Having a bike changes everything. At home biking and cooking are so much a part of what brings me joy that not having those things for even a couple of days started to takes its toll. I made sure that I got to the bike shop before it closed last night so I could secure one of the joys. Instantly I felt better about being away from my comforts for a few weeks.
Biking in Chiang Mai is a kind of like biking in NYC so I have adapted quickly. The differences are that people actually smile on the road and are patient with how traffic moves so I can manuever my way through narrow streets and major streets with relative ease. No one drives that fast either because there are so many cars on the road that I tend to end up in packs of scooters. The biggest difference is that traffic doesn't stop so I just have to be aware of the cars and scooters coming from all directions and merging with whatever traffic I am in. Oh, and the driving is on the left here. (Living in England has come in handy after all).
I felt so accomplished making my way to school this morning and not getting lost. Also braving the morning traffic was no small feat. Tonight I rode around for three hours exploring the city. I had a destination and then ended up getting really lost so the short bike trip turned into a mini adventure. I figured out that the mountains are North and my guesthouse, appropriately Mountain View is located on the North side of the Old City. So when I discovered that I was indeen very lost I looked for the mountains and started to make my way back.
On the way I fell upon a little outdoor city of plants called Kamthieng Market. It was the end of the work day so there were no shoppers, just business owners closing down. I rode around for at least 20 minutes just exploring all of the flora. This place is huge and so beautiful!
At this point I thought I figured out where I was but ended up in a very crowded food market on my way to the Old City. I couldn't resist stopping despite being lost and having no idea how without bike lights I was going to find my way home. I parked along the scooters and locked my bike to itself and headed in to explore. (No one locks there bikes to things, just the frame to wheel). I bought a package of cut up fruit which I will have for breakfast tomorrow. I have seen several fruits that I've never tried and have no idea what they are so I am hoping this medley will help discern what to buy in the future and what to stay away from.
I also had my first truly spicy meal. It was a leaf bowl of seafood and something else. I really have no idea what I ate, but it was so good. I am ruined for a while because of all of the good meals I am having. The most exciting part of this stop was eating bugs. I giggled out loud when I spotted the bowls of different insects. The gentleman behind the counter didn't speak any english but could see my excitement and tried to descibe in simple Thai what everything was. I wsn't ready to buy the bags of bugs, but he was generous enough to let me try fried maggots and larva. Delicious. If I had to compare it to anything, I would say it tastes like deer jerky. I didn't dare ask to try the flying bug, but I plan to eat many more meals at this place and will not leave town before trying all of the bugs.
Being here is a little like daring myself to be a bit braver with everything I do. Eating and bike riding are a good start because it's a base and something I am used to pushing the envelope with. This is definitely the easiest country I've been too in terms of being a woman. I love that I can look people in the eye and smile and not have it be taken as anything but a friendly gesture. This openness is a good thing for me to feel for a few weeks and I look forward to whatever comes from that.
