Chapter 8
Day 9
Leaving the grimy China for the Land of the Smiles
I woke up in Hong Kong that was still dark. My phone alarm clock rung at the outrageous time of 5.00 a.m.. I felt like I just went to sleep, and in some ways, it was like that. The previous evening I decided to set the alarm clock so early in order to do all my stuff in quiet and to not rush like I’m used to do.
Slowly I went off the bed, my T-Shirt was all sweated, as I had a very agitated night. I staggered to the bathroom where I crushed for an endless time under the shower. Then, still partially dizzy, I got ready and finished to pack my bags. My big backpack looked at me like to say “are you sure that you don’t want to pack me one more time?” as it looked like I just emptied the wardrobe, carelessly, into it and sat over it to close it. No, it was time to leave.
I left the hotel that it was about 6.00 and headed toward the Kowloon station. It was still dark and Hong Kong looked quiet. Down the street I met nobody but some cars passing by. The air was chilly after the Hong Kong night and smelled of humidity. I entered the deserted station and along some other tourists, looking like ghosts staggering to an haunted train, I arrived at the platform. Then, it was time to take my train, shiny and almost empty itself too, and get to the airport again. During the trip, and watching the dark bay and the anchored ships, I felt thrilled. I had a full day before me and I didn’t know where it’d take me. That night I could be still in Hong Kong, maybe in an hotel, or camping in the airport, perhaps the chance could lead me elsewhere, maybe I’d buy meatball skewers in the streets of the China Town of Bangkok, or I’d be drinking beer in some cozy bar in Chiang Mai, listening to the live music or watching football under a spinning fan. I hugged my backpack, like a kid hugs his dear Teddy Bear, and I looked Hong Kong in her night gown to disappear far away.
I arrived into a very empty airport. It was deserted, most of the check-ins were still closed and only few people were around. I arrived with the train at the Terminal 2, and I went straight to the Terminal 1, the bigger one.
The Terminal 1 was well lit and quite modern looking. I went around with my backpacks until I found a stall with written the names of many companies, among them, the Airasia. I queued there, as two or three people were standing there in line, and then I asked for information for possible flights, but they answered me that they weren’t dealing with Airasia. I pointed them the name of the flight company on their walls, and they just replied “we don’t have Airasia, I can sell you a flight with Thai Airways”, “No, thank you”. It was starting bad.
I went near the passport controls, where there was a set of restaurants, and here, I decided to spend some time in a constructive way, that means, having breakfast. I entered the Korean restaurant and, while many people were having breakfast with soups or noodles, I ordered a Tea with Milk and a Tuna Sandwich, then I sat at a table with my big backpack occupying the seat in front of me. The Tea was hot and almost tasteless while the sandwich felt like it was laying in that restaurant at least from the previous day. Anyway, I was hungry, and it still felt like a good breakfast.
Time passed by slowly, and I regretted of having come to the airport so early. I tried to connect a few time at the airport free Wifi, but the connection was so weak that I kept on losing it. In the end the connection lasted enough to log into some Hotel Booking websites and, in all the Hong Kong province, I only found rooms with scary prices. Just for an example, hotel rated like the “Embassy Hotel” were asking for about 100 Euro. It wasn’t looking so good.
Then, slowly, all the stalls started to open up. As time went by, more and more people started appearing. Then, also opened the “hotel Information” desks. I went to the first one, where was written “Bookings” and I asked if they had rooms for that night. They answered that they only provided transportation. Then I went at the “Hong Kong Hotel Association” still with written “Bookings”, and I asked if they had rooms, and the monkey-faced guy said that they didn’t provide bookings, but I had to check myself hotel-by-hotel if they had rooms. I turned around and the only stalls around were of very luxurious and expensive chains such as Hilton, International, Sheraton, and others. This shown how poor the service in Hong Kong is, uninterested people with the only purpose of making you to waste your time.
I went back at the Terminal 1 and I was resolute to find a plane to come back to Thailand. I was really fed of Hong Kong and China as well. I went straight to the “Information” desk in order to know if Airasia had a commercial bureau in the Airport, and they addressed me again in the Terminal 2. So, I had to make my way backward. It was good that I dressed casual and not in some uncomfortable clothe.
I made my way back and I went to another desk where was written “Airasia”. I asked them if they sold flight-tickets and they said that they could only sell flights of Thai Airways. I still asked for the price, and the cheapest seat was 300 Euro to Bangkok. It was too much, but it was good to keep it in account. Then, I asked if they knew where I could find somebody of Airasia, and they told me to wait until they’d open the check-ins for Bangkok, and I could, eventually, buy a ticket from them. I had to face a thing now. To wait hoping to find a place on the low-cost plane and save some cash, or taking the flight from Thai Airways before it was sold out? I decided to wait. That sum of money was too much for that day.
