Chiang Mai voted 5th Best City in the WORLD!

based on the 2009 readers of Travel & Leisure Magazine.

http://www.travelandleisure.com/worldsbest/2009/

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photo by: stevesaba

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Hmm, personally I wouldn’t vote it that high as a city to VISIT; but as a city to LIVE, oh hell yeah!

Chiang Mai – Viangbua Mansion – review

STRUCTURE:

The building is a modern eight-story high rise, and is approximately five-years old.

Note: The maintenance, unlike many places in S.E. Asia is outstanding, and could easily be, ‘five-MONTHS old’.

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ATMOSPHERE:

The lobby and the rooms are beautifully designed in the Lanna (Northern Thai) style.

Reference – Photo Gallery: Rooms, Lobby, Coffee Shop, and City View.

http://www.viangbuamansion-chiangmai.com/photo_gallery_service_apartment.htm

Note: They might not always be available when you book, but if I were you, I would request to be on the Doi Suthep side.

Reference – “Freeing the Birds – by Ed Liembacher’ blog:

http://seattle99.wordpress.com/2009/05/22/freeing-the-birds-by-ed-liembacher/

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LOCATION:

First of all, it’s NOT in the touristy Night Bazaar/Thapae Gate area, nor is it in the yuppified Ninmanheiman area; which by the way, I love both areas of town.

Q:  Where is it then?

A: It’s in a very Thai neighborhood called Chang Puek, which is located about a mile north of the moat.

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Q: Why would I want to stay there?

A: Well, presumably you are coming to Thailand to ‘experience Thailand’; in Chang Puek you can do that, 24/7.

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Q: How?

A: Right next door to the Viangbua is the Thainin Market, which I believe is the FINEST market in Chiang Mai.

 I mean it’s got everything: food stalls, fresh fruits and vegetables, bakery goods, everythinggggg!

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Q: What if I want to buy a bag of Pepperidge Farm Milk Chocolate Macadamia Cookies ®; does the Thainin Market have those; huh, huh, huh?

A: Possibly/probably not, but a five-minute walk up the main road is a newly renovated Tops Supermarket, and they got ‘em, plus a gazillion other items to cure the ‘homesick blues’.

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Q: I KNOW I will want to go the Night Bazaar/Taepae Gate and the Nimmanheiman areas; how do I get there?

A: If you ended up eating the WHOLE bag of Pepperidge Farm Milk Chocolate Macademia Cookies ® I would suggest you might want to spend twenty-thirty minutes walking to the above mention areas via the very colorful  back streets (sois). 

>>> Reference – ‘Chiang Mai –Buddhism’ blog:

http://seattle99.wordpress.com/2009/05/17/chiang-mai-buddhism/

Reference – “I believe the literal translation of …” blog:

http://seattle99.wordpress.com/2009/05/09/i-believe-the-literal-translation-of/

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Q: Are there other means of transportation available?

A: Of course.

>>> Reference – “Chiang Mai – toolin’ rond town” blog”

http://seattle99.wordpress.com/2009/05/06/chiang-mai-%e2%80%93-toolin%e2%80%99-round-town/

>>> Reference- “Chiang Mai –Samlors” blog:

http://seattle99.wordpress.com/2009/05/06/chiang-mai-samlors/

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CLEANLINESS:

In one word, SUPERB!

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SERVICE QUALITY:

From the guard out front, to the desk staff, to the housekeepers, to the Manager, it is ‘absolutely top of the line’.

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FACILITIES:There’s a beauty shop, and a room with washers and dryers on the ground floor; and a fitness room on the second floor. 

Viangbua Mansion has cable TV and WIFI in each room, and free internet access in the lobby.

Unlike many hotels in Thailand, the rooms come with very good American style showers, and ALWAYS a sufficient supply of hot water.

>>> Reference – Photo Gallery:  restaurant, fitness room, etc, etc.

http://www.viangbuamansion-chiangmai.com/facilities.htm

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FOOD and BEVERAGE:

The restaurant is open from 7 until 3 and serves both Thai and Falang (foreign) dishes. Room service is available, as is a coffee shop in the lobby.

