Getaway Vacation to Greece: Santorini

Next stop: Santorini!

After another beautiful ferry ride across the Mediterranean Sea, we arrived in Santorini, already in awe of the dramatic landscape we saw from the boat. I knew little about the island before we arrived, but had read about the caldera and volcanic history there. As we approached the island, it was clear to see the different layers of earth – something I’d never seen before – as if it’d been sliced open and we could see the brown, red and orange layers of Santorini, towering tall above the deep, blue water.

We hopped in a bus to be taken to our hotel, up and over the narrow switchbacks etched into the mountain. It took at least 15 minutes just to get from sea-level up to the top, and then we were finally heading through Fira to get to Oia, just in time for the famous sunset we’d be hearing about. We stayed at the (wonderful!) Laokosti Villas, at the very beginning of the foot path that runs over a mile through the quaint, quiet, charming town of Oia, where it ends at the 200-steps down to Ammoudi Bay. We saw this church right away and decided it must be "the one" that's shown in all the pictures. We soon learned that these magnificent, blue-domed churches are everywhere, dotting the island in such a unique way.

We dropped off our luggage and then a brisk walk turned into a run as we raced to see the sun go down, catching it just in time, along with hundreds of tourists hoping to do the same. It was beautiful, but what was almost more beautiful was the orange, golden glow on the caldera and the U-shaped island, buildings and Greek churches sparkling in the last remaining bits of day light. We walked back along the foot path to our hotel, admiring all of the hotels built right into the steep cliffs of Oia. I loved all the swimming pools with their colored lights, against the white-washed buildings and night sky. It was beautiful and so, so different from anywhere we’ve stayed before.

My husband had been craving some good, Greek street food, so we set out to find the perfect gyro, and boy, did we find it. We went to Oia Souvlaki, in a little alley way near the Oia bus stop. We ordered two gyros and Greek salad at the counter, and they brought our food to our table on the patio, under the wood canopy. It was very cute, and the food was outstanding. This was somewhat ironic because Oia is one of the more upscale towns in Santorini, full of honeymooners and couples setting out for fancy, expensive meals. And I think we paid less than $10 for this unbelievable meal. We left with full bellies and happy hearts, and strolled back through the town, stopping for a Greek dessert at a little café overlooking the ocean and all the little swimming pools lit up beneath us. It was a wonderful first night in Oia.

We woke up early the next day to do a hike from Fira to Oia.  This was by far the best thing we did in Santorini; possibly all of Greece! If you enjoy being active, outdoors, and seeing magnificent views on vacation, then don't let anyone discourage you from doing this! I’d read about this online and it sounded somewhat like the hike you can take through all five towns in Cinque Terre, Italy, which is quite possibly my favorite place on Earth. We took a 20-minute bus ride to Fira (about $2 one-way on the public bus), and were on our way! The hike took us about four hours – I think it’s seven miles? We stopped to take pictures and to enjoy the scenery, so it was definitely a leisurely hike. First you walk through the narrow footpath through Fira, similar to Oia, walking past all these hotels, restaurants, shops, again built right into the cliffs. There were stairs leading to little lookout points as we strolled through Fira, and then we finally got through the town into more of a hike, on a dirt path, looking right out onto the ocean with the caldera straight in front of us, cruise ships starting to dock. 

We stumbled upon Greek churches, remote hotels, but mostly we passed magnificent views in every direction. This was by far the best thing we did in Santorini; possibly all of Greece. The views were so stunning, from the crystal clear water down below, to the deepest blue I’ve ever seen out in front of us, to what looked like snow-capped mountains with the distant town’s white-washed buildings crawling up the side of the cliffs.  If you enjoy being outside, active, and getting away from the tourists, and marveling in the beauty of a new place, I can’t recommend this enough. It was just awe-inspiring.

