Alana Morgan - Paper Planes

>> Walls, Gates and Fences >>

21May

Do you tend to photograph the same things when you travel? For some reason I’m a sucker for Thai temples, doors, and leaves (yep – I have simple pleasures…). Similar to photographing the different doors and street art in Penang, I’ve found myself noticing more and more of the walls, gates and fences in Thailand.

Chiang Mai Fence

Every bit of land, home, business and temple is walled, gated or fenced in. When closing up for the night business bring down their metal shutters and windows often have bars on them.

Chiang Mai Gates

Is it to keep things in…or out? I don’t know. Many things in Thai culture seem contradictory to me and this is one of them. People often live with little personal space, being with roommates or extended family, and much of life is lived outdoors because of the hot weather, so things often seem very communal. Yet, then everything gets shut up and put behind walls and fences. ???

Chiang Mai Wall

Often the barriers will have designs showing off the Thai attention to detail when it comes to appearances.

Chiang Mai Gate 2

Chiang Mai Wall flag

Chiang Mai Lotus Gate

Chiang Mai Gate Design

And many over overgrown with leaves and vines or have a beautiful sort of weathered look to them.

Chiang Mai Wall Banana Leaves

Chiang Mai Wall Bubbles

Chiang Mai Wall Circles

Chiang Mai Secret Gate

What do you find yourself having series of photos of?

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Photo Essays, Southeast Asia, Thailand

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Alana Morgan

>> Moment in: the Hills of Mai Chau, Vietnam >>

20May

Mai Chau, Vietnam

Last week it was breakfast in Hanoi, this week it’s in the greeeeen hills of Mai Chau. Vietnam was not my favorite place. Though nothing really went wrong during my time there, nothing really blew me away either and I moved through the country much quicker than originally expected. One of the few places that stood out to me though was the district of Mai Chau, about 160 km from Hanoi, mainly because it looked like this.

When I think of Vietnam, I think of jungly karst mountains, bright green rice fields, and nón lá (traditional, conical hats). It sounds cliché, but it’s also real – as this picture proves.

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Alana Morgan

>> I’m going home…and I’m scared >>

17May

I’m going home next week for the first time in more than a year and the entire thing kind of scares me.

Photo Credit

I want to go home. It’s time. I need it. I want to see my family and friends and eat cheese and Mexican food and bake and sleep in my bed and see Mt. Rainier and go out to happy hour with friends and not sweat constantly or be eaten alive by mosquitoes. I need and want all of that. But it’s not as simple as just being able to look forward to catching up with people and eating the foods I’ve missed.

The thing is, I don’t know if I’m coming back to Thailand, or assuming I do, when that would be. Which is problematic considering a) I love it and b) I have someone. Oops.

When I first made the move to Southeast Asia, I bought a one-way ticket without a second thought. This time, buying another one-way ticket home, was difficult. While originally I was also full of doubt, questions and uneasiness, there was also a lot of excitement, anticipation and readiness to go. I was ready for something different, for a new adventure and to be on my own. Now, I have different doubts and questions, along with a really unwelcome feeling of indecisiveness and being lost.

Buddha in Autthaya, Thailand

In the beginning I thought traveling and living abroad would help point me in the right direction of where I want to be and what I want to be doing with my life. Ultimately, I think it will…but at the moment I feel more directionless than I did to begin with. That wasn’t supposed to happen…

I’ll be leaving Thailand exactly two years after I originally arrived. During that time I’ve become TEFL-certified and taught English in a variety of Thai schools, backpacked through India, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, lived on my own, learned to ride a motorbike, (tried to) learn a new language, got familiar with visa runs and my passport number, fought constantly with mosquitoes and cockroaches, made several friends and saw many of them come and go, showed family and friends from home my new, adopted home. I’ve gotten used to squat toilets, cold showers, eating rice for breakfast, never wearing a seat belt, riding a motorbike in the rain, nothing being on time and drinking beer with ice. While those will be easy to get used to not having or doing, there are other things that I think have changed me more and will take more time to adjust to.

Like the price of food…

My concept and perception of money is completely screwed up. Spending a couple dollars on a full meal is normal and a glass of wine is a splurge. I can get my motorbike serviced and washed for less than half of what a tank of gas will cost at home. My way of driving has completely changed – from driving on the left-side of the road, swerving in between traffic and not thinking twice about driving up the side of the road the wrong way – what will I feel like behind the wheel of a car in America?

I’m also (more) used to a completely different set of customs, social rules and behaviors. I’ve been surrounded by Buddhism instead of Christianity, holding your tongue instead of spouting off, and being patient no matter what the situation.

What’s going to happen when I get home? And what am I going to do next?

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Expat Living, Flying Solo

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Alana Morgan

>> 5 Tips for Expat Living >>

14May

After two years of living abroad, there are a few things that have come up and again that make life and settling down in a foreign place a little easier.

5 Tips for Expat Living

Be patient

Things will go wrong, you won’t understand what’s happening around you and will get frustrated, but if you’re patient everything ends up working itself out.

Ask for help

Chances are there are plenty of expats who have been in your position before with the same questions, problems or frustrations. There are a ton of Facebook Groups made up of expats living in Chiang Mai where people post everything from questions and concerns, to new apartments and special event information. If you ask for help, you’ll probably get it and save yourself some headache for trying to figure things out on your own.

Learn the language

I’m still shocked about the number of people who live here who can barely even order food. It’s embarrassing. Even if you don’t have to use the native language to get by, still try. You’re choosing to live in the country, and a country’s language and culture are completely intertwined. Knowing how to speak and read the language around will open up your world and understanding of the place.

Limit your tie with ‘home’

It’s important to keep in touch with people and happenings back at home, but if you spend too much time trying to stay connected you’ll miss out on your current life.

Make local connections

It sounds obvious, but isn’t always simple to do. However, the sooner you’re able to make connections and build relationships with those in your new community the better. Having someone to turn to who knows the area better than you is invaluable.

These tips are from an interview I did for Expats Blog, read more here.

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Expat Living, Flying Solo, Travel

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Alana Morgan

>> Moment at: A Vietnamese Breakfast >>

13May

Pho in Hanoi

I’ve never been a big breakfast person, so Asian breakfasts of rice, noodles and fish have been pretty easy to get used to. This was my breakfast after arriving in Hanoi after a month of Indian curries and chapatis, and was exactly what I had in mind for my first meal in Vietnam.

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Moments

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Alana Morgan

>> Chiang Mai Market Guide – Part II >>

07May

And we’re back with the second installment of the Chiang Mai Market Guide – don’t miss Part I here.

Warorot Market (day)

Inside one of the market halls

Located at the end of Chiang Moi Road near the river, Warorot Market is…something else. You literally can get just about anything within this area – from jeans to furniture and kitchen ware, to fabric and medicine, to donuts and dried fruit. There are several buildings and alley ways that make up the total area and are well worth a couple areas discovering all the nooks and crannies. Only now, after going many times, am I able to find what I’m looking for without going around in circles and each time I go I see something new.

Pictured above is where they sell many dried and packaged goods, but there are also many individual shops along the street selling who knows what and several gold shops to buying and selling jewelry.

When: Daily – early until sunset
Where: On the east side of town at the end of Chiang Moi Road

Warorot (night)

Warorot Market at night, Chiang Mai Market

While the shops and indoor marketplace close down in the early evening, the fruit and flower stalls outside stay open and new street vendors selling produce and prepared food stalls start setting up.

Come here to piece together your dinner, try out some Thai snacks and sweets, or buy some of the smallest clothes ever.

When: Nightly from around 6:00 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.
Where: On the east side of town at the end of Chiang Moi Road

Flower Market

Flower Market, Chiang Mai Market

The flower market along the river is impressive with its stalls and stalls of garlands and offerings. We just don’t have them at home. There are also places selling large floral arrangements, roses, orchids (incredibly cheap!) and whatever else is in season. I like coming here during the day, but actually find it more interesting at night (while the florist shops are closed, the stalls are still open). There’s something special about having it be 10 o’clock at night and driving down the street with burst of color and the smell of fresh flowers in the air. You can just drive up and purchase a fresh, handmade garland, for around a dollar at any time and drive off.

When: Daily 24/7
Where: Behind Warorot market along the Mae Ping River on the east side of town

Muang Mai Market – Wholesale Food Market

Wholesale Food Market, Muang Mai, Chiang Mai Market

Pig head anyone?

There are several local fresh markets throughout town, but Muang Mai Market takes it to the next level. This is where many restaurants and food stalls come everyday to get their produce and fresh meat. The amazing thing here is the sheer amount of food piled up – bags of hot Thai chilies up to your waist, mounds of individually peeled garlic cloves and stacks upon stacks of vegetables. It’s also amazing that while the walkways are narrows and there’s always carts, motorbikes and bicycles weaving through them, I’ve never seen them hit anything…

It’s best to come in the morning when everything is open and people are coming to do their shopping for the day, but it’s also interesting to stop by late, late at night because they’re still selling!

When: Daily – Many of the meat and fish/seafood stalls are done in the early afternoon, but you can catch a new round of produce coming in from the hills late at night (12:00 a.m. – 1:00 a.m.) and being sold throughout the night and early morning
Where: West of Wang Singkam Road (near the river)

Student Market

Student Market, Chiang Mai Market

As I’ve posted before, the student market located near the front gate of Chiang Mai University is a the place for cheap clothes, accessories and food. Open nightly, the market caters to the large student population living in the area and is one of two markets along the same road. The other, Kad Rin Kum, is on the same side of the street but further east heading into town and is the place to go if you want a cheap (sketchy…) tattoo.

When: Nightly starting around 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Where: Huay Gaew Road near the university

There’s still more >> check back next week for Part III of this Chiang Mai Market Guide series!

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Alana Morgan

>> Moment of: Plumeria Blossoms >>

06May

Plumeria Blossoms in Chiang Mai

Coming from the land of evergreen trees and snow-capped mountains, it still amazes me that I now live in place with tropical flowers and fruits growing year round effortlessly.

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>> Chiang Mai Market Guide – Part I >>

02May

While I’m not a big shopper, I do enjoy meandering through the market streets taking in all the lights and colors and doing a bit of people-watching. It never fails to amaze me how much stuff is available and how everything is completely set up and taken down whenever the markets runs, whether it’s weekly or even daily.

One of the many night markets in Chiang Mai

I’ve shown you glimpses of the student market and the Saturday Walking Street in Chiang Mai before, but that was barely skimming the surface on the regular, outdoor markets the city has to offer. So, I’ve (attempted to) put together a series of posts listing out the different markets I take people to visiting Chiang Mai. This first post – of a 3-part series – includes the more well-known shopping spots of the Chiang Mai markets, but check back in the next couple weeks for Parts II and III for more local finds you probably wouldn’t hear about if you were just in town for a few days.

Sunday Walking Street

Sunday Walking Street, Chiang Mai

Probably the best known market, the Sunday Walking Street runs, well, every Sunday. Though it’s considered a night market, people have been setting up their tables earlier and earlier (beginning as early as 11 in the morning) and by 5:30 most stalls are ready to go. The market starts at Tha Pae Gate and goes all the way along Ratchadamnoen Road until Wat Phra Singh in the center of the old city (about 1.5 km). This is the place for souvenirs, t-shirts, artwork, hand made items and just about everything in between. There are two large food areas set up toward the beginning of the market on temple grounds and small stalls set up the entire way.

While I highly recommend going, be warned that it is crowded. Very crowded. Especially in the high season, it’s not uncommon for you to be jammed up next to people inching your way along. To get from end to end when it’s this busy can easily take an hour+ even if you’re not stopping too much along the way. I like going before it gets dark out while there’s less people and a kind of calm before the masses hit. It’s also one of the best places to see the 6 o’clock national anthem and moment of stillness. Everyone will be moving around but as soon as the first notes come over the loud speaker everyone stands still for the length of the song.

When: Sundays, around 4:30/5:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. (ish)
Where: Tha Pae Gate and Ratchadamnoen Road

Saturday Walking Street

One of my favs

The Saturday Walking Street is basically like the Sunday Walking Street, but a little smaller and more manageable. As I’ve already written about here, it’s one of the markets I enjoy the most because of the size and mix of people that go to it each week. The Sunday night market also has a variety of people, but since it’s so large and well-known, many tour groups (Thai, Chinese and Western) come in for the evening.

When: Saturdays, around 5:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Where: Wualai Road (moving southwest away from Chiang Mai Gate (south gate)

Night Bazaar

Night Bazaar, Chiang Mai

Honestly, I really don’t like the Night Bazaar, but if you were looking to do some major shopping or have things on your list you want to buy and aren’t in town over the weekend, it’s a good place to go. It’s massive and has many different parts to it – there are stalls lining the street (and making the sidewalks very narrow/crowded), as well as several permanent building structures with floors of shops and two market courtyard areas with more shops, tables, bars and restaurants.

This area is entirely geared toward tourists – you won’t see many locals shopping around, In fact, many of the people working the stalls aren’t even Thai, but Lao or Burmese. The merchandise is usually marked up a bit from the walking streets and food is heavily overpriced. For example, usually I can buy the very basic Thai dish kai jio moo sap (Thai omelet with minced pork over rice) for 25 – 30 baht. At the Night Bazaar, this – just rice and egg! – is going for around 60 baht with stir-fried mixed vegetables (another super simple dish) going for 80 – 90 baht. There are also several Western-food sit down restaurants as well as fast-food places like McDonald’s, Burger King and Subway.