In addition to the food stalls next door at the Thainin market, directly across the street is the Spirit House Restaurant and Bar.

>>> Reference – ‘Chiang Mai – Spirit House Restaurant and Bar’” blog:

http://seattle99.wordpress.com/2009/07/02/chiang-mai-%e2%80%93-spirit-house-restaurant-bar/

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SECURITY:

In addition to the guard out front, security is tight throughout the building because you need a electronic floor specific keycard to access the elevator and stairwell, and of course the guest rooms.

Every room has a safe. 

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PRICE:

There are several types of rooms, ranging from studios to one bedroom; with daily, weekly, and monthly rates.

>>> Reference – Viangbua Mansion ‘Room Descriptions’ and Rates:

http://www.viangbuamansion-chiangmai.com/room_rate.htm

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SUMMARY:

First of all, Chiang Mai has an incredibly wide range of accommodations, ranging from the top end Four Seasons and Mandarin Oriental, to very good Guest Houses, to unbelievably skanky Guest Houses.

However, baht for baht, dollar for dollar, I believe the Viangbua Mansion is a TERRIFIC VALUE, whether for a single night, or an extended stay.

Chiang Mai – Spirit House Restaurant & Bar

The Spirit House Restaurant & Bar is one of those quite amazing places which take you completely by surprise. The Spirit House Restaurant & Bar is located in the bustling Chang Puak area of Chiang Mai but is a haven of peace and tranquility. The Spirit House has indoor seating and a delightful garden area, full of tropical plants and water fountains, which surrounds an old Chedi. Not much is known about the original temple, but the owner, Steve, told us that the temple is thought to have sunk below the ground many years ago.

http://www.chiangmaichimes.com/gay-chiang-mai/spirit-house-bar.html

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The reviewer has it right; it truly is an amazing place!!

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I will add, the food is really, really, really good; especially the desserts!

 

Note: Steve was a pastry chef in New Orleans for I think, seven-years?

 

Anywhooo, he’s got it down!

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One other thing, it’s a very inexpensive.

examples?

okay, how about:

- American style meat loaf, macaroni and cheese, cole slaw (150baht @ 34 baht to the dollar) = $4.41USD

or,

Cordon Bleu (chicken/ham/gruyere cheese), oven roasted potatos, and steam vegtables (160baht @ 34baht to the dollar) = $4.71USD

Chiang Mai – December 6, 2008

This photo, captured from the rooftop of the Amari Rincome Hotel, shows Chiang Mai’s Nimmanhaemindha Road transformed into a sea of saffron robes early last Saturday morning as 11,000 monks from the province turned out to collect alms and offer their blessings for His Majesty the King’s 81st birthday, which took place the day before on December 5. This was apparently the first time such a large gathering of monks had been organized to mark this occasion.

http://www.chiangmai-mail.com/303/

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11,000 monks, hmmm, don’t know about.

But to hear thousands and thousands chanting; I mean WOW, truly a sound I will never forget!

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BTW: I believe the LaGriita Restaurant at the Amari Rincome Hotel is the BEST lunch buffet in town; price and quality, especially quality.

Off-season, M-F, 375 baht @ 34.5 = $10.86

Q: expensive, yes?

A: If you go light on breakfast, and skip dinner, not so much.

Q: Do you think I would be able to skip dinner?

A: Oh, hell yeah!

http://www.amari.com/rincome/lagritta.aspx

The Girls at the ‘Forget Me Not’ Bar

A couple of years ago, on a trip down to Bangkok, I went to an ‘Entertainment Center’ next door to the J.W. Marriott. It was about thirty ‘Mini-Me’ size bars, UNDER a FREEWAY!!!

Note: We’re talking about some special kind of ambiance here.

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For no particular reason, I stopped at the third bar, and on hind sight maybe number two, or number four, would have been better; but hey, there’s no way to know.