The hike ends in Oia, but we actually continued on down the footpath to the 200 steps at Ammoudi Bay because we’d made reservations for a sunset sail! The walk through Oia before sunset is so beautiful; the way the light hits the buildings. There were what felt like a thousand tourists walking around, rushing in and out of little alleyways and staircases, trying to get the same, perfect picture. We finally made it out of the tourist maze (I can see why people enjoy going in the off-season!), and arrived at Ammoudi Bay. This is a cute, little bay with a few fish restaurants, and is the docking point for many of the sailboats and catamarans. Just like the drive from the ferry, here the steps were etched into the mountain like switchbacks, and you could see the reds and browns striping the mountain like something out of a painting.

We set out on our sunset sail, gliding through the Mediterranean Sea, looking up in amazement at the steep cliffs, the whitewashed buildings perched on top like snow-capped mountains. We first docked near the caldera at a hot springs area where the water is slightly warmer than the rest of the sea due to geothermic activity. We dove off the boat and swam into the warmer, shallow area, soaking in the warmth. The next stop was supposed to be the Red Beach, following by the White beach, but the currents were too strong that day so we docked near the island opposite the caldera (can’t remember the name) where people actually live and it’s not infiltrated with tourists. We had our Greek-style BBQ there and went snorkeling. The water was pretty cold so we didn’t last long, but it was so clear and beautiful, with the afternoon sunbeams filtering through -- I will never forget it.

From there we set sail back toward Oia, stopping at the perfect spot to watch the sunset. Oh man, was it beautiful! It was worth it just to be away from all the tourists trying to get the perfect angle for their pictures. We picked a great night as there were those low clouds dangling in the blue sky, and what I’ve been calling “pirate ships” dipping toward the horizon, making the most picturesque, fairy tale scene for our sunset sail.

We stayed docked out there until every last bit of pink faded from the sky, and day officially turned to night as the stars and the moon came out, seemingly one by one. We met some fun people and had a great trip – although expensive, I’d highly recommend this to others. We went with Sailing Santorini and they were very easy to work with.

After our sail, we hopped on a shuttle back toward our hotel instead of climbing up the 200 steps in the pitch black after the “all you can drink” Ouzo, Greek beer and wine on the boat. We then decided that although we’d had a Greek BBQ dinner just a few hours ago, we absolutely had to eat at the “pita place” one last night.

The next morning we took the public bus through Fira and to the opposite end of the island to Perissa Beach, one of the few beaches on the island. Santorini isn’t your typical island consisting of beautiful beaches everywhere; most of the island’s towns are high up on the cliffs, and there are only a handful of beaches, most of them with rocks rather than a sandy beach. I think if we’d had more time in Santorini, we would’ve stayed out there at least for a night. 

Perissa Beach was a really fun, very chill area with some bars, restaurants and shops lining the beach. The town, of course, had a Greek church. Unlike the other towns we’d explored though, Perissa was right on the beach at sea level, so it wasn’t quite as dramatic as Fira and Oia with the buildings built up on the steep cliffs. It was, instead, set beneath towering mountains, and the beach itself was that of hot, black, round pebbles. You actually couldn’t walk on the “sand” so the beach was lined with huge outdoor restaurants, chaise lounges underneath umbrellas and walkways perfectly lined from the restaurants to the water, so you could avoid the “sand.” We grabbed a chaise lounge and quickly learned that you had to buy something or pay to sit there, so we had a light lunch (Greek salad) and were able to stay there all afternoon without a problem. This was our last day in Santorini, and in Greece, so we lazed around, reading, going in the water, and walking along the beach, taking it all in, not wanting to leave!

Once 5pm rolled around, it was time to make our way to the ferry, and then back to the Athens airport. (Traveler tip: For anyone going to the airport straight from the ferry terminal, a word of caution that ferry schedules seem to change frequently, and we got in about an hour later than expected, and had to take a cab to the airport rather than the metro. Unfortunately the cab fare increases starting at midnight, so we were forced to take a very expensive, unexpected cab ride in order to make our flight.)

We had a wonderful trip, full of everything we’d dreamed Greece would be -- deep blue water, whitewashed buildings, and water-colored sunsets. Unbelievably fresh Mediterranean food, so simply prepared. Friendly people, ancient history and age-old traditions. I would go back to the Greek islands in a heart beat, and next time, I will go off the beaten path to those less traveled. Mykonos and Santorini were incredible, and I can only imagine the beauty the other islands have to offer.

