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Another Big River Prawns Restaurant

Sitting by Chao Paya

Bangkok and her surroundings, never short of places to explore and fancy places to eat. A good drive into Phatum Thani and there we found yet another exquisite place for lunch. How we found this place was because we suddenly had a craving for prawns. So we searched the realm of Thai forums and saw recommendations of several eateries near where we stay. We were yet again pleasantly surprised by what we stumbled upon. This restaurant is called Baan Chid Krung. The crustaceans were rather pricy going for 1400 Baht per kilo so we only had two. They weighted 250g each or thereabouts. You can't compare that to river prawns that sells for 200 Baht per kilo elsewhere because the cheaper ones going wholesale at Ayudhya are of a much smaller size. Though we paid hefty for the meal, the setting itself was just worth it. The Fried Rice with Prawn Egg was fantastic too. It was winter cool when we were there in January, it was the perfect afternoon as we lunched and watch the barges and anticipated if the jet skis crisscrossing the Chao Paya will crash into them. Thailand, my food paradise, the reason for my increasing waistline.

Sitting Area

They Alley

BBQ Prawns

A Few Good Dishes

Chillout

Marndadee, Chillout at Chiangmai

So Heritage

Marndadee Heritage River Village, there is a reason to the heritage title. You live among the paddy, they have farmers tending the crops at certain time of the day. On the compound, the terraced sections of inundated agriculture takes on center stage. The different styled accommodations, wooden and concrete, fringes the crops. I arrived late in the night on my northern trip after a full day from Mae Sot to Chiangmai. In the room that I checked in, there was a scarecrow out front. There it stood, an evil shadow of a figurine in front of our Sino Colonial room, the silhouette of a ghostly figure with its head posed like its neck was broken. That's when I realized scarecrows are not only meant to scare birds, but to scare a few drops of pee out of me.

Scary Scarecrow

On the second night, we stayed in the Rice Barn. A wooden house erected on large stilts, each of those strong support, parts of an old sturdy tree. The resort aims to retain the rustic authenticity of the north, so a majority of parts in the barns are actually recycled from pieces of rural houses which had ran out of their useful past. Both the Sino Colonial room and the Rice Barn we stayed were fully loaded with antiquity. And every room there is christened by a name, not a number. The name which is from a nearby district and no two are the same.

I find the Rice Barn most interesting of stay, but very small she is I have to say. Going up a flight of wooden stars, there is a patio that overlooks the bordering Ping river out front. Wooden chairs and a low table, that was where I spent the afternoon sipping tea. Our neighbor, French Fries they ordered, relaxing with a cold bottle of beer in the stillness of the lazy afternoon sun. The entrance into our room is made up of two swinging doors, very small and can get stuck going in especially with luggage.

Rice Barn Interior

The barn is made for hobbits I am sure, I think they made it small so that it's a novelty. A large bed took up most of the space within, and we had to move furniture around when we wanted to open them windows to let the winter air in. The Sino Colonial rooms are much larger and easier to move around in comparison. The Rice Barn spots more luxury, she has a colonial style bathtub that stood on four legs in her bathroom. But small, very small so you may overturn the tub if your are too large. And below the deck a sitting area there is, a hammock for one to snooze, a table and two chairs for my blogging there is.

Rather Cramped

This resort had only opened in recent months, operationally they seemed to be still figuring out how to run the place smoothly. Tell tale signs were the inadequate sitting space for breakfast with the food line setup in what seem to be in a abrupt fashion. Egg station, cooks and all, enclosed in a small pack area on the second floor. Breakfast selection was limited, but the taste was pleasantly above acceptable. However, the food ran out too fast, and a different dish was served later in place but of an equally small quantity.

Chamber maids had trouble coping with the full occupancy rate it seemed. We were told our room was ready but we had to wait a half hour below our barn before the staffs came to ready our room from the previous occupant's stay. Actually they never came till we called the reception to complain. And that's where for the first time in my life I seen elderly ladies move so fast up and down the stairs executing frantic task carrying bed sheets, linens, the broom and the mop in flight.

Below Deck

If you travelled enough, you will know that in most hotels, there is a lack of free electrical outlets to charge your phone and gadgets. Not in Marndadee. I counted 14 free outlets in total within the Rice Barn. I can charge my phone or power my notebook almost anywhere. Also interesting to note about Marndadee is that your room doors can be locked form the outside. So much like Medieval times, you can engage the latch on your neighbor's door, lock them in and set their barns on fire.

We had picked this resort to be the finale of our trip and glad we did. Its far away from bustling Chiangmai, getting there required some travelling through surrounding pastures of paddy fields. How more natural can it get? This last leg of our journey, after tiresome driving and all, we rested well in Marndadee not venturing out anywhere no more after lunch. It was the night before New Year's eve. As we sat chilling out beyond dusk, the croaking frogs orchestrated the night. Occasionally our barns were illuminated in a radiance of colors, followed by a delayed faint crack of distance fireworks. The chilly air we breathed, the winter blanket we were in.