I ordered a Singha Beer and was immediately hit with: 1. ‘Wat Ur name?’, 3. ‘Wat hotel u stay?’, 5. ‘U take me home?’. I mean really ‘hard-core stuff’, because they skipped right over; 2. ‘Where U from?’, and 4. ‘U buy me drink?’. One beer, and out.

The shortest distance to my hotel was to ‘run the gauntlet’ through the rest of the bars.

I hadn’t planned to stop for another beer, until I saw the girls at the ‘Forget Me Not’.  I mean without exception; the girls were 8’s, 9’s and several 10’s. And there wasn’t a ‘hard-core’ look with any of ‘em.

Note: These bars didn’t have dancers, so the girls were dressed, more or LESS, in normal street clothes.

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The bartender spoke great English because she was an American Thai, going to school in Bangkok.  Her uncle owned the bar, and the rule was she couldn’t ‘date’ the customers.

She was surprised to hear I wasn’t looking for a ‘date’, but was simply there to have a beer and hopefully find someone who could carry on more of a conversation than, ‘Wat ur name?’, ‘Where u from?’ ….’ .

She said, “Yeah, that gets old doesn’t it?”.

She then told me, her uncle wanted her to work with the girls to help improve their English; i.e. to increase business.

The girls English were better than most, but frankly they were so HOT; I didn’t care if they spoke Urdu.

Anyway, it got off to a rocky start because the youngest and prettiest girl in the bar, asked, “What Ur name?”

I said, “For you my ’sweet young thing’, you should call me, Grandfather Jon”.

 The bartender was drinking a Coke at the time, and it went down the ‘wrong way’.

The ’sweet young thing’ unfortunately also took it the ‘wrong way’, because she thought maybe I had said something insulting.

After the bartender recovered and explained it to her, it was all cooool.

The ’sweet young thing’ became essentially a second ‘Left Arm’ for the duration. And I tell ya, it was GOOOOD.

The other girls in the bar picked up on the story, and they became an alternating second ‘Right Arm’, and that was SOOOO GOOOOD!

It was the normal Thai bar scene; with music, bar games with the girls, etc, etc, etc. I probably spent $40 the whole evening on drinks; a couple of beers for me, and a ton of ‘lady drinks’.

Note: the old Cyndi Lauper song, “Girls Just Want to Have Fun”, HAD to have been written about the girls at the ‘Forget Me Not’; I mean they were simply so much FUN to be around!

When I was getting ready to leave, I was debating whether to come back the next night or not; I mean I had serious doubts that it could possibly be as good.

I reluctantly decided to tell the girls I had to leave town in the morning; blah, blah, and blah.

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As you might have guessed, the next evening I just couldn’t resist going back.

One of the girls saw me about sixty-feet away, and the other dozen or so joined her in a ROUSING CHOURUS of, “Sawadi kaaaaaa, Grandfather Jon!!”!

About thirty-feet away, the DJ started playing the oldie and moldie ‘Macarena’, and the girls, of course being Thai bargirls, started to dance.

Anyway, they were surprised; surprised I say, when I started dancing with what, 12-14 girls?

It was great fun, and THEN, they started improvising by adding some rather ‘lewd’ moves.

When I started copying their ‘lewd’ moves, the smiles became even BIGGER, and SWEETER!!

And jeez, it was even better than the first night; and I’m not sure how I was able to do it, but I resisted the temptation to do ‘take-out’; but I did, and I’m glad I did.

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I’ll NEVER, EVER, forget the girls at the, ‘Forget Me Not’.

‘Freeing the Birds’ by Ed Liembacher

((And now here’s the poem that tried to capture my stay in Chiang Mai and the North.))

