Chiang Mai Oh My

The mothership aka Chris Hazy landed in Asia and we decided to flee to Northern Thailand to indulge in a rice paddy filled long weekend of mother-daughter bonding. Chiang Mai was the obvious destination of choice for an Asian newcomer - filled with wonderful culture, people, sights, food, and delightfully free of tour buses, neon lights, and Starbucks. Cooler weather than Southern Thailand, lush landscapes and countryside, with piece and quiet aplenty. Chiang Mai was once the capital of the former Lanna Kingdom, and still has strong cultural ties with Burma and Laos, making it an especially exciting destination for SE Asian anthropology enthusiasts (guilty).


Thanks to the lifestyle requirements of my maternal counterpart, we did the teak-town in style, lodging at a classy abode complete with water buffalo studded rice paddy views and a spa that inculcated far too many thoughts of quitting the corporate world and becoming a massage therapist. We both could have happily vegetated at the hotel for 3 days, but I was not about to return home without any stories to blog about except for the chili peppers that almost induced asthma attacks at every meal.

So first up was Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, the most famous temple in Chiang Mai and probably the most iconic city symbol as well. On the top of the Doi Suthep mountain, the location afforded great views of the city and a blinding amount of gold plating, which according to our trusty tour guide was all 24 karat (mm hmm). We removed our shoes, purchased a lotus flower and some incense, and dove right in to all the Buddhist action.

Mom, me, and our friend the King of Thailand

Next stop: Mae Sa Elephant Camp. The precious pooches won us over at the first sight of watching them bathe. We opted for the non bareback riding option (thanks mom!) and ventured into the highlands of Thailand on top of one very large female.

Did you do a double take?? Yes it really is Chris Hazy riding an elephant!

We decided to venture into the city center to check out the famous night market during our last evening in Chiang Mai. The crowds and the little bit of grime was all a bit overwhelming after hiding out in isolation for the weekend. But I especially enjoyed the shock factor on my mom's face when I introduced her to the culinary treats off the street that I indulge in on a regular basis in Asia.

During our down time we were sleeping, pool-ing, spa-ing, eating mangoes, and sleeping. Despite the speculation upon our arrival back to HK, I promise we didn't escape to Thailand for botox injections... 12+ hours of sleep per night just works wonders on your appearance when you have the sleep debt of a Hazy female (also highly probable that we both had mono and didn't realize it).

What a wonderful vacation! I'm proud of you mom - you endured the chili-smothered green mango salads, survived the night market hippie mobs, climbed up the 300 stairs to get to the famous wat, rode an elephant AND a tuk tuk, and gladly soaked in all of the greatness Thailand has to offer. Come back again soon and next time we really can get botox!