When: Nightly, Sunday nights are usually quieter because of the Walking Street
Where: Chang Khlang Road on the east side of town

Be sure to check back soon for the next installment of this Chiang Market series.

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Southeast Asia, Thailand

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Alana Morgan

>> Moment on: A Hot Tile Roof >>

29Apr

Royal Palace Roof, Bangkok

I’ve posted before about how I love the designs, patterns and intricate details of the Grand Palace in Bangkok. You never know where to look because there are so many buildings, colors, paintings and decorations completely surrounding you. What makes everything more incredible is that you can tell many things were painstakingly done by hand – and still are – like tiling a roof in the middle of a hot day.

Royal Palace Roof, Bangkok

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Moments, Southeast Asia, Thailand

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Alana Morgan

>> Staying at the Shanghai Mansion – Bangkok >>

26Apr

Shanghai Mansion Bangkok Painting

When I was backpacking around India and Southeast Asia, my standards in accommodation quickly deteriorated. I’ve never been too picky of where I stay, and traveling for a longer amount of time consistently tried to stay in the cheapest rooms possible to stretch my budget. I hit a low point though when staying in an old wooden guest house in Laos and noticed the holes in the wall, connecting to the next guest room, were ‘fixed’ by stuffing plastic bags into them.

Shanghai Mansion Bangkok

I still do things cheaply staying in hostels, small guest houses and dorms, but sometimes you just want a little more. Overall, accommodation is very affordable in Thailand. You can still spend a lot for a high-end hotel or resort but, along with the hostels, even nicer guesthouses and boutique hotels are often a steal compared to home. Which is why, on a recent trip to Bangkok, I decided to take advantage of what my money could get me and went to the Shanghai Mansion on Yaowarat Road in the center of China Town.

Lobby and Hallway – Photo source: Shanghai Mansion

The Cost

A little web search showed the boutique hotel, carefully decorated to ‘sweep you straight into the romance of Old Shanghai’, to be one of the best value for money options in Bangkok. The hotel offers five types of rooms with prices on the website ranging from 2,500 – 3,300 baht, or about $85 – $115. I was hoping to spend between 1,000 – 2,000 baht…fortunately, the site also listed several special offers and last-minute deals for as little as 1,790 baht ($62) per night. I then went a step further and lucked out with an even slightly cheaper price using Agoda.com (an accommodation booking and deals site focusing on the Asia-Pacific region). While I spent more than I would normally, the hotel did not not disappoint and I felt like the experience was worth every baht.

Shanghai Mansion Bangkok - Floors

Everywhere you look is thoughtfully designed with statement paintings and sitting areas

The Good Stuff

First of all, the place is gorgeous with little design details everywhere you looked creating a romantic, and slightly nostalgic, feel . With every room you got a welcome drink, free mini bar (including refrigerator with soft drinks, beer, coffee tea and snacks), free WIFI and bath/toiletries set (when you’re used to no-frills rooms, it’s amazing how special nice soap and a free soda will make you feel). There are also several unexpected services and surprises like a free tuk tuk shuttle service to three different central locations, free treats available in the hallways, and robes and slippers.

Shanghai Mansion Bangkok - Ying Hua Room

The Room

The attention to detail, design and little luxuries continued in my actual room, which was spacious especially considering being the middle of a big city. It also had the largest bed I’ve seen in who knows how long and the added indulgence of an actual bathtub – not something you usually see over here.

Photo Source: Shanghai Mansion

Shanghai Mansion Bangkok - Ying Hua

All in all, I would quickly suggest Shanghai Mansion to anyone who wanted a little style for the evening at a affordable price. The only (slight) disappointment was the lack of a pool and natural light. The hotel is situated in the middle of a row of buildings and my room’s two windows looking out were heavily frosted, since you look straight into a brick wall about a meter away. That said, the inside of the room felt so nice that you didn’t really care to look out anyway.

Hotel Details and Contact

Shanghai Mansion Bangkok Contact and Location

Photo Source: Shanghai Mansion

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Southeast Asia, Thailand, Travel Tips, Where to Stay

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Alana Morgan

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>> Walls, Gates and Fences >>

>> Moment in: the Hills of Mai Chau, Vietnam >>

>> I’m going home…and I’m scared >>