Hello, little traveler. Let me present you with a solo story of a trip to Chiang Mai during the hot season, with a rather confusing plan.

Traveling on March 28, 2016, Chiang Mai was not originally on Jack's travel plan during this semester break. However, Jack got free accommodation at Imperial Mae Ping for 2 nights, which can be used until September 2016. Looking at the calendar, this summer is the time when we are most free. The schedule is definitely the most packed during the semester break. Anyway, let's make the most of it. Free train is one thing I want to try. Although some people say it's hard, tiring, and exhausting, I want to try it and see how I feel. I might even die. 55555 But I have to try, otherwise how would I know? Then I can tell others about it with confidence.


According to the website, it will be available until April 30, 2016. Wow, I have to go!
So I planned to go during this time because I have a lot of free time. It was my first time taking a train from Hua Lamphong.
It was also my first time taking a train to Chiang Mai. It wasn't difficult to get in, I found the ticket booth right away.


Upon arrival, I presented my ID card and informed the officer that I was traveling to Chiang Mai. The officer then assigned me a seat and entered my ID number into the system.


The ticket says 13:45, platform 10, car 3. It left on time, but I don't know if it will arrive on time. I got seat number 46 on the left side, next to the aisle. But it's hot in the afternoon, and I'm sitting on the side of the sun. So, do I have a chance to see the sunset? 555 In the end, I didn't see it.


Life on the train is bustling, with vendors constantly walking around selling goods. There's no need to worry about going hungry. As you know, the seats face each other, accommodating four people.

It was only natural that we would talk to each other, as the four of us were going to Chiang Mai together. Imagine how many hours we had to talk! It took over an hour to reach Rangsit Station, and another hour to Ayutthaya.

Enjoying the scenery along the way



As we sat there, it started to get dark. I have no idea where we were, haha. Maybe Nakhon Sawan? Around there. Oh yeah, that's right. 6:42 PM. We're in Nakhon Sawan.

As time passed, the train kept moving. When we looked away from our phone screens and looked out the windows, wow, some parts without houses were really dark. But the lights in the train were always on.

We like this kind of atmosphere. It's nice to sit and think. We have a lot of free time, so we can take our time and not rush. "Life is slow sometimes."


At 9 pm, the train arrived in Phitsanulok. There was still some food available, but later at night, there was none. The difficulty of sitting in a 3rd class train is sleeping.

If you're not really tired, you probably won't be able to fall asleep. Some people slept on the floor. Jack and the others slept for less than an hour. I felt awake all the time. If you're tired, you can stand up. It's normal. Even though it's summer, it's very cold at night. If you're going to use the service, don't forget to bring a blanket to cover yourself.

Or a long-sleeved shirt. After 4 am, the train arrives at the platform at Chiang Mai station.

We were completely clueless. Of course, it was on time, and it was very early. What should we do? It was too early. The first thing we did was go to the bathroom. We were too lazy to wait to brush our teeth because there were too many people. In the end, we didn't wash our faces or brush our teeth all day until it was time to check in at the hotel. 5555


After using the restroom, I needed to refuel, so I ate at the train station. However, I couldn't eat much because it was too early in the morning.

We waited for the sky to brighten before finding a car to take us into the city. As the buses weren't running yet, we didn't want to stay at the train station any longer. We decided to spend 60 baht on a taxi to get to Tha Pae Gate.

Jack has been to Chiang Mai many times, but he has only visited the outskirts of the city twice. He has been there with friends and on a tour. This time, he is traveling alone, which is a bit exciting for him. He is looking forward to seeing what he will encounter.


Actually, we had a plan. The first day, we would rent bicycles to ride around the city, walk around, find a cool cafe, chill out in the Nimmanha area, and then we thought we wouldn't go anywhere. We just wanted to sit around, lie down, walk around and take pictures of the temple at night in the city. We intended to just stay put. At this point, I can say that everything went wrong. We had a lot of time on the first day because the earliest we could check in was 1 pm. And it turned out that when we got there, our backpacks were hurting our shoulders, our luggage was in the way, and everything was canceled. We didn't feel like riding bikes, we didn't feel like doing anything. Wait, are you saying that the plan we made was canceled so easily and stubbornly like this? 55555

Of course, I'm alone. Anything is fine.

I was taking photos near Tha Pae Gate and really wanted to wash my hair, but the shops were still closed. I walked to the Chiang Mai Gate Market and found a hair salon, but it was crowded. So I decided to find something to eat first. Finally, I got my hair washed and my head felt so much better. I still had some time left, so I saw a sign that said "Silver Ubosot" pointing to Wat Sri Suphan.


Interesting. So I followed the sign.

If you can't find it, ask the villagers in the area. It's a temple in the Wualai community, which is a community that makes silverware.


This silver ordination hall is the first of its kind in the world, and we were lucky enough to visit on the day of the Poy Luang ceremony. Many teachers from different places came to perform the ceremony, and there were various performances. We arrived towards the end, so we didn't see the ceremony from the beginning. Regardless, we consider ourselves blessed to have been there.




In summary, I sat at the temple for a long time, watching the performances and enjoying the cool and comfortable atmosphere. While I was walking around taking pictures, a staff member (I'm not sure what to call them, maybe a PR representative for the temple?) approached me. They gave me a book about the history of the construction of the ubosot and suggested that I go inside to pay respects to the Buddha. They also told me that I could ask them any questions I had about the temple. They invited me to have lunch with them, but I was too shy to go alone, so I declined. The lunch menu sounded delicious, though. I heard an announcement listing the dishes, and one of them was khao soi, my favorite dish. After leaving the temple, I stopped by a restaurant nearby.

Bring me some Khao Soi! 55555


I spread out the map from Chiang Mai Gate to Imperial Mae Ping. It didn't look far, so I decided to walk. Why wait for a red car when it's not that far? I didn't want to hail a red car because it wasn't far. I wanted to walk. I drew a map in my head. If I had a car, I would have driven myself, and then the map would have automatically entered my head. But I didn't have a car, so I chose to walk. I checked in at the hotel at 1 p.m. The first thing I did was take a shower, wash my face, brush my teeth, and then sleep. That's it for today's schedule. I'll go out again when it gets dark.

Inside the room and the view behind the room.

The hotel is close to Night Bazaar. On weekdays, there is no walking street, so you can walk around Night Bazaar instead.


Let's take a look at the atmosphere together.


Walking through the Night Bazaar felt like Pratunam had been transported to Chiang Mai. It was exactly like that, and I even came across the Pantip Plaza while I was walking around.


If you're looking for something to eat at night, this area is the place to be. There's every kind of food you can imagine.


Jack's dinner: Fried mussels from a street vendor. He ate it while walking. It was delicious.


Don't forget the postcards.


Night view from the back of the room



I came back to my room with my legs almost falling off. I didn't feel anything while I was walking, but when I stopped, my legs hurt so much. The first night ended with me sleeping like the dead.

We woke up at 9:30 am, and by the time we showered and got dressed, we missed breakfast at the hotel. But we had snacks that we bought from the market and kept in the refrigerator. We didn't leave our room until around noon. We walked to the bike rental shop. Everyone says that the service is good, and most importantly, they have mountain bikes for rent. The shop is located in Soi Nantha Ram, opposite the Chiang Mai Gate Market. Walk straight in, and the shop is on the right-hand side. The sign says "Bike Rental Shop." The information we found said it was the NK shop, so we thought we went to the wrong shop, but it was the right one.


Page name: Bicycle rental shop, Chiang Mai

The price is 300 baht for 24 hours, with a 1,000 baht deposit and an ID card. It comes with a helmet, chain lock, and lights.

The owner of the shop is a cyclist. She's very friendly and we chatted for a while. I asked her about the routes and she gave me a map and recommended some routes. I was disappointed that I only rented the bike on the afternoon of the second day, otherwise I could have explored more. If you want to cycle further, you can take the bike on a motorbike taxi, just ask about the last bus time.

Got it, the red bike, the green hat, and the gloves are ready to go. You chose the color of the bike and the hat to match my outfit very well. Let's take a picture first, it's important. 555

Thank you to the owner of the shop for the picture.



From what I see, the nearest distance to the Grand Canyon is towards Hang Dong. On the way back, you can stop by the Royal Park Rajapruek. Okay, this plan is perfect! After taking photos, the owner of the shop said it was ready, so let's go!

I'll tell you more about the Grand Canyon Hang Dong later. It's not difficult to get there, there are signs all the way.

Here we are!

Most people go swimming here. It looks like fun. The water is green, but it doesn't look very green in the photos. It's actually more beautiful in real life. It might be because of the reflection of the light.


I saw it with my own eyes and I see. Oh, the Grand Canyon Hang Dong is like this. Okay, I can go back. 5555


Our next destination was Rajapruek Royal Park, but it turned out to be quite a distance from the entrance. We decided not to go, as we wouldn't have much time to explore before closing time. In the end, it felt like we didn't accomplish much today. But actually, we did. We enjoyed cycling, and on the way back, we cycled along the back road of Chiang Mai University.

It's a time when the sun is setting and the wind is calm, not hot, very chill.


Some sections of the route have bike lanes, which I really like.


The original text is in English, so no translation is needed.

Cycling through the Suan Dok Gate to pay respects and capture the Three Kings Monument with the twilight as a backdrop.


This is exactly according to plan. Arrived just in time.


In the evenings, teenagers come here to play skateboarding. There are places to sit and relax. In the evening, we also went to watch a young man practice stunt cycling, hehe. When it got dark, we went back to the hotel.


I think I'll take a break and go out to take pictures of the temple at night. I don't know what I'm doing.

The temple is now open.

Ohhhhh, the fire is starting to go out. It's over.


So I could only cycle around the city at night when there were fewer cars. It was a comfortable ride. The dogs ran after me, so I tested their resolve by slowing down gradually. I pretended to stop, showing them that I wasn't afraid of them. This tactic worked, and the pack of dogs ran away.


I cycled back to take pictures at Tha Pae Gate again. This is the atmosphere at night when there is no walking street.

Go take a picture at Tha Pae Gate.



The foreigner asked with curiosity, his eyebrows furrowed.

Are you from Thailand? What is this place? Why are so many people taking pictures here?

Our English isn't very strong, and we don't know much about its history.

He replied that it was an old city gate.

The foreigner made a face of understanding. "Oh, oh, oh, I get it now."

He seemed relieved and walked away.

Wait, wait, wait, are you sure? If the information is incorrect, I apologize to the people of Chiang Mai. 555

Yesterday, I was hungry and went back to the hotel. I parked my bike and walked out to find something to eat near the Night Bazaar. I heard a sound like there was a boxing match, so I asked the rice seller for information. He said that Thai people could enter for free, so I hurried to eat so that I wouldn't miss the boxing match.

Went to watch the boxing match, didn't even get a good picture before it got knocked out.

The next pair is a female boxer, she's so cool.



After watching the boxing match, I went back to my accommodation. I'm so tired today. I don't even want to think about what I'll be like tomorrow morning.


When I lift my leg, I lift my butt. 5555

Waking up, I didn't feel too bad, so I was still able to enjoy my trip. I booked a bus ticket for 8pm, so I had plenty of time to eat breakfast, pack my things, and check out by 11am.

Hurry up and return the bike. At around 11:00 am, take a songthaew to Chom Thong (the way up to Doi Inthanon) to pay respects at the Chom Thong Chedi.

which is the Buddha image for the year of the Rat.

It took more than an hour to get there. When I arrived, I immediately asked the driver what time the last bus was. He said 5 pm. Okay, okay.


Normally, the sky is white. Luckily, when we arrived at Chom Thong, the sky cleared up, giving us beautiful pictures. However, the sun was also strong.


Please buy flowers to worship the Buddha inside first.

I got a good fortune stick, hehe.


For those born in the year of the Rat, here's how to make a wish: Hold two rats and walk around the pagoda three times while making your wish. Then, place the rats at the lion statues at the entrance. Walk around three times under the hot sun. I thought about it for 5 seconds and decided to do it. After all, I was already there. It's not often that I get to go there, and I don't know how long it will be before I can go back, or if I'll ever be able to go back again.


Let's take a look at the various angles of the Phra Borommathat.

After completing the annual ritual of paying respects to the Buddha's relics, we took a car back.


Who has ever had this kind of moment?


Riding a songthaew, a shared taxi truck, to the provinces, whether up a mountain or through villages, with local people as passengers, I was the odd one out, sitting alone with my backpack and camera.

It's nice, isn't it? These aunties and grandmas, they like to talk to us. Just a smile or a little question, and strangers become friends instantly. The aunties and grandmas will chat about this and that, it's fun. This is it, life. It's the ultimate travel mood. I got off at Chiang Mai Gate, took a red car to Akat, and had some time before the bus left, so I had to find a place to sit.

Jack likes to sit at McDonald's. It's a great place for travelers to relax and stay connected, with free Wi-Fi, power outlets, and restrooms. When it's almost time for his flight, he heads over to the airport terminal.

I arrived back in Bangkok on the morning of the 1st and had to quickly pack my bags again. I had to fly to Chiang Rai on the morning of the 2nd to teach children in Phayao. That was the end of my 3 days and 2 nights in Chiang Mai with Jack's failed plans.

Thank you all for following Jack's story, even though it may not be very useful. Hehe.

See you again, you can say hello at Jack's photo page.

https://www.facebook.com/jackrockerphotographer



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