Arunothai, a different project
To go to Arunothai we rent in “Mango motorcycles”, Chiang Mai, a motorbike a week for 900 Baths (with a deposit of 1000 Baths). We left in the morning, traveled 137 km away and arrived in the afternoon, we took it easy. Once in Arunothai, we were surprised by the high prices of the place, we assume that due to the transit of the border with Burma, the most economical room cost 400 Baths / night.
The town is not very nice, a central street with shops, some restaurant and people up and down by motorcycle. However, there is a corner that we especially liked, a lake within the village that with the mountains in the background make up a beautiful landscape, and if you add some flowering trees full of butterflies fluttering, you already have a place where you can be absorbed for a while.
The reason why we went precisely to that town and not another is that crossing the road to the lake you reach the Wat Arunothai temple where is the School of Hope, a center for children, mostly Burmese, where we collaborate as volunteers in a project of Clown, with our non-profit Clown Science Dreams. (We recommend reading the post, it was a very emotional experience)
Once finished, excited about the experience of School of Hope, we went to Mae Sai, to extend the visa.
Mae Sai, the Mecca of the Visa Run
From Arunothai we traveled the 175 km to Mae Sai, the road crossed the mountains, it was not a fast road, nor easy, but its beauty compensated, thick forests throwing into the jungle, mountainous nature in its purest state, mixed with coconut palms, banana and papaya trees.
Once there, around 5 pm, we got to the queue at the border crossing. After a slight wait we crossed the bridge of friendship, on the river Ruak, a quite ridiculous bridge, we waited a little more solemn, the same of a place as uncertain as a border crossing … Once on the other side, the officers of the On the other hand they asked us for the Burmese visa, we told them that we only wanted to extend the Thai visa, then, without saying anything else, they asked us for 500 Bath each, they put a stamp on our passport and returned to Thailand. We returned to fill out the form with our data, we delivered it in the Thai visa window and we already had 30 more days in Thailand.
In total, the run visa lasted about 20 minutes … very fast and painless! and as Mae Sai is just a commercial street without too much attraction, we took the bike and went to Chiang Rai … brrrrrrrrrrr ….
Chiang Rai, a friendly city
We arrived around 8 pm to Chiang Rai, we went to the Night Bazaar area because it is where there is more density of guesthouse, as usual, after visiting all we saw, we stayed at Baan Bua Guesthouse, three blocks from the Night Bazaar and for the modest price of 200 Baths per night … we started well! : D
Chiang Rai we especially liked because one way or another everything was easy, or maybe we had the luck necessary.
The first thing we did was go to dinner at Night Bazaar, a typical market with items for tourists, including crafts. We also found a large square flanked by small food stalls, most were tempura, or fried, soups, fish and something else that we just do not understand. We ate a Pad Thai dish and a tempura dish that left us more than satisfied.
In the same square, while you savor the dish you have chosen, you can enjoy the traditional concert or dance that is shown on the stage, sometimes very pleasant, others something to forget … For dessert, here is an important fact: in one of the extremes from the “food court” there is an ice cream stand that you can not miss. Sell artisan and natural coconut and mango ice cream in different formats and sizes, they are good anyway, but the star is the coconut ice cream, it is spectacular … I do not tell you more, we have to try it … we fell in love …
The next day we took the bike and went to do some sightseeing. First we went to see the Wat Huai Pla Kung Temple, a Buddhist temple with a giant Buddha 25 meters high, it is impressive similar construction. The Buddhist temple next door is also very rich in ornaments and it is a pleasure to see it … as it is worked …
We also went to a mountain located next to Chiang Rai, a natural park rich in forest, high density of vegetation, where there is a viewpoint with a spectacular view of the mountain. If you continue on the road it takes you to crown the mountain, with a chide in the middle of the forest where Buddhist monks go up to pray and meditate.
The road is like a roller coaster, full of potholes in a very small space for two-way traffic … so be careful!
Jaume doing the Bruce Lee with bamboo rods
Finally we visit the White Temple (White Temple), Wat Rong Khun, a modern architectural piece. It is a private Buddhist temple designed by Chalermchai Kositpipat, the owner. It consists of a white temple surrounded by different themes quite gone from pot. It was built by, vindicating the loss of Buddhist customs and enhancing them in today’s society. It is something curious, but for my taste too contemporary. You can visit the surroundings for free, but the entrance to the white temple costs 50 Baths per person that we did not think it would be convenient to pay.
After enjoying Chiang Rai, we headed to return the motorcycle in Chiang Mai, but on the way we took a random road to the mountains, took us to some cascade of water that we never got to see, but ended up spending the night in a guesthouse In the middle of the mountain, John’s Hut Guesthouse. Taking advantage of no one, we got the night for 250 Baths in a room with 3 double beds for us alone. We were in the middle of the mountain, pure nature, and the inhabitants of the place were not used to seeing tourists. With the motorcycle we take advantage to enter narrow mountain roads to get lost in the densest vegetation of the jungle … a taste!
After the motorcycle ride, more than 300 km, we left the vehicle in Chiang Mai. We stopped to make two more projects of Clown, in Kids Ark Foundation and Bann Dek Foundation, a gift for the spirit, and we went to Pai, supposedly, a hippie town of artists and tranquility.