020107 Chiangrai to Mae Salong

By chartered songthaew:


Photo by Aki


Photo by The Other HY

Cat's second time to Mae Salong, first time by the Kiew Satai route - just as steep & dramatic as the Mae Chan-Ban Pasang route:


Photo by Aki

Hand cranked petrol pump:



Not sure why we stopped here along the way, but who cares :P


Photo by The Other HY

Because he specifically instructed the cat to post BIG FAT photos of him :P


Photo from The Other HY

Big fat shock for the cat - whole patch of trees had been cleared so that the Princess Mother's chedi would not be hidden - wasn't like this a year ago:



Off to see how the town had changed:



New plaque for the secondary section of Xing Hua School:



The recycling bins lying outside the mosque are now in use:



A most beautiful Lahu bag stuffed with vegetables:

020107 the Akha taste for Gucci

All photos in this post by The Other HY unless otherwise indicated

How many times has the cat started its morning in Chiangrai by walking north along Thanon Jet Yot past Wang Come Hotel, Khao Soi Phor Jai, & the empty bars...



...to the familiar municipal market:



To the stretch of Thanon Uttarakit along the northern wall of Wat Mung Muang next to the municipal market - because they wanted to buy vegetables for our stay in Ban Mae Ter:



(Mostly) Akha villagers set up stalls on the pavement here every morning, & this is where กู่ชี่ 'gu chi' (Akha name, pronounced like the Italian fashion label name Gucci) aka. รากชู 'raak chu' (Thai name) can be bought. It's the beansprout-like roots of some plant that's used in Akha cuisine:


Dec 2010 Phongsaly town market, Laos - photo by the cat - click here for larger version

Mr Akha (Mae Suai) would introduce it to us at Ban Mae Ter - cooked with chicken:


Photo by the cat

This started the 'roots' craze - we would buy more for our stay in Ban Apa on this trip, ask for some to be brought over whenever anyone came over/returned to Singapore from Chiangrai, & have it on future visits to Chiangrai:


2007 New Year Eve dinner in Mae Suai area - photo by Aki

Because he specifically instructed the cat to post BIG FAT photos of him :P



Late noodle breakfast at another YT recommendation:



On the east side of the section of Thanon Paholyonthin between Thanon Sampanard & Thanon Prasopsuk (south of Wiang Inn Hotel) - didn't note the name but suspect it might be Muang Thong restaurant.