By the Ping River

Outside the Diner

Rice Plants

Just Simply Rustic

Th names of the Rooms

Out by our Room

Within the Barn

The Surroundings

Sino Colonial Room

Outdoor Dining

Can get Stuck

Lock from the Outside

TrueLove, Siberian Pet Cafe in Ari

Huskies!!!!

Our 3 pieces of fish fingers and a small plate of dim sum was served. They were just appetizers going for THB 250 per set which included a drink and a dessert that we choose from their display fridge showing a limited assortment of cakes. First come first serve, the early bird get the Tiramisu, it was good. We should have gone for the THB 300 set, which included a main course of larger portions, but we already had our meals elsewhere. Our intentions was to have lunch, but when we arrived there at 1pm, we found out that this place operate 3 sessions per day. The 12.30 pm session was already fully booked. So we reserved for the 4 pm session, not wanting to wait till 7 pm for the last. We went to a nearby mall to satisfy our hunger.

Roaming Dogs

It's another pet cafe that sprouted up and this one has Siberian Huskies all over. After an hour of chatting under the still cool January afternoon, they released the dogs from their kernels into the compound. A metal fence separated us from the canines, also separated our food from their hungry mouths. They have 17 adult Siberians, and a significantly large number of puppies. Everyone eagerly waited for the gate to be opened, so that we could hug and mingle with them large cute fluffy dogs. We knew it was time for that when we were issued plastic shoes that looked the same as those wore in surgical rooms. Part of preventive measures not to infect the dogs with diseases and unwelcomed bacteria.

There are rules and regulations that we guest must abide by. We had to rinse our hands in sanitizers before we were allowed to enter the premise. There is a rule book, it was unfortunately printed only in Thai and I had no idea what the clauses were. We are not suppose to stick our hands into Huskies' mouth, poke their eyes and probably not to stick our fingers into their ass. I think we are not to encourage the canines to hump our legs and we should not eat their doggie food. I think the rules should be somewhere along these lines.

Its not a Huskie! Better then Nothing

The handlers herded the canines into secured sections of the compound leaving only a small number of Huskies free to roam, then they released the humans. I had visualized myself walking among excited dogs all scrambling around, jumping and pouncing on me and me hugging them. It did not happen. There was dog to man ratio of 1 is to 6. I suppose the cafe have a reason for doing that instead of letting all dogs loose at the same time. As a result, the scene was of people trying their best to capture the unwilling dogs for a photo opportunity. I guess the dogs already had too much human interactions, so we are just another tree, another fixture in the compound and most of the time, we were ignored. It was funny how some guest ended up trying to catch that odd one out Havanese (i think it is) running among us. And wondered we did, what was it doing there anyways. That was a situation of "no fish, prawn also can", an idiom from the Chinese Hokkien world.

They were so Eager To Go Home

In the one hour petting-zoo session, there were 3 batches of dogs released for us to mingle. A few of them looked to be sick, or maybe they are just old. Dogs like humans don't stay young forever. So there we have it, another new haunt for pet lovers. Should come on a weekday where the man to dog ratio will be better. Bangkok, there is Purr Cat Cafe in Thong Lor which is already famous and then some more. What will Thais think of next? Whatever animal it is, be it rabbits, cats or dogs, keep them coming, I'm lovin it here.

TrueLove Cafe

The Humans are Released

Plastic Shoes

Catch and Take Picture

Travelling Mae Rim and Mon Cham

Mon Cham

This has to be one of my most memorable itinerary of my recent northern trip. The drive was easy, because we started our journey at just before 5 am in the morning. The meal later on we had on a hill was brilliant, because we were engulfed in cold air and the crowd was not like that in a concert. Mon Cham is a gated hilly compound located north west of Chiangmai city. Within her fences are large terraced meadow of flowers and fresh vegetation. You can graze on these large salad bars but it would not be appropriate to leave nibble marks on the fresh vegetation.

Ample Parking, If you are Early

To get to Mon Cham, head into Mae Rim. Where the roads narrows into a bendy uphill climb, you will be greeted by signs pointing here there and everywhere which includes Mon Cham so famous she has become. It's not too far, an hour or so depending on traffic. We had some mini vans that staggered and struggled on the ascend blocking our way. The air should have been fresh, our windows wound down. Burning clutch odor filled every cup holder in my Jazz. On approach towards our destination, there was a large sandy compound offering a place for us to park. There were only three vehicles when we arrived including the two mini vans. We alighted, we chit chat and the driver of one of the vans apologized politely for almost rolling back into me when he lost his clutch grip previously. It was dark, dawn had not set in. Headlights illuminated our breaths.

Watching Sunrise

Panting like a dog, the further uphill climb was steep. I realized the stamina I used to have is no more. Age had caught up. There was a small gathering where the woodwork of a large door was, the sign read "open at 7 am". Some two rows then offered their service to bring us to watch sunrise, helped pass our waiting time they sure did. We went. Rocky terrain, the screeching tyres tried to grip, rocky ride, we shifted and shoulder bumped more than a bit. 20 minutes later we set foot on land, directed to the ominous peak and in dawn light we trekked and did. There, only a mere 30 the group was, but the standing space was small. No railings, no barriers separated the cliff drop behind on the peak. Everyone stood waiting for the sun to peek out from the distance mountains and the sea of fog between. Like plants we were and our face like the flowers facing in the same direction, all waited for the light to paint us in glowing golden colors. The sun revealed herself, a thousand pictures were taken. Visitors on their phones posting to social media immediately. Soon the episode was over, no one fell off the cliff. All made our way back to our waiting two rows and then the descend back to Mon Cham, the rocky ride, the pack cabins we sat within.

Mon Jam!!!

By then, Mon Cham had turned from peaceful tranquility into a market chaotic with chatter but good the air was still chilly. We bumped into some Bangkok friends not surprisingly and had coffee and tea in bamboo sheds. Some ordered the congee for breakfast, but a long wait they did. The queue over at the counter was long and noisy. In summary, too many people, too long the wait, too many interruptions into the picture frame my Canon had snapped. Sea of fog in the distance, sea of people Mon Cham had and no more serenity. It was year's end, I was told to expect that.

Vineyards

We left on narrow roads packed with cars inconsiderately parked on the narrow two lane tarmac, we made our way further into Mae Rim. Ups, downs and bends, we spotted a Vineyard. We had to pay to get it. The blackcurrant, they looked tiny, in bunches they hung off the framework too low my face kept colliding into them. They have them on sale, over the counter purchase many did. I did not. Next to this vineyard across the road was rows of colorful vegetation lined perfectly. Of purple and greens, the dots of visitors spread across them like dark sesame seeds. More picture opportunities.

Pick your Own Strawberry

A strawberry field we visited. Pick your own, weigh your own and pay your own the sign reads. There were no more large juicy pickings, they had already been picked since the beginning of December when the huge number visitors invaded. Only the small ones were left, the occasional larger ones hidden behind leaves. Every field will be filled with people this season, everyone wants pictures taken. The assault of Mae Rim by Bangkokians, business thrived, prosperity for the folks with disregards if their fruits they had ripen.

Just Breathtaking Sitting There

We drove on further, enjoyed the spectacle Mae Rim her hilly terrain could offer. How long will her charm remains I wondered. Numerous peaks had been trimmed like a bad haircut, filled with groups of tents, a camping ground they had become. The gathering of metallic cars, their shiny reflections breaking the green foliage of nature on each of those clearings. A hut, a house, some structure within, the basic toilets and bathrooms for the campers' essential needs.

Recommended Route

How to see the best of Mon Cham and her surrounds? Leave early well before the sunrise, take the well paved large roads on route 121 that fringes east of Chianmai. The journey will be pleasantly fast, the cars abound a few. The uphill descend will be short upon reaching route 1096 where to leads to Mon Cham. On the descend, do not take the same roads back, instead head further into the mountains continuing on route 1096, over to 1269 in the direction of Hang Dong and arrive at the south of Chiang Mai. This twisty route, though longer and challenging, will bring you to strawberry farms, vineyards, tasty coffee retreats, an elephant camp and more. And that's when we found Mon Muan.

Mon Muan

Mon Muan is a hill top restaurant with a great panoramic view of the surrounding landscape. They have several wooden houses serving as hotel rooms. They were fully booked. The breeze was constant, the chill made the noon's 18 degrees felt like 13.
On the protruding patio we sat and had lunch under the warmth of the sun, the other patrons just a cake, a coffee and a bunch of picture taking fun. Hot meals we had ordered turned cold rapidly, never mind that the coolness was what I was there to embrace. How did Mon Muan turned so popular? Told I was that a Thai series was filmed there that drove her fame up. And again, some friends bumped into us, small world or was it just that everyone was there this season.

The Doi

It was past noon and the traffic had significantly built up. On the downhill towards Hang Dong, a very enjoyable drive shifting me gears between two three and four. When my brakes were at its limits, the familiar smell of burning pads smelt, we took a break at The Doi, one of coffee places so crowded and so many to be found on route. The elephants were opposite, tourist bought food to feed the grey giants. The arrival of a big bike entourage, the rumblings of their large capacity engines. We left for our resort to chill the rest of our afternoon, the bikers our table they took over in turn. The next time I will come, in Mae Rim a resort I shall find and stay. This place is lovely and should be the highlight of a northern trip in winter for anyone that comes.

Look at them Go

Village

Shops on the Road Side

More of Mon Cham

Vege Farm

Sunrise

That's how they Do It

The real Farmers at Work

And since Blogspot keep screwing up the location, this is the only way I can share.