Chiang Mai was the new capital of the Lanna Kingdom since its foundation in 1296, succeeding Chiang Rai, the former capital. Later it belonged to various other kingdoms. Chiang Mai is a big city. Half-naked tourists everywhere you look. We cannot move into our room yet. The bags stay in a tiny dark room and we're off to eat pancakes. Then we catch a red car, haggle a bit with the driver and drive to the outskirts of the city. Walk one direction, ask for directions, get a drawing, walk back. The street we need is on the map but not all the other streets so we make a few rounds in arboretum.
After long hot streets a climb up through the forest starts. The trail is marked with orange cloth ribbons. Down roars the city. Up are a waterfall, Wat Pha Lat and a bunch of noisy Spaniards in shorts although the sign says that noise and shorts are forbidden. Spaniards are allowed. The forest temple was built in 14th century to mark the place where the king's white elephant perished and it is used as monks' meditation centre. A café has also been made. A bit wandering around and soaking our toes, then iced coffee. Locals obviously love plastic cups. Even in the ceramics museum they didn't offer coffee from self-made ceramics but from a plastic cup with plastic lid and plastic straw. The footprint keeps growing. Going down I notice where cool mountain air changes into city heat.
We take soups. Külli orders a bowl of fangs and tentacles and then they look at each other, perplexed.
We get another red car and go to Wat Umong. A cave with Buddha statues in it.
In the dinner place one has to demand spices from the staff. In other tables people dig into their phones. The digging is interrupted only by the arrival of the food. Food has to be photographed. One table orders all the seafood there is in the menu.
Finally we get an overview of all the useless things that are sold in the neighborhood shops.
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