Well, there's a lot to catch up on. And stay tuned for "the month where everything goes wrong".

Last time we left me, me was finishing my trip through northern Thailand. I got to be at home for about a week after that, just enjoying my time off. Mostly it was playing Octopath Traveler 0, which I'm a big fan of. In fact, I managed to finish it after a few days back, so I'd really recommend it. I'd just recommend all the Octopath games, they're the best JRPGs to come along since Star Ocean and Chrono Trigger.

But it was a short respite, because it was time to go back to China for Songkran / a late Chinese New Year. As expected, we didn't do too much (except eat). We did have one outing to a place called Cuishan, which doubles as a TV set where they occasionally film things. It has some other attractions you can pay extra for, like a glass bridge or alpine slide. We just took a shuttle to the top of the mountain and walked down, stopping at some temples along the way. It's quite pretty, and certainly not anything most foreign tourists would know about. In fact, I realized that I may be the only (or one of the very few) foreign "tourists" in Qujing at all, or at least one that has lived there the longest. So I felt a sense of responsibility to tell the English internet what you can do in Qujing if you, for whatever reason, find yourself there. So I created a page on WikiVoyage, which was a fun project. I didn't know the markup language for a wiki, so now I do! And now if you or a friend ever find yourself there, you'll be able to entertain yourself for a day or two. But after that week, it was back to Thailand.

I'd imagine Cat of the Mountain Temple has knowledge to dispense

And then starts the month where everything goes wrong.

We put Masala in a cat hotel before we left, which involved "smuggling" him out of our apartment. I put "smuggle" in quotes because it's an open secret that people have cats there. I've seen many myself. So it's kind of a "don't be obvious about it and we'll look the other way" sort of deal. Well, when we were bringing him back, a new employee with apparently something to prove decided to make a deal out of it, and reported it to the manager. The manager was cool about it all things considered, kind of like "Well... now that they reported it I kind of have to enforce it." So suddenly we were homeless in a sense, because we weren't allowed in the building, and he was just in his carrier outside. I thought I could wear management down with polite insistence, but they really wouldn't budge, even for one night. So fortunately, we have amazing friends with a spare bedroom who offered to house Masala while we tried to figured out what the heck to do.

And thus kicked off a week of me trying to find an apartment ASAP. Did you know that without exaggeration, 95% of apartment buildings in Bangkok do not allow cats? I do now. I never would have thought it was such a big deal, I figured you'd just need to pay an extra deposit. But nope. Looking at my phone, I have 97 places marked. So for about 3 days, I walked tens of thousands of steps, to each of those 97, and asked 1) Do you have rooms, and 2) Are cats allowed? The final count for question two was four. Four places allowed cats. Well, now we live in one of those four. All things considered, I don't think it was a bad move. We are very central in the city now, and are steps way from a mall, metro, bars, restaurants etc.. The apartment is also a bit larger, and is all in all more comfortable than our old place.

But the month where everything goes wrong isn't over yet. Not long after we moved in, Masala started throwing up. Now, he has done this before, on a one off, because hairballs and stuff. But he kept doing it, and realized, it's time for a vet visit. The vet wasn't really sure what was going on, but his bloodwork said that his liver is going nuts, almost like he ate something poisonous to him. I felt an immense amount of guilt at this. I really went over the apartment with a fine toothed comb, thinking what I could have left out that he could have eaten. But I really came up blank. We got some medicine for him, and went on our way. Except after a few days, he was worse. So, back to the vet. They sent us to another vet, a specialist. That vet said the same, that he appeared poisoned. I was really at a low point, thinking I obviously missed something, and that my negligence is responsible for all of this. But they ordered an ultrasound to be sure.

And there it is. The dummy swallowed a toy ball. And not just recently, a toy he had and we took away when he was a kitten. This had been floating around in his stomach for months, and I guess he grew enough that finally it could enter his intestine and get stuck. Now, on the one hand, I felt an intense sense of relief that I didn't poison our cat. On the other hand, the only way it comes out is surgery. To be honest, he was in real bad shape by this point. It was evening, and the vet said we should not delay this until morning. But they didn't have a surgical ward, so they phoned a colleague, who agreed to stay open if we came right away. By this time it was around 10pm, so off we went across town, followed by a very nervous few hours to hear the news that the surgery was successful.