Previously: Mykonos

Getaway Vacation to Greece

For me, Greece has always conjured up images of deep blue water, whitewashed buildings, and water-colored sunsets. Fresh-pressed olive oil and rich, creamy, feta cheese. Ancient history and age-old traditions.

We found all of this, and more, when my husband and I went there on our honeymoon in September 2013. Our itinerary, below:

We spent a day in Athens, and then took off for some island hopping! 

We first headed to the famed Mykonos, and then set out to the beautiful, dramatic, magnificent Santorini.

It was an amazing vacation! I hope you enjoy it too ;)

Getaway Vacation to Greece: Mykonos

Ah, the beautiful Mykonos! While planning our trip to Greece, I'd heard that Mykonos has some of the most beautiful beaches in Greece, and quite possibly, the world. I'd also heard about its party reputation, and the fact that it's the most expensive of all the Greek islands, which are already incredibly expensive (it is Europe, after all). After much hesitation, my husband and I decided we'd go. And so, after months of anticipation and five hours sailing across the deepest blue sea I have ever seen, we arrived at the new port in Mykonos. Wow, was it beautiful. 

As soon as we checked in at the PortoBello Hotel at the outskirts of Mykonos City, I knew we made the right decision about staying on this island. The hotel was just beautiful – a small hotel with maybe 20 rooms, overlooking the entire city and the Mediterranean sea. The view was majestic. This was the best hotel of our entire trip – from the location to the service to the value - and I can’t recommend it enough!

Views from the PortoBello Hotel, Mykonos City

We settled in and then went for a 2-mile walk to Ornos Beach. The streets aren’t made for walking – not really any sidewalks or bike lanes – so it was interesting! The beach was dotted with umbrellas and chaise lounges for purchase, or for free if you ate/drank at one of the beach-lined restaurants or bars. We had a mediocre meze platter, but decided it was worth it to sit at a table in the sand. We took the bus back to our hotel to avoid walking alongside cars and motor scooters, which actually gave us a nice little tour of Ornos Bay. The scenery is just incredible there – white-washed buildings against a deep, blue sea. Just like I’d imagined!

We got back to our hotel and then left shortly after to go for a run. This time we went a different way to Ornos Bay – the more scenic way. It was beautiful! It took about five minutes to get through town, to the path along the water, and then it winded along, up and down, past tiny beaches and into Ornos Bay where there were kite boarders and wind surfers out and about. It was one of the most beautiful runs I’ve ever been on, but unfortunately I didn't bring my camera!

We got back just in time for sunset. I still can’t believe the view from the hotel patio – they could charge money to let people sit there for the view! I know Santorini is famous for its sunsets, but the sunset view from the hotel patio rivals those in Santorini.

What is it about sunsets? They inevitably draw me in, with their water color-like colors dripping one into the next, the slow shift as the entire sky transitions from blue to orange to pink. The glittering buildings basking in the sun shine. Sunsets have a way of demanding all my attention at once, so that I can’t possibly think of anything except the beauty of what’s before me. It’s blissfully calming to be so aware, so present, so lost in the moment of something so simple and so beautiful. 

We had some Greek wine and grapes, and watched the sun dip down behind a small island in the distance, and watched the white-washed buildings of Mykonos City fade away as the lights turned on and the partiers came out. Finally, when I accepted that the sunset was over and it was officially night time, we took the steps from our hotel into the city and wandered around the tiny pedestrian streets, in search of a delicious Greek dinner. After dinner we got lost in the little streets, wandering through Little Venice, along the waterfront, stopping for gelato and then making our way back up the stairs to our lovely hotel. Not a bad day.

The next morning we found ourselves falling in love with our hotel even more, as we discovered the mouth-watering breakfast buffet. I would stay there again just to eat there! We loaded our plates with creamy, Greek cheeses, fresh olives, cucumbers, and tomatoes. Greek yogurt and juicy plums, peaches and grapes. Pastries, tea, and spanikopita. We sat on the same patio where we’d watched the sunset, this time looking in awe out over Mykonos City down below, the deepest blue sea, and a crystal clear blue sky. Were we in heaven??