After the dizzying bus-ride
15 kilometers up and up
both sides of the corkscrew road
to the top of Mt. Doi Suthep,
we emerge through swirling clouds
as giddy as spring birds:

the view falls away for miles,
down tipsy forests and rows
of fields, to Chiang Mai’s walls
and the fleet cloud shadows
scudding toward us. Even the trees
give back glory! So we seize

the day, this day of praise
for the faithful here gathered
in scores, climbing the stairs—
all of us—herded skyward
by tile-encrusted dragons
300 steps to the heavens…

***
>>> to the balance of the poem >>>

http://mrebks.blogspot.com/2008/03/chiang-mai-2.html

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May 19, 2009 – Chiang Mai Mail

 ‘Visakha Bucha Day celebrated in Chiang Mai’

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Visakha Bucha Day is one of the three most important Buddhist days in Thailand and happens during the Full Moon in May. This year, it fell on Thursday May 8. This special day commemorates the birth, the Enlightenment and the passing-away of Buddha. For the occasion, Thai people will make merit and gather in temples to pray.

But the most impressive event happens on the eve of Visakha Bucha Day. On May 7 at 7 p.m., Thai people gathered by the thousands at CMU to walk up to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, which is said to house relics of the Buddha himself.

The walk was long but never boring. Free food stalls were packed along the way; freshmen from Rajamangala University were running and chanting, led by their senior; monks were strategically located along the way to encourage people to make merit and pray. Even though people didn’t talk so much together, all experienced the feeling of community and belonging that permeated the atmosphere.

Most people arrived at the temple around midnight, after a 3 to 5 hour walk, for the first moments of Visakha Bucha Day. The newly-renovated Chedi was shining and people crowded under its shadow, walking silently around it three times, holding in their hands lotus flowers, candles and incense sticks. Once completed, they were able to make their way back home … walking for the most courageous ones, sitting in a red truck for the rest of us.

 http://www.chiangmai-mail.com/current/news.shtml#hd1

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Day or night, I can see ‘Wat Phra That Doi Suthep’ out my bedroom window; but at night, WOW!

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Side-story:

On May 8, I went to my favorite Starbucks, and received my usual ‘Norm like’, “Sawadi kaaaaa, Khun Jon”

http://seattle99.wordpress.com/2009/05/10/k-kong/

As I approached the counter to order my standard, ‘grande, non-fat, no-whip, extra-hot mocha’, “one of my favorite” baristas smiled, and then tapped the tip jar.

 I said, “C’mon, every day in Thailand is a holiday; there’s January 1^st New Years, Chinese New Years, and Thai New Years!”

 She said, with a straight face, “Today is Visaka Bucha Day”

She tried, WITHOUT success to hold the ‘straight face’ when she added, ‘Tomorrow is New Year!”

 laugh, laugh, laugh, good tip

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“Every day in every way; it is getting better, and better, and better” - khun jon

Chiang Mai – Buddhism

Thailand has a population of 60 million, with +95% being Buddhist. I’m guesstimating here, but I believe Chiang Mai might be +/-98% Buddhist.

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side-story:

I love to walk, and I especially love to walk the small streets/alleys (sois) of Chiang Mai.

About a year ago, I was walking down a narrow residential soi, and I passed a small stand; folding table, stool, and a  ratty old beach umbrella to keep away either the hot sun and/or the heavy rain.

The young women smiled at me; and said, ‘Sawadi ka’, which is Thai for hello.

I returned the smile, and said, ‘Sawadi krup’.

Over the next week this rountine was repeated each time I walked by, but I didn’t stop because none of the Thai sweets looked very appetizing, to me anyway.

And then one VERY HOT DAY, I saw her stock an Igloo cooler with bottled water.

I thought, yeah, got to get some of that!

She handed me a bottle, but it wasn’t cold; which meant, I had to ‘Pull a Marcel’.

She was obviously a fan of the late Monsieur Marceau, and understood the, “fold my arms and shiver” thingy.

She reached into the cooler, and pulled out a bottle. It wasn’t to her liking, so she reached in again, this time VERY DEEP.

She presented it to me like a sommelier would seek approval for a, ‘1985 – Chateau Gruaud-Larose’.

oui-oui

I gestured ‘how much?’, and she held up eight-fingers (a five and three combination).

I gave her a ten-baht coin ($.30), and indicated she should keep the two-baht ($.06).