He stayed in that animal hospital for about a week while they monitored him. And it's not really a place for visitors, it's more like an ER. I crammed myself onto a small stool by his cage, spending pretty much all day there. I'm sure they got a little annoyed that this foreigner would take up their space, but I really didn't want to leave him alone. And I'm glad to say he bounced back without complications. He actually bounced back too well, as the vet said he should take it easy for one month. Masala didn't get that memo, because about one week after he got home he was jumping on things and running around the apartment, thrilled to be out of the vet's cage. But his recovery wasn't over yet. He needed medicine or special food every 3 hours, so it kind of put us in a bind on traveling anywhere together for a while. Thankfully after he finished one of the medicines he needed attention every 6 hours, but it was still quite inconvenient. At the time of writing he's on his last day of special food, thank goodness.

It's also back to normal at work, with the new academic year starting. I don't have too much to say about that, except overall this year I'm happier than last. As a recap, I'm divided between working at two schools, some days at one some days at the other. Between School A and School B, I liked School A and thought School B was so-so. Fortunately I've been reassigned from School B, and School C is a big improvement. Not only is it a better location, but the management is more communicative and things are organized better. I'm also teaching almost all computer science classes, which is a nice change of pace from English. Since I'm not as experienced teaching computer science as I am English, it is a little more work starting out, but I'm starting to get the hang of things and getting faster at planning. At the very least, it's flexing some muscles and developing some skills that I haven't really used in a while.

Anyway, for more interesting stuff, we did manage to slip out during those limited "Masala attention" windows. One trip was to Wang Lang market, a place on the Thonburi side of the river. I had never been there before, but apparently Ella had. It is a pretty interesting market, in that it seems designed for local tourists instead of foreign ones - tucked back into a bunch of alleys, it seems like a place that someone from northern Thailand would stop by compared to an American. But that's also what made it interesting, because it had some stuff I didn't expect. Like, a bakery selling pieces of apple pie and brownies for 10 baht (30 cents) each. I also tried salak, a fruit that I've had the flavoring of but never the actual fruit (not a fan, tastes like a jackfruit, or not-sweet pineapple dunked in alcohol). Even at 10am there was no shortage of stuff to eat, and it would be a great place to visit daily if you lived nearby.

After the market and way too much coffee, we crossed back over the river to visit the Queen's Gallery. Set up by Queen Sirikit (who recently passed way) to showcase local artists, this place is right in the historical part of town. And yet despite walking past it hundreds of times, I never knew it existed. It's too bad as well, because it was remarkably cool. I know I'm not an art guy, but this is one of my favorite galleries I've visited. It's only about $1.50 to visit, and just has a lot of personality. The art is creative without being weird, and absolutely worth your time.

And unfortunately that's about it for adventures, but now I think you (and I) are all caught up on things. That will probably change in a big way starting next week - some family members are visiting Thailand for a whole month. I'm sure there will be a lot of touristing, so stay tuned for the "what to see in Bangkok with kids" rundown.

 ~Masala Update~

Our little boy is growing, in more ways than one. In a physical sense he is growing larger, to the point where we looked at him and said "Yeah, time to control your food." We never used to because he was changing from a kitten, and we're new cat owners who don't really know much. But now that he's an adult, we have purchased his #1 enemy - a measuring cup. He's surprisingly kind of okay with it, the only change is that he gets really excited when it's meal time.

He's also growing braver, little by little. I mean he's still a big coward, but before he was a giant coward. One day a fly came in from the balcony, and he was terrified. He ran and hid under the sofa, and let out sad meows until I drove away the scary monster. But now a few months later, the same thing happened. In the interim he seems to have grown a (small) spine, and decided instead to swat at the little bugger. He drove it back outside, and seemingly happy with his hunting skills, had a bounce to his step for the rest of the day.

~End of Masala Update~

For other news, the Thai semester is over, and it's summer break. The only downside is that it isn't for anyone else. Friends are at international schools (which have a weird hybrid of an April break for Thai new year and shorter "western" summer break), and Ella is at a university (and is working summer semester). I've had a few weeks at home figuring out how much I can pet Masala before we both get tired of it, but eventually I decided I need a change of pace. So for the first time in a while, I decided to take a solo trip. But I also wanted to be back in Bangkok for weekend shenanigans, so I didn't go too far. I thought I'd go to some area of Thailand that people don't often go to, and settled on hopping between three different places up near the Laos border. I knew nothing about this area before coming, just that there was a small airport and the flight was $25. But I found that it has a lot of history and not many (but some) interesting things to see.

