I woke up at 6:30 today. It's been months since I've gotten up this early. Right — today I'm going on a tour to Chiang Rai with Luca. I hurriedly took a shower, did my skincare, and got ready. When I went to the front desk, Luca was already there and the hostel staff handed us packed breakfasts. I really felt how kind they were.
The bus had only 12 people. It was quite international — China, Israel, France, and so on. We sat in the very back and relaxed. I had only slept about five hours, so I put on an eye mask and decided to sleep. Surprisingly, I fell asleep easily.
There was a tour guide, so it felt like a proper tour for the first time in a while. White Temple, Blue Temple, the Long Neck village, a coffee garden, and hot springs — the package was 1500 baht. Actually, the Long Neck village wasn't included in the tour we bought, and later the guide quietly said, "If you want to go, it's an extra 300 baht."
When Luca said, "No, it's fine," the guide replied, "Okay, then 200 baht will do…!" In the end we gave 200 baht, and I'm really glad we went.
Foot bath at the hot springs — and then I messed up
At the hot springs there was warm water gushing up from underground, and it was the kind of outdoor foot bath where you dip your feet. We took off our socks and put our feet in. What's interesting is that even though it was about 40°C, Luca looked unbearably hot. I could feel the difference from Japanese people who are used to hot springs.
When I tried to cross to the other side, it was so slippery that I lost my balance and almost fell. From that movement, hot water splashed onto the clothes of a Chinese woman next to me. I immediately said "I'm sorry," but she got out of the hot springs right away and dramatically wiped her clothes. I thought she was a drama queen. I thought to myself that someone like that is definitely someone you shouldn't marry.
Long Neck village
We arrived at the Long Neck village. After paying the entrance fee and going inside, huts were lined up, each selling souvenirs; Long Neck people sat there and you could take pictures with them. It felt completely touristified rather than a real slice of life.
I imagine that at night, when the tourists are gone, they probably take the rings off their necks. But even kids of about 15 were wearing the rings, and I found that really amazing.
The small pineapple I ate there was super sweet and really delicious.
Lunch that brought me closer to Luca
Lunch was buffet style. Vegetables and fruits were all-you-can-take, and there were plenty of white rice and Thai dishes. Maybe because we were so tired and sleepy, we ate mostly in silence. But there was a lot of chicken, which I was really grateful for. I'm training at the gym, so the protein was welcome.
Luca and I talked about which countries we'd been to and about life in the Netherlands. These kinds of conversations never seemed to run out and made me happy. We were very nervous at first, but as we shared time together we opened up to each other.
Until now, I thought the usual flow was: talk first, become friends, go somewhere together, and then travel. But with Luca, the moment we became roommates it turned into, "Wanna go somewhere tomorrow?" We booked a tour that day and took a short trip together the next day.
We didn't even know what each other did yet. It's really the best and also funny. Traveling lets you meet people you would never meet otherwise. I think it's a wonderful connection.
White Temple — a fusion of Buddha and contemporary art
I went to the White Temple. It's that temple you've seen a lot on Instagram. It was made by a Thai artist and is all white and silver.
At the entrance, hands lined up on both sides as if trying to lead us into a dark world, and inside there's a large Buddha. At first glance it seems like an ordinary temple, but the walls are decorated with Iron Man, Neo, and Kung Fu Panda — a fusion of Buddha and contemporary art. It's really unique.
I also went to the museum of the person who built the temple, and seeing such meticulous workmanship up close made me think they're a true craftsman.
I bought a piece of clothing I liked at the souvenir shop. I had my photo taken for the first time in a while; at first I was too nervous to smile, but I gradually got used to it.
The problem of my lowered threshold for being moved
Lately I've been feeling that this trip has become routine and that I feel "moved" less often. It feels like the threshold has dropped. Even the "might as well" feeling that comes with travel turns into a "meh."
But this isn't because of age. There are plenty of people older than me who have far more energy than I do. In the end it's a battle with yourself; how you feel and how you view yourself matters. All behavior depends on you. First be open and expose yourself. Then others can come in.
Blue Temple — the blue made by the White Temple's disciple
I went to the Blue Temple. It's a temple worked on by a disciple of the person who made the White Temple, and it seems to have been completed recently. Everything is blue and gold. It had a real impact, and there were many things that made me realize how different two temples can be.
However, when you're with someone you end up worrying about them and lose the space to look closely at the temple's decorations or try to fully understand them. That's why I want to travel alone. Of course, traveling with someone makes the best memories and is fun. But right now I think I'm after the pleasure of getting to know and understand myself.
Chamomile tea at the coffee garden
Last was the coffee garden. Chiang Rai apparently is famous for coffee too. But since I once had a coffee that made me jitter, I chose chamomile tea and an omelet. It was like being in the jungle — very humid and it rained a lot, but it was relaxing.
With Luca I talked a lot about French bread, butter, and cheese. He likes cooking and said he wants to cook when he goes back to the Netherlands and try a cooking class. He was passionate about cooking.
You can totally do it
Four hours on the bus and we finally arrived at the hostel. The relief and sense of accomplishment of, "Ahhh!! We're finally here!" It was a completely different feeling from when I come back from the gym.
Meeting at the hostel and immediately saying, "Let's travel together!" and actually going the next day — that experience was really fresh and fun. We can totally do it.