After indulging in one of the best breakfasts I’ve ever had, I set out on a walking photography tour by myself. I slowly made my way through Mykonos town, marveling at the simple beauty of the stark white buildings with brightly colored doors. Eventually I ended up at the water, passing by some small, Greek Orthodox churches, again with that stark white exterior and bright blue domed top. They are just so beautiful.

Finally I made it to the famed windmills at the edge of Mykonos town. They are these old windmills, making you feel as if you’ve gone back in time.

I continued my walking tour, passing through Little Venice, more churches, and cute cobblestone streets. 

Little Venice

Meandering through town

I escaped the waterfront just as the cruise visitors started to pour in. There were three cruises in port that day and the tiny town filled up very fast.

Luckily for us, we rented a car and took off to the more remote beaches at the eastern side of the island, including those surrounding Kalafatis Bay. 

 

Through my research, it seemed we didn’t need a car to get to the beaches, but it also seemed that the bus-accessible beaches - Ornos, Psarou, Platys Gialos - were busy, and we wanted to check out somewhere off the beaten path. This was one of my favorite parts of the trip, so I’m glad we took the effort to drive a bit. Although, driving was rather interesting as the street signs are either in Greek or non-existent.

The first beach we checked out at Kalafatis was, of course, stunning. Crystal clear water bleeding into the deep, blue sea, glistening in the sun light below white-washed, 2-story houses on the rolling hills above. The water temperature felt like that in Lake Tahoe, but it was saltier than any ocean I’d been in, and I could actually float! This is quite unusual for me, so it was very exciting. We sun bathed, strolled the beach, swam briefly in the chilly, salty water, and did some beach gymnastics ;)

We went to another beach just north of the first one, which was even more secluded with fewer people, and just as beautiful. There were even some goats roaming across the street.

Then, out of part obligation and part curiosity, we found ourselves at Paradise Beach, the ultimate party beach on the island. As expected, it was beautiful, in a small bay surrounded by – you guessed it – white-washed houses built up the hills overlooking the bay. There were two large bars/clubs on the beach, and beautiful, tanned tourists drinking, dancing and enjoying life. We saw some naked guys, topless girls, and even some kids (wtf?!?). 

After our beach tour, it was back to our hotel to watch another amazing sunset. Just amazing.

At last, the last bit of pink faded into gray, and we were off to dinner yet again. This time we found ourselves eating fava bean dip (like hummus), thick, crunchy bread, Greek style salad with fresh cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers and feta cheese, and lamb and pork marinated in some lemony, creamy, herb-soaked goodness. We wandered through the streets again, window shopping, stopping to take pictures of more brightly colored doors against a white backdrop of a building, and walked along the waterfront again until our bed called. It was our last night in Mykonos – another short trip – but well worth it.

The next morning we ran along the water one last time, out to Ornos Bay and back. We had another extraordinary breakfast, and then drove out to Platos Gialos beach for a quick visit. It was dotted with umbrellas and beach chairs for rent, so much so that you couldn’t even see the beach. There were hotels and restaurants not 100 feet from the ocean, and peddlers selling sunglasses and knock-off hand bags. We didn’t stay for long, and appreciated the previous day’s trip to the north-eastern beaches a little more. Apparently I didn't even take a single picture here!

We had an amazing time in Mykonos, but luckily we had more to look forward to! Finally it was time to drive out to the new port to return our car and hop on a ferry to Santorini!

Previously: Athens
Next up: Santorini

Getaway Vacation to Greece: Athens

Athens is a huge city and, not knowing what to expect, we were pleasantly surprised. It was your typical European city, and reminded us a lot of Rome, with ancient ruins everywhere you turned, cute neighborhoods and unbelievable food. After accidentally sleeping until noon and missing our hotel’s breakfast (it was our first day in Europe after a looong flight from San Francisco), we did what what most other tourists were doing in Athens that day – we visited the Acropolis, where the Parthenon is perched up on the hill, overlooking the vast city below. The Acropolis was flooded with tourists and signs about each building’s restoration, and I now understand the history of it all is actually within the Acropolis Museum, which I will visit next time I’m there :)

The Parthenon

Ruins at the Acropolis

Views from the Acropolis

We used TripAdvisor’s offline City Guides (which I highly recommend! No data roaming necessary for these offline guides & maps) and found some great off-the-beaten-path type places including Filopappos Hill which offers great views of the Acropolis (below), but without anyone there! 

Views of the Acropolis from Filopappos Hill

We visited the some other ruins (below), always finding the Acropolis in the distance.

We meandered along the streets, finding ourselves at the National Garden (like Central Park). Upon our exit, we just so happened to catch the Changing of the Guard on on our way to Syntagma Square.

 We walked around the cobblestone streets and found ourselves in Monastiraki, Psiri and later in Plaka. These are cute little neighborhoods, all with their own charm, and all within walking distance.

We ended up having dinner in Psiri and it was one of the best dinners we had on our trip! I really wanted the Moussakka, but the waiter said that’s something tourists eat (what?!) and pushed us into getting a huge meat platter topped over “potatoes” (aka French fries) and pita bread. We had a Greek salad, just salad in Greece ;) It was just tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, olives, feta and olive oil – no lettuce – not at any restaurant on our entire trip. It was amazing. Totally fresh, flavorful and so delicious that I’m salivating just thinking about it. Ahhh to be back in Greece!

Traditional Greek Salad

We did some after-dinner strolling through charming neighborhoods, and ended up back at our hotel's roof deck, with views of the Acropolis, all lit up at night. Despite having gotten up at noon, that's all the night had in store for us...it was off to bed so we could get up before dawn for our ferry to Mykonos!

Read up on the rest of the trip and our island-hopping adventures:

Mykonos
Santorini

My Thailand Vacation: Chiang Mai

Oh Chiang Mai...so much to love! As I’ve been writing about Thailand, I’ve been excited to get to this part, and yet nervous at the same time because I don’t know where to begin! When people ask me about my favorite part of the trip, without hesitation I say Chiang Mai. We spent the second half of our trip here, and could not have been happier with the mix of history, culture and natural beauty we encountered. 

Chiang Mai is the cultural hub of northern Thailand, with over 300 Buddhist temples (wats) and so much history everywhere you look. We had the incredible good fortune of being there for two festivals, deep rooted in Thai culture. Loi Krathong and Yee Peng take place during the full moon at the end of November each year (dates vary as it’s based on the lunar calendar), and amazingly, this was during our trip. We just switched things around to be in Chiang Mai for these festivals, as I’d read that Chiang Mai has the largest celebrations in all of Thailand, though they are certainly celebrated throughout the country.

We stayed in what’s called the Old City – one square mile enclosed by the old brick city gates, and bordered by a moat. 

One afternoon we just walked out of our hotel in search of some Buddhist temples (wat means temple in Thai), and boy did we find some. They are seemingly everywhere you turn, though some are bigger than others. These feel like compounds as the wat itself is massive, and there are students living there studying to be monks. There are old historical wats that have been preserved, monuments set up to learn about the wat, and of course the wats themselves which you can enter to pray or just take some pictures and leave. 

 

We bought some of the small flowers that are used as offerings to Buddha – you write down your name, make a wish for yourself or someone else, place it on the offering trays on the altar, and the monks will pray for you that night and the following morning. We were just blown away by the massive gold structures, countless statues of Buddha, and the way the religion seems to be so embedded in the Thai culture there. The only thing I can compare it to is the way Catholicism is very apparent in places like the Vatican City and, to a lesser degree, Rome.

At one of the larger temples, they had something called Monk Chat and you can go right up and talk to the monks. While I was hoping to get into a deep discussion about Buddhism, their English is somewhat broken as many of them have only learned English from talking to tourists like me, without any formal English education. So our conversation consisted more of me asking them questions about living at a monastery and what life is like studying to become a monk. They seemed very happy and accepting of things like not being able to eat after dark, being required to stay on the temple grounds after dark, only being allowed to go home once a year to see family, and other rules that you might expect from someone in an intense program such as this. The rules vary depending on which monastery you’re at, and they can move around to experience living in different areas. It was all very interesting, and at the end of our chat, they gave me a “krathong” which is part of the Loy Krathong festival where you make a wish and let a krathong down the river, essentially making a wish to the water gods.