~Nan~

Nan is where the aforementioned airport is. It's a town of about 20,000 people sandwiched between a mountain range to the west and the Laos border to the east. What I learned while I was here is that Nan started as its own kingdom around 1280. It was conquered by the Lanna Kingdom (Chiang Mai) about 200 years later. After that the Burmese invaded, and Nan was actually abandoned. In 1780 the Siamese drove the Burmese out, and Nan was a vassal kingdom of Siam. Then around 1930, it became incorporated into modern Thailand when its final king died. At the Nan National Museum, which used to be the palace, I got to see the last king (well, his urn). They also have a royal relic called the Black Ivory, and it is said that he who holds the black ivory will rule Nan. Unfortunately it is behind glass, but I assume that if I Oceans 11ed it out of there the kingdom would return with me as its ruler.

Other than that there's not too much to do in Nan? They're known for their paper lanterns, far too fragile to throw in a backpack. I got to see a lot of temples, and I gotta say, digging their temples. I know I'm pretty pessimistic about Thai temples but theirs each have something a little special about them. Wat Phumin has art on the walls that is 500 years old, Wat Ming Muang has an all white exterior that is pretty impressive, and Wat Sri Pan Ton has a facade covered in gold. I also hiked up to Wat Phra That Khao Noi for a great view of the city. Also they seemingly grow a lot of coffee and fruit here, and aren't shy to mix them together. Weird choice, but I guess I don't hate Apple Americanos.

The Nan Noble House

Wat Sri Pan Ton

Wat Phra That Khao Noi

Wat Ming Muang

~Phrae~

But after a day and a half in Nan, it's on to Phrae. Just about two hours away, it was also an independent kingdom. In fact, Phrae and Nan were buddies. As the legend goes, the kings both agreed on a meeting to decide the borders of their territory. Nan arrived on a buffalo, and Phrae arrived on a horse, which remain the symbols of each city today. Phrae has virtually the same story to Nan, only being older by about 50 years. After that, conquered by Lanna, Burma, abandoned, vassal, and then part of Siam. Phrae became part of Siam about 30 years earlier though. They had something called the Ngiao Rebellion, where during their vassal kingdom status, the locals had an uprising and tried to kick out the Bangkok administrators. Didn't work out well for them, and their last king died in exile in Luang Prabang, Laos. (Luang Prabang is amazing btw, and my favorite place in Laos. It's unknown exactly where the King of Phrae is buried.)

Now a town of about 15,000, I like Phrae a little more than Nan. It's more walkable, with narrow streets and restaurants that are very approachable from the road. Nan seems designed for cars first and people second, which makes it feel less inviting. I started off in Phrae by visiting The Free Thai Museum, which talks about the Thai guerilla fighters in WWII. When Japan invaded, Thailand didn't stand much of a chance, and was forced into declaring war on the allies. Not everyone agreed to capitulate though, and Phrae decided to fight back. It sort of worked out? Japan still controlled Thailand, but they had to commit a lot more soldiers to deal with the insurgency.

Phrae's big claim to fame though, is their teak wood. A lot of buildings here are made of it, and they like to paint them, a little unusual for Thailand. They have a kind of "southern US plantation" feel to them. Even the Pizza Company (a chain like Pizza Hut) got in on it, and hilariously enough has one of the prettiest buildings in town. There were some others though, like the Khum Vongbori House, or Khum Chao Luang, where Rama IX once stayed at. They even have a Wat made out of teak wood, which I've never seen anything like before. The guesthouse I stayed at was like that too. Lovely old lady's house, it was basically like staying on a farm - with roosters to wake you up and no AC. I didn't mind, though I needed to escape to coffee shops during the hottest part of the day. But aside from pretty buildings and some temples, that's about it for Phrae. Onto the next and final destination, Lampang.

 

Wat Chom Sawan

Khum Vongburi House

Wat Phong Sunan

My guesthouse

Pretty sparse, but enough for me

The very beautiful Pizza Company

~Lampang~

A city of about 60,000, stopping in Lampang felt sort of like being back in a city. They even have a McDonald's, so like, they're pretty fancy. Lampang is usually just a train stop on the way to Chiang Mai. It's rare people visit, but the train is partly why I'm here - I'm taking the overnight train back to Bangkok, and I love sleeping on trains. Something about the movement puts me to sleep instantly. Plus you save on a hotel, and the train stations are usually conveniently in the center of town.

