May 2, 20173 min read

Chiang Rai

Day One

In the morning on our last day in Chiang Mai, Nico and I woke up early and began packing. Everyone was leaving that day. Robbie was headed home to the US and Kristen & Josh were flying to Laos because they have a shorter time to stay in Asian than Nico and I do. We decided we'd meet them in Luang Prabang a day later.

After saying "goodbye" to everyone, Nico and I took an Uber to the bus station. We were hoping to get on the 11am bus to Chiang Rai but the soonest available bus wasn't until 1:30. We didn't have much of a choice but to wait so we listened to our Harry Potter audio book until it was time to leave.

The bus ride started off really well. There was air conditioning and pretty views as we wound our way through the mountains. But at about one and a half hours into the journey, the bus's engine began to smoke. A beeping noise came from the front and we slowly rolled to a halt at the side of the road. The AC stopped and instantly the bus became hot and stuffy. Everyone shuffled off the bus to the side of the road where we waited in the heat for something to happen. Nico and I weren't sure if they were going to try to fix the bus or if we'd be picked up by a new bus. If they had to get someone to come from Chiang Mai, I knew it would be at least an hour and a half.

After some time, a pickup truck drove up behind us and two men hopped out and began to work on our bus's engine. As they worked, I noticed other buses from the same company drive pass on their way to Chiang Rai. I wished we had taken a later bus. Waiting longer at the bus station would have been much better than this. I began to wonder what would happen if the mechanics couldn't fix the problem. How long would we be here?

Finally, an empty bus rolled to a stop in front of us on the side of the road. Everyone eagerly began grabbing up their belongings and making their way back into the comfortable AC. Many of the other passengers smiled at me amusingly. The relief must have been obvious on our faces.

Hours later, when we finally arrived in Chiang Rai, Nico and I were extremely hungry because I didn't eat any breakfast and we, stupidly, didn't get any food at the bus station. So, after dropping our things off at the bus station, we immediately went downtown to eat dinner. The place we picked was called Jatujak, which was very cute and had great service. Nico and I shared Tom Kah (coconut milk soup) and cashew nut chicken. It was some of the best food we had had in Thailand and I'm not just saying that because we were so hungry.

After we finished eating, Nico and I walked through the night market. Then, we went to a cat cafe, which was a super fun experience. Some of the cats just napped around, others were playful. There is one that enjoyed playing with the string on my tea bag.

To finish the night, we stopped for a drink at a tiny rooftop bar. I don't remember the name of this bar but it was very small and cute.

Then, we went back to our hostel, Happynest Inspiring Hostel. It had very cute decor. There were typewriters and cozy pillows and pretty art. It was a nice place to stay even if only for a night.

Happynest:

Decent wifi
Small lockers
Clean
Cute decor & good vibes

Day Two

Nico and I woke up early in Chiang Rai. We wanted to see the White Temple before our flight to Luang Prabang. At 7:15 we found a tuk tuk to take us to the temple. I read online that the temple opens at 6:30 but when we arrived, a sign told us it'd be open at 8. Luckily, we only had to wait about 15 minutes. We bought some steamed pork buns for breakfast across the street and ate them sitting on a bench facing the temple.

Once the gates opened at 8, we were some of the first people to walk through the White Temple. I was really impressed with the intricate design and subtle details in the architecture. It reminded me of La Sagrada Familia by Antoni Gaudi in Barcelona.