Any minute that passed, I felt more and more thrilled. Time felt like running always slower and the air was feeling colder. Then a guy arrived at the Airasia stall, and turned it on. I went straight there, and, after those faster people that arrived before me finished with their check-ins, it was my time to ask for my question.
In the same time, the man next to me, felt the urge to introduce himself. He was a Mongolian-looking Russian guy. He cared to tell me that he was an ex-soldier and was going to Thailand to start his own “financial business” as his friends where already there to introduce him into “the business”. I asked him where was going, and he answered “Pattaya”.
My mind started to run wild. I guessed that this military camo-jacketed guy was an ex-soldier, trained into melee assassination. He was going to Pattaya in search of fortune as he was called by a Russian mafia boss that was running his business based on brothels, jabaa and cocaine dealing. He had to become his handyman. His hitman. In future, in the end an endless trail of blood and vodka, the body of the soldier would be found crippled in the corner of Soi Blowjob, next to a pile of abandoned old beer cardboard boxes rotten in the rain, in a mafia regulation strike.
He turned at me and asked me if I wished to invest some money with him, but I shown him that I’m just a backpacker, at least, a sort of backpacker, traveling with a low cost flight company. That means, that I’m not keen into invest my cash into unknown people for shady businesses.
It was my turn and I asked at the Airasia guy if they had seats for Bangkok, and he replied “Yes”, and then he asked “Only for Bangkok?” and I replied if he had a seat also for Chiang Mai and he replied “Yes, I’ve still some”. So, I asked him to count how much it’d cost me all the way up to Chiang Mai and he said something like 80 Euro. I made a fast calculation, I verified that 80 Euro was less than the 100 euro that I was asked for the Hotels over which I should add money for the transportation to Hong Kong, and then I gave him my credit card. He processed it, made me sign the receipt, and we had our deal. He checked my backpack in, and then he told me to rush to the Terminal 1 for the passport control. I was coming back to Thailand. That means that I’ve had gained a new free day in Chiang Mai, and I could do some more new exploration there. It sounded so good.
The Russian man told me to wait for him, but I was already too far away to hear him. Yes, probably he said “Wait!”, or maybe
Portrait! – He wanted to take me a portrait picture;
Strait! – He wants to go to Suez Strait with Airasia;
Straight! – He’s gay, and he’s insulting me calling me not-gay;
Tight! – He’s cursing his too tight trousers;
Candlelight! – He’s inviting the Airasia man for a romantic dinner in Pattaya.
I went back to the Terminal 1 and I went to the Passport control, that is next to the restaurants. Once the Immigration officer took my immigration paper back, I was free to enter the duty free area. Now the time started to flow back to normal speed and I was cheerful again.
Once you get through the passport control, you’ll find yourself in the first Duty Free area, which is mainly based on shops and restaurants. In the lower floor there are still many shops and a “Y” shaped area which has the two very long alleys with the gates for the airplanes.
I felt like I had plenty of time to walk around as on my ticket was written that I’d have the boarding at 10.15 a.m.. It wasn’t so late, but I felt like I spent ages in that airport that morning. Anyway, now my trip was looking good and I had to get myself together, the day problems were gone, and now it was time to relax. The first thing, I had to look for a newspaper shop, in a way to find something to read as my MP3 got lost few days before. The research was unfortunate. It looked bizarre, in all that Duty Free floor there wasn’t a shop which sold magazines or bookstores. Hong Kong is bizarre.
While wandering around the nice and clean airport, I passed by a fast-food restaurant which sold typical Hong Kong food. I browsed the big menu that displayed pictures of the available foods and I found one that looked promising. The menu was made of a “Lo Mai Gai” and a dish of pork congee with preserved eggs. I stopped there and I ordered that menu. It was an opportunity that I couldn’t miss.
Preserved Eggs
Century egg or Pidan, also known as preserved egg, hundred-year egg, thousand-year egg, thousand-year-old egg, and millennium egg, is a Chinese cuisine ingredient made by preserving duck, chicken or quail eggs in a mixture of clay, ash, salt, lime, and rice hulls for several weeks to several months, depending on the method of processing.
Through the process, the yolk becomes a dark green to grey colour, with a creamy consistency and an odor of sulphur and ammonia, while the white becomes a dark brown, translucent jelly with little flavor. The transforming agent in the century egg is its alkaline material, which gradually raises the pH of the egg to around 9, 12, or more during the curing process. This chemical process breaks down some of the complex, flavorless proteins and fats, which produces a variety of smaller flavorful compounds.