History wise, Lampang's is similar to Phrae and Nan but shorter. Being only about 60km from Chiang Mai, they were always part of the Lanna Kingdom - then Burmese, then Lanna again, then Siam. A fellow from Lampang actually ended Burmese rule in the region by assassinating the leader, so there's that I suppose. Also, funny story - Lampang was one of the major bases of Japan during WWII, and the Americans sent out bombers to destroy it. Except they accidentally flew to the nearby and similarly named town of Lampun, said "Whelp, no Japanese here", and went home. Which, despite not being Thai themselves, is just so on brand for Thailand.

But despite being much larger than the previous two destinations, I found that Lampang had less to do. A few people recommended I visit a cave with ancient writing on the wall, which does seem kind of interesting, but it's also like 50km away from the city. Those writings would really have to be something, and with only a day and a half here, I thought I should pass. Lampang is well known for their ceramics, so I took a tour of the Dhanabadee ceramic factory that was somewhat interesting. They of course sell things too, for surprisingly cheap - like, most statues and things were around 100b (~$3). Not that I'm a "ceramic guy", I'm more of a "nothing guy". But it seems like this stuff could easily be sold in the US for 10, 20 times that price.

I also went to a museum called Ban Pong Nak, which is in an old teak house, very similar to in Phrae. What I didn't know is that it was on an active army base. When I got to the gate these armed soldiers came out of the guard house, and there was a quarter second of "Oh boy did I mess up?" But no, typical of Thailand, they were all smiles and let me onto the base. The guy working in the house was named Q, who couldn't be nicer, and spoke excellent English as well. He gave me a private tour, and told me about how Thai royalty has stayed the night there as well. He clearly knew a lot, telling me about why this thing and that thing were important. Then he would just take it off the wall and hand it to me to take a cool photo. I'm not used to history museums being a "hands on" experience, so this was pretty memorable for sure.

The next day, I was sort of at a loss what to do in Lampang. The hostel didn't have any recommendations, and my Googling came up pretty empty. Other than ceramics, I heard Lampang is famous for still using horse-drawn carts downtown, so I wanted to see myself a horsie. As I was bouncing around between temples (Wat Chiang Rai and Wat Si Rongmuang were worth a look), I finally saw one. I got so excited, I asked if I could ride one. They said yes, for 300b (~$10), and it would take an hour. I didn't want to ride an hour, so I asked if I could ride for 15 minutes. They agreed to that for 200b. That was good enough for me, got to see my horsie. Ding ding!

 

I really had nothing else to do in Lampang, so I just spent the afternoon at the mall to avoid the heat. In the evening I went out to the night market, and I saw nearby there was a temple called Wat Phra Kaew. That got my attention, as it is the same name of The Grand Palace's temple in Bangkok. Turns out the Emerald Buddha, a very important (maybe the most important) relic of Thailand used to be here as well. I decided to do some research, and it turns out that statue has moved around a lot. And accidentally, I've been to every place it resided except one - where it was discovered.

1) Wat Phra Kaew - Chiang Rai, Thailand ❌
2) Wat Phra Kaew Don Tao - Lampang, Thailand ✅
3) Wat Chedi Luang - Chiang Mai, Thailand ✅
4) Wat Xieng Thong - Luang Prabang, Laos ✅
5) Haw Phra Kaew - Vientiane, Laos ✅
6) Wat Arun - Bangkok, Thailand ✅
7) Wat Phra Kaew - Bangkok, Thailand ✅

Wat Chiang Rai

 Wat Si Rongmuang 

Seems I need to go back to Chiang Rai to finish chasing that statue. But that's for another time, because my time bouncing around the rural north had come to an end. After a local market I had one more stop - if you're familiar with the story "Anna and the King / The King and I", this is where her son lived, as he started a lumber industry here in Thailand. Okay. Neat. But it was off to the train station for my overnight back to Bangkok. After arriving, I stayed in the station for an hour or so to meet Ella. We topped off everything with a day trip to Bang Pa In, a palace north of Bangkok. Maybe this wasn't my most exciting trip ever - it was a lot of chilling, slow walking, temples, and copious amounts of coffee. But I think that's pretty much the typical Thai experience.