She didn’t understand that at all, and continued to look for the two-baht change.

I finally held up ten-fingers (a five and five combination), and indicated the ten-baht was for her.

She was VERY SURPRISED; smiled, wai’d me, and said, “khup khun kaaaaaa”!

The routine became a little more sophisticated because she would spot me coming down the soi 20-30 meters away, point to the cooler, and gesture; “Yes? No? What?”

If I indicate NO; as I pass, we simply exchange, “Sawadi kaaaaaa, Khun Jon“; and, “Sawadi krup, Khun Ae”.

If I indicate YES; she selects the coldest of the cold, dries it on her apron, peel of the little plastic doohickey, and opens it for me.

I recognize this as an example of kindness, in its purest form.

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Q: What does this have to Buddhism?

A: On the concrete block wall behind her stand she has a small, inexpensive statue of Buddha.

And slightly below Buddha, she has a very inexpensive ‘bud vase’ where she places a fresh-cut flower; sometimes red, sometimes yellow, and sometimes white; seven days a week, fifty-two weeks a year.

I believe, it has EVERYTHING to do with her belief in the teachings of Lord Buddha.

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“Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible”
- His Holiness the Dalai Lama; a.k.a. ‘a simple Buddhist monk’

Bangkok – Rails Across the River

For years, Bangkok commuters have faced a rushhour nightmare on the way to work or school each morning. That nightmare lasts longest in Sathorn, the capital’s prime business district – and its most congested. But from today, the Skytrain is giving gridlocked commuters a key to freedom.     

The BTS extension from Saphan Taksin station to Wong Wian Yai – the first Skytrain route to venture across the river to Thon Buri – is being launched with a trial run at 5.20am before opening to the public at 8am.

Jump out of the jam

It should help ease the traffic jams along the Sathorn Road King Taksin Bridge route, the most congested road in Bangkok, says Jumpol Sumpaopol, directorgeneral of the Bangkok Traffic and Transport Department.

“We expect about 2,000 vehicles per hour during rush hour after the BTS extension opens, compared to almost 15,000 vehicles currently,” says Jumpol.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/search/read.php?newsid=30102725&keyword=rails+across+the+river

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Reuce the vehicles from 15,000, to 2,000 per hour; hmmm, seems a bit too optimistic to me, but hey, it is, ‘AMAZING, Thailand!’

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Tip for out of towners: The Sky Train is a very inexpensive; and compared to the taxis, FAST.

Plus, with the elevated tracks, you get a terrific view of Krung Thep – the City of Angels.

And the rains came …

and life is good.

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If you listen very carefully, you can hear the lotus sing with joy, because they know; the farmers can now plant their rice, and feed their families.

As I said, life is good.

Bangkok – Ploughing Ceremony

Ancient royal ploghing ceremony predicts abundant food, proper amount of water

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May 11 (TNA) – Thailand’s traditional soothsayers predicted an abundance of food production in the kingdom during the coming year, and a proper supply of water — with plentiful rice yields – after divining the signs indicated in the royal ploughing ceremony, marking the beginning of the planting season on Monday.
 
The ceremony was presided over by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, represented His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
 
Permanent Secretary for Agriculture and Cooperatives Charanthada Kannasuta, who served in the Brahman ceremony from ancient India as the Lord of the Plough, was offered three pieces of folded cloth of different lengths and he selected one of medium length. Based on his selection, proper water supply, with plentiful food and rice were predicted.
 
The sacred oxen, Fah and Sai, ate grass and sesame seeds and the Brahmin seers accordingly interpreted the actions as meaning there will be an abundance of food and average water supply in the kingdom of Thailand during the coming year.

truly is, AMAZING Thailand!

 http://enews.mcot.net/view.php?id=9875

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Photo: I believe that is Fah on the left, and Sai on the right; although it could be Sai on the left, …

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My Buffalo is named William”

 http://seattle99.wordpress.com/2009/05/07/my-buffalo-is-named-william/