Aubrey and Parker take on Chiang Mai!

December 10, 2009

We arrived at the modern and high tech Suvanaburi Airport at 8AM Bangkok time, bleary-eyed from lack of sleep. As we pulled up to the Bangkok Airways (http://www.bangkokair.com/) gate, the adrenaline began to kick in and it finally hit us, “WE ARE GOING TO CHIANG MAI, like, NOW!” We couldn’t stop smiling and happily checked in and sat in the Bangkok Airways lobby, where we were provided with free snacks, drinks, and even had a chance to post a quick update to our fans on Twitter using the free Wi-Fi provided! Before we knew it, we were boarding a brand spanking new Bangkok Airways boutique plane headed towards our dream destination.

The first hurdle I experienced in Chiang Mai was driving for the first time while sitting on the right side of the rental car. The first few times as I instinctively used my left hand to flick my turn signal and the windshield wipers started going. It was a little weird trying to drive on the left side of the road and remembering that right turns are hard and left turns are easy. After a few minutes of fighting my instincts, I was able to find the Lanna Oasis Spa (http://www.chiangmaioasis.com/En/home.php), our first “duty” of business. Upon our arrival, we were warmly greeted by the Oasis staff, namely Jennifer and Keng. Jennifer and Keng sat down with us to answer a few questions we had about different types of treatments and their benefits. Stay tuned, we will have more information shortly about all you have ever wanted to know about massages from the best in the business. We witnessed the “4 Hands Massage”, where two masseurs treat a patron simultaneously. It looked amazingly relaxing! After our tour of the complex, we did some research by getting a King and Queen massage. More info on that later, but let me tell you it was AMAZING.

Next stop on our list was lunchtime and we went off the itinerary and found a fantastic northern Thai restaurant down a side-soi called Huen Phen. It was completely packed but we managed to flag down a waitress and order a northern Thai feast. Included in this smorgasbord was koh soi with chicken, northern Thai sausages, sticky rice, fried chicken, and red curry (recommended by the waitress). Delicious. For drinks, we had Thai lemon iced tea and 2 Pepsis-spicy food! Take a guess at the price…give up? 180 baht (about $6 US)! Our amazing liaison, Pam, met us at the restaurant and accompanied us to Doi Suthep.

When we reached the famously beautiful temple within a national park, we performed a Buddhist ritual asking for protection throughout our trip. We took a tram to the top and explored the wondrous site. We got some great pictures and learned more about Buddhism from Pam, our knowledgeable liaison. After Doi Suthep was Warorot Market, a cacophony of fruits, vegetables, fried foods, and crafts. The chaos next to the river was wonderful and beautiful. Hungry and tired from a full day, we made it to our posh hotel downtown, the D2 (http://www.dusit.com/en/hotels/thailand/chiang_mai/dusitd2/index.html). The dinner will need to be explained in a separate post later, that’s how good it was. Finally, to end our day, we went to the Chiang Mai Night Safari (http://www.chiangmainightsafari.com/). The staff was beyond friendly and ushered us around the park, bringing us on the Savannah animals tour and the Predator animals tour. Both were surreal; you are able to see some amazingly rare animals at nighttime and most can come within inches of you while you sit in an open car. Well, I have stayed up too late and we have a full day again tomorrow so its time to turn in. We will have more video and blog updates for you tomorrow, stay tuned! Aubrey and Parker, coming at you LIVE from CNX, Chiang Mai, Thailand!