One day we took an organized tour to Doi Suthep, one of the oldest and largest wats, about 30 minutes outside of Chiang Mai. We made the mistake of going with an organized tour group though, which wasn’t really worth the money as they didn’t provide much information and didn’t even go into the wat with us. If you want to see this, just rent a taxi or songthaew (a covered pick-up truck with benches in the back) and go on your own, or do more research than we did and find a better tour company. :) The wat itself was incredible - fascinating and full of people, and there’s a large staircase to take you up the hill into the wat. There was so much gold everywhere and it was just beautiful! There were so many different kinds of Buddhas, in different sizes, positions, materials, and I just couldn't stop taking pictures of everything. From the top, on a clear day, you can look out and see the city of Chiang Mai below. 

 

 

In addition to learning about the religious aspect of Thai culture, we took a Thai cooking class which was a really fun experience! Several people had recommended this, and since we like cooking (and eating!) we decided to do it. I researched several cooking class companies online and ultimately went with a smaller company boasting healthy cooking – Thai Basil Cookery. Most cooking classes have the same format – you are picked up and taken to a Thai market where you pick out all the food that you’ll cook (or your teacher will show you the various Thai ingredients while someone else gets the food). Either way, the food you’ll cook with comes from the market and as a result, should be incredibly fresh. This was actually the best Thai food we had the entire trip, and I’m sure it’s because it was so fresh and with so few preservatives or additives sometimes found in restaurants. 

There were two other couples and one teacher. Our teacher, Tom, was great and I really felt like I was in cooking school! We got to pick one of three dishes for six courses,  so between my fiance and me, we learned how to make 12 dishes – appetizer, soup, noodle, curry, stir fry and dessert! We cooked one course and then sat down together and ate, and then cooked the next course, and were very full at the end of the night! Highlights included making our own curry from scratch, meaning using a mortar and pestle to grind coriander seeds (no ground coriander for us!), chili peppers, garlic, etc. Then we made our own coconut milk by putting fresh coconut in a cheesecloth, then continuously wringing it out in a large pot filled with water. Then we finally combined the curry paste with the coconut milk, and then with the veggies and meat, and stir-fried it all together for the most delicious green curry chicken I’ve ever had. 

As a devoted mango and sticky rice fan, that was my dessert of choice, made with the same coconut milk we’d made from scratch. So fun!! Our teacher told us where to get the ingredients at home, such as fish oil, palm sugar and other Asian ingredients. We got a cookbook to take home, and once we start eating Thai food again (it’s been about a month since we’ve been back and we haven’t wanted Thai food yet!) we’ll definitely be trying out our new Thai cooking skills!

Another thing on our Thai culture wish list was going to a Muay Thai kickboxing fight. I used to train Muay Thai and this was another motivating factor for putting Thailand on my bucket list, in addition to scuba diving. So we went and it was one of our favorite nights! We went to a “stadium” which was basically a bunch of bars on the perimeter of a semi-enclosed building, and an elevated boxing ring in the middle. There were about seven fights, starting with tiny looking Thai boys, then one female fight, and the grand finale was an international fight with a guy from France against a Thai guy. Just as I’d heard, they don’t wear any gear – no shin pads, head pieces, nothing. I can’t imagine kicking someone’s shins without padding…eek!!! It was pretty awesome to watch Muay Thai fighters in Thailand, not understanding a word of what the announcer said and yet screaming and cheering for whichever fighter we decided we liked better. Ha. 

On our walk back to our hotel that night, after the fights, we passed all these bars with older, white men and beautiful, young, Thai women. Unfortunately we think they were prostitutes, and it was pretty sad to think that’s how they make a living. Shortly after, we walked through what must have been the gay district, because we saw the exact same thing except white men with tiny, Thai men. Interesting cultural experience and pretty sad. They weren’t blatant prostitutes, but we saw so many situations like this that we didn’t know what else it would be.

The next day we decided we wanted to go hiking, but no one in Thai knew the word “hiking.” While Chiang Mai is a well-known launching off point for jungle trekking (usually overnight hiking/camping in the jungle), we were just interested in a day trip. Luckily, an American girl overheard us talking and told us she’d just been hiking at the Bua Tong waterfall, part of the Mae Taeng National Forest Reserve. She raved about it, so we hired a songthaew driver for 1,000 TB to take us there the next day (it's about 45 minutes north of Chiang Mai). 

This was probably the best day we had because we love exploring the non-touristy areas of a city, and we absolutely love being outside! The waterfall was beautiful, as you can see below, and you can actually climb up the waterfall as the rocks aren't the usual slippery rocks you'd expect to find.

We climbed around the waterfall and river, and then decided to explore the jungle a bit. We'd been hiking through thick jungle for a while and almost turned around when we discovered this completely untouched, beautiful waterfall! While this picture is pretty, the waterfall was so gorgeous and the pool of water this rich, bright blue, that this just doesn't do it justice. We stood there in awe for a while, shocked we'd encountered such stark beauty by accident. Amazing!

We continued hiking, though we should've turned back, because the trail became so thin and eventually just ended at the river, and we weren't sure we'd be able to find our way back. I had visions of walking in circles, never finding our way back, and had my first panic attack. Lol I wish I was exaggerating, but I was scared! When we finally got back to the waterfall, we knew where we were, and then we basically sprinted the entire way back because we thought our driver might have left us because we'd been gone for so long!

Instead, he was praying at a little Buddhist shelter near the entrance to the forest, and pointed out some view points he'd discovered while we were gallivanting around in the jungle. He was the sweetest man we met over the course of our entire trip, and I wish I'd gotten his name, but at least I took this picture with him. Some people really touch you in a way you can't explain, and I found myself thinking about him even after our trip ended. He was just so sweet and patient and happy, despite having worked all day driving us around for the equivalent of $30. Actually, he agreed to 1,000 TH (about $30) and we gave him 1,200, and he was so incredibly gracious. He offered to drive us around for the remainder of our trip and was always on time to pick us up at our hotel and so friendly and accommodating. Such a sweet man!

When we got back from our adventures in the jungle, we were off to the Loi Krathong and Yi Peng festival events! There was a parade that night going from the old city walls near our hotel, down to the Ping River where people were letting their krathongs down the river and lighting lanterns into the sky. The parade was incredible - Thai men and women dressed in traditional Thai clothing, sometimes dancing, singing, or just waving as they marched along beside their impressive floats. We walked the whole way to the river along the parade route, seeing monks watching from the nearby wats every so often.

When we got to the river, we made a wish on our krathong that the monks had given me the day before, and let it float down the river with the rest of them. There were so many people taking part in this tradition, and so much excitement everywhere we turned. I can't even explain the positive energy in the city this night - it just all seemed magical and a little surreal that we were in Thailand for something as big as this! 

 

We watched all the people on the streets lighting their lanterns and letting them go. We bought our own lantern for about 30 TB (~ $1), wrote our names on the lantern and made a wish, as instructed, and watched our lantern fly into the night sky, lit up by the hundreds of paper lanterns floating away into the heavens above. 

This was our last night in Chiang Mai and it surpassed all our expectations! After making our wishes and watching our lantern fade into the sky, we walked around some more as there was just so much activity and the streets were flooded with excited, happy people letting their lanterns fly into the sky. We crossed the bridge at the river and stumbled upon a handful of brightly lit stages with live music and dancers. We were pretty convinced that these were Thailand's biggest pop stars, but who knows ;) It must've been at least 10pm before we finally went somewhere to eat dinner. We were just so caught up in all the excitement of this huge cultural tradition. 

If you ever have the opportunity to visit Chiang Mai in late November, during these festivals, I highly recommend doing everything you can to make it happen! Even if you can't visit during that time, you won't be disappointed with a visit to Chiang Mai, with it's rich history, positive energy and friendly people. I've never been anywhere like this and certainly hope I make it back some day.


Where we stayed: Awana Guest House

Favorite restaurant: The Whole Earth (Indian and Thai)

Cooking class: Basil Cookery School