Some eggs have patterns near the surface of the egg white that are likened to pine branches, and that gives rise to one of its Chinese names, the pine-patterned egg.
The origin of the method for creating century eggs likely came about through the need to preserve eggs in times of plenty by coating them in alkaline clay, which is similar to methods of egg preservation in some Western cultures. The clay hardens around the egg and resulted in the curing and creation of century eggs instead of spoiled eggs.
According to some, the century egg has over five centuries of history behind its production. Its discovery, though not verifiable, was said to have occurred during the Ming Dynasty 600 years ago in Hunan, when a homeowner discovered duck eggs in a shallow pool of slaked lime that was used for mortar during construction of his home two months before. Upon tasting the eggs, he set out to produce more, this time with the addition of salt to improve the taste, thus resulting in the present recipe of the century egg.
According to a persistent misconception, century eggs are, or were once, prepared by soaking eggs in horse urine. The myth may arise from the pungent odor of ammonia (a side-product of protein breakdown) given off by century eggs, which is reminiscent of urine. Horse urine itself, however, is only slightly basic, ranging in pH from 7.5 to 7.9. Though human urine left standing can reach a maximum pH of around 9.4—the same as a 1-molar solution of ammonia—it is still less than that produced by mixing quicklime (calcium oxide) or wood ash in water.
In Thai and Lao, the common word for this type of preserved egg literally means "horse urine eggs", either due to this myth or the distinctive ammonia odor of century eggs.
In Thai: khai yiao ma
My tray was ready in a few minutes, and then I took a seat. As a drink, I took a pepsi. The Lo Mai Gai, which is a sort of Dim Sum, a huge rice ball cooked with herbs and filled with meat, and then wrapped in Lotus Leaf, looked promising. I smelled the Pork Congee and it felt amazing. It was time to try it.
I unwrapped the lotus leaf, which enveloped the steamed big fist-size rice ball. Inside of it, the sticky brick of rice had a color shading from brownish white to some brown spots. I don’t know if it was burnt or it got the color from the Lotus Leaf.
I took my chopsticks and I pulled them in the middle as it should have some meat filling. Unluckily, as soon as I pulled the chopsticks in the rice, a brown-reddish sort of gravy pulled out with a bloody smell. It was absolutely downputting. It looked like some of the meat inside wasn’t quite well cooked. I tried the rice and in some sports it had quite an aromatic taste, while in others it was bitter. Probably it had taken the taste from the leaf.
While having my second breakfast, arrived a man and he asked if he could sit at my table. He looked like Chinese. I said that he was welcome. The man introduced himself as a Food Expert from Singapore. He said that his job is to travel across the world and try different restaurants, then he has to write appraisals.
I just found my myth. I want to do his same job. This guy is so lucky and he knows it.
I started my congee, which was pearly white with the dark-amber pieces of preserved egg. The congee is a sort of Porridge, made overcooking rice until it disintegrates into a pulp. In this case, it was boiled with what looked like minced pork to add flavor at the broth, and garnished with a sliced preserved egg.
I tried it and it was amazing. The rice porridge was warm and soft. It had a delicate taste of rice with a back taste of pork, with the perfect amount of salt. To improve it, there were the slices of preserved egg. I took one with a spoon and tried it. It felt like hard jelly, but it tasted like mushroom. Actually, if I didn’t know that it was a preserved egg, I’d think it was a Pork Congee with Mushrooms. It was so good. I think that not many Westerners wouldn’t dare to try it, but they miss something really good.
The Singapore man asked me if I like it, and I said that it was lovely. He replied that he was gladly surprised to see a Westerner trying these typical foods and to know that he likes them. I should make is same job.
He said this, and all the Airport witnessed it. Everybody heard him well.
When I finished my food I said “Good-Bye” to him and I left the restaurant. I went downstairs, where I found a bookstore where I bought a Clive Cussler book. It’s about a couple, the Fargos, damn rich people that goes around the world solving mysteries and spending a large amount of money. At least, it’s a good way to daydream.
It was quiet in the busy airport. I felt relaxed as I just finished eating my second breakfast and I was wandering around. I had my backpack, my book, and my small satchel with my passport. It was so nice. It was early before the boarding, so I had plenty of time to spend. Then, I looked at the timetable of the flights. It said
Airasia Flight FD 3713 – Boarding
Was it boarding? I checked at my ticket and I discovered that the time that the Airasia guy wrote as boarding time, was the departure time. I checked which was the gate. As I expected, as it always is, it was the farthest. On the opposite side of the terminal.
I can’t believe, I’m late in the Hong Kong Airport too.
Without more time to think, I started to run. I dashed through the Duty Free area and I entered the “Y” branch that would lead to my gate. It was far, the bottom one. I even couldn’t see it as it was far. I kept on running as fast as I could, but the weight of my backpack, the heavy sweater that I was wearing for the cold Air Condition were slowing me. Every step felt like I was at least ten kilograms in more. I kept on running, dodging tourists and their luggage, trying to not run over babies or crashing old ladies. By good luck, some, rather short, pieces of the terminal are served by tapis roulants, but it was useless. Too many people decided that walking was too tiring and decided to cram the tapis roulants. I kept on running beside them, passing them by, until I found an empty tapis roulant, on which I kept on running. Time speeded up, I felt like I were an arrow shoot across the terminal, running on a running tapis roulant. Or maybe I felt just like I’d feel to run without my backpack and sweater. I arrived at the end of the tapis roulant, still far from the gate, that I was breathless, but I couldn’t stop. I had to keep on running. Then a noise, like a book falling down, and the Clive Cussler book flew on the floor, gliding next to me. I lost a book, again, like in Hong Kong few days before. So, I stopped, took it up, and started to run again. Then, it appeared, the gate was there, with only few people left in queue.
I arrived as I was the last one. I took my backpack off, to take the sweater off too. The book fell. I took off the sweater, the queue moved, and I pushed all the stuff forward, I tried to pick the book up but my satchel fell off. The queue moved forward. I wore the satchel while pushing the backpack, and the book fell again. I picked up the backpack, wore it on a shoulder, I picked the book up, and fell the backpack. The queue move forward. The book fell too from my sweated hand. I kicked the book forward and I picked it up again only when I wore my backpack and I had my sweater in hands, just when I had one more person before me, before entering the airplane.
The flight assistant, a beautiful Thai looking girl welcomed me to enter and tore my electronic ticket stained of sweat, carefully avoiding to touch the sweat stains on it. I’d do the same, especially if I were a beautiful Thai looking flight assistant with a all sweated, after-run-heavily-breathing Westerner backpacker holding a book of Clive Cussler in front of me.
I entered the plane and I took my seat, that was next to a window. I sat down and I looked who was seating around me. Most of the people in the seats before, after and next to me, looked like from the same large group young Americans or Australians. I guess they were more likely Americans as I could understand quite well what they were saying. I wouldn’t say the same thing with Australians and their accent. Some seats ahead, there was also the Mongolian-looking Russian guy. He seen me entering the airplane and said that wanted to talk with me about business. I said “maybe later” and took my seat.
I sat down and relaxed. I took the book and started reading it while waiting that the airplane moved to the runway. We waited a little bit longer and then it was time to take off.
Soon we were airborne. The sky was incredibly blue and the sight was so clear. Hong Kong vanished below us, sending her greetings with some small nice-looking islands that I pictured from the sky. Then, it was time to read again. The book was really nice. I’d say that it’s one of those adventure books that hooks you up to the pages and go by so fast. It was about an adventure in a tropical place, and being in tropical countries myself too, I felt more involved into the book story. I like Cussler books.
I wish I had my MP3 player too as I could play a song that could match very well at the sight from the plane, it’s Benny Benassi “Come Fly Away”.
I'm glidin' in the beautiful sky
it's such a clear day.
Go ridin' in,
your sweet lullabies,
come fly away.
The flight felt like being so short, but in reality it was three hours long. Then, after having flown on a Thai flat land, the airplane started the descent to Bangkok where we landed in perfect time.
Slowly I went off the bed, my T-Shirt was all sweated, as I had a very agitated night. I staggered to the bathroom where I crushed for an endless time under the shower. Then, still partially dizzy, I got ready and finished to pack my bags. My big backpack looked at me like to say “are you sure that you don’t want to pack me one more time?” as it looked like I just emptied the wardrobe, carelessly, into it and sat over it to close it. No, it was time to leave.
I left the hotel that it was about 6.00 and headed toward the Kowloon station. It was still dark and Hong Kong looked quiet. Down the street I met nobody but some cars passing by. The air was chilly after the Hong Kong night and smelled of humidity. I entered the deserted station and along some other tourists, looking like ghosts staggering to an haunted train, I arrived at the platform. Then, it was time to take my train, shiny and almost empty itself too, and get to the airport again. During the trip, and watching the dark bay and the anchored ships, I felt thrilled. I had a full day before me and I didn’t know where it’d take me. That night I could be still in Hong Kong, maybe in an hotel, or camping in the airport, perhaps the chance could lead me elsewhere, maybe I’d buy meatball skewers in the streets of the China Town of Bangkok, or I’d be drinking beer in some cozy bar in Chiang Mai, listening to the live music or watching football under a spinning fan. I hugged my backpack, like a kid hugs his dear Teddy Bear, and I looked Hong Kong in her night gown to disappear far away.
I arrived into a very empty airport. It was deserted, most of the check-ins were still closed and only few people were around. I arrived with the train at the Terminal 2, and I went straight to the Terminal 1, the bigger one.
The Terminal 1 was well lit and quite modern looking. I went around with my backpacks until I found a stall with written the names of many companies, among them, the Airasia. I queued there, as two or three people were standing there in line, and then I asked for information for possible flights, but they answered me that they weren’t dealing with Airasia. I pointed them the name of the flight company on their walls, and they just replied “we don’t have Airasia, I can sell you a flight with Thai Airways”, “No, thank you”. It was starting bad.
I went near the passport controls, where there was a set of restaurants, and here, I decided to spend some time in a constructive way, that means, having breakfast. I entered the Korean restaurant and, while many people were having breakfast with soups or noodles, I ordered a Tea with Milk and a Tuna Sandwich, then I sat at a table with my big backpack occupying the seat in front of me. The Tea was hot and almost tasteless while the sandwich felt like it was laying in that restaurant at least from the previous day. Anyway, I was hungry, and it still felt like a good breakfast.
Time passed by slowly, and I regretted of having come to the airport so early. I tried to connect a few time at the airport free Wifi, but the connection was so weak that I kept on losing it. In the end the connection lasted enough to log into some Hotel Booking websites and, in all the Hong Kong province, I only found rooms with scary prices. Just for an example, hotel rated like the “Embassy Hotel” were asking for about 100 Euro. It wasn’t looking so good.
Then, slowly, all the stalls started to open up. As time went by, more and more people started appearing. Then, also opened the “hotel Information” desks. I went to the first one, where was written “Bookings” and I asked if they had rooms for that night. They answered that they only provided transportation. Then I went at the “Hong Kong Hotel Association” still with written “Bookings”, and I asked if they had rooms, and the monkey-faced guy said that they didn’t provide bookings, but I had to check myself hotel-by-hotel if they had rooms. I turned around and the only stalls around were of very luxurious and expensive chains such as Hilton, International, Sheraton, and others. This shown how poor the service in Hong Kong is, uninterested people with the only purpose of making you to waste your time.
I went back at the Terminal 1 and I was resolute to find a plane to come back to Thailand. I was really fed of Hong Kong and China as well. I went straight to the “Information” desk in order to know if Airasia had a commercial bureau in the Airport, and they addressed me again in the Terminal 2. So, I had to make my way backward. It was good that I dressed casual and not in some uncomfortable clothe.
I made my way back and I went to another desk where was written “Airasia”. I asked them if they sold flight-tickets and they said that they could only sell flights of Thai Airways. I still asked for the price, and the cheapest seat was 300 Euro to Bangkok. It was too much, but it was good to keep it in account. Then, I asked if they knew where I could find somebody of Airasia, and they told me to wait until they’d open the check-ins for Bangkok, and I could, eventually, buy a ticket from them. I had to face a thing now. To wait hoping to find a place on the low-cost plane and save some cash, or taking the flight from Thai Airways before it was sold out? I decided to wait. That sum of money was too much for that day.
Any minute that passed, I felt more and more thrilled. Time felt like running always slower and the air was feeling colder. Then a guy arrived at the Airasia stall, and turned it on. I went straight there, and, after those faster people that arrived before me finished with their check-ins, it was my time to ask for my question.
In the same time, the man next to me, felt the urge to introduce himself. He was a Mongolian-looking Russian guy. He cared to tell me that he was an ex-soldier and was going to Thailand to start his own “financial business” as his friends where already there to introduce him into “the business”. I asked him where was going, and he answered “Pattaya”.
My mind started to run wild. I guessed that this military camo-jacketed guy was an ex-soldier, trained into melee assassination. He was going to Pattaya in search of fortune as he was called by a Russian mafia boss that was running his business based on brothels, jabaa and cocaine dealing. He had to become his handyman. His hitman. In future, in the end an endless trail of blood and vodka, the body of the soldier would be found crippled in the corner of Soi Blowjob, next to a pile of abandoned old beer cardboard boxes rotten in the rain, in a mafia regulation strike.
He turