down. They may not want to go that far in on the trails, but that was just me.

Pai Canyon.

Since we had the motorbike for 24 hours, we headed out of town the next morning to get breakfast on the way to one of the waterfalls. And the view was pretty amazing. One of the reasons why Pai is so famous is because a well-known Thai movie took place there. I of course know nothing about it. We didn't go to where a part of the movie was filmed, but we went somewhere close by and got just as good of a view.

Breakfast views.

We then made our way to Pam Bok Waterfall. I didn't have high expectations, especially after seeing Kuang Si Waterfall in Laos. And that was good actually, since I wasn't too disappointed when I saw the actual waterfall. I've definitely seen better. But I went into the refreshing (aka very cold) water and swam around for a bit. Once I had my fill after a few minutes, I got out and tried to dry off in the shade. Unsuccessfully of course.

Very cold.

Our next stop was Land Split. There's a guy who's property started to split. He then decided to make it a tourist attraction and has let people come and check out the split. But he also gives you food and drink. All on a donation basis. Even though it's donation, he probably does well for himself. We hung out on some hammocks, drank some roselle juice (and some that was some sort of alcohol), and ate some fruit. Afterwards, we checked out the Land Split and the dancing trees (still not sure if this is a real thing). If you really think about the land splitting, it was kind of cool to think about. And a little crazy. It's a good thing his house wasn't there.

Land Split.

After dropping off the motorbike and getting some food, we hiked it to the White Buddha (Temple on the Hill) to check out the sunset. I expected a sunset very similar to the night before and I wasn't disappointed. But I haven't been too impressed with the sunsets. I think the spectacular ones are down south at the beach. I'll see them soon enough.

The White Buddha.

For the rest of my time in Pai, I continued to eat and drink, run, and hang out in the cafes. There isn't too much else to do, which I was totally ok with. Every evening we checked out the Night Market. Which was pretty great. We just had to be careful and not get hit by a motorbike that decided to go down the walking street. I did a lot of browsing for Christmas, but wanted to wait until Chiang Mai for the majority of my shopping (less items to carry). But I still left with a few presents, which is better in the long run. 

Night Market action.

I had my last long run in Pai which like the previous runs, were very pleasant. This time I kept running on the road I had ran on before and made my way to the WWII Bridge, another Pai attraction. I didn't linger long and ran over it to get to the other side to head back to town. I'm officially in taper week and actually the marathon is a few short days away. I'm as ready as I'm going to be and I hope I do well. And I hope it's a cool morning.

WWII Bridge.

I highly recommend visiting Pai if you find yourself in Northern Thailand. I had a week and it was a fantastic place to hang out. I probably could've done more, like a jungle trek, but I'm pretty pleased with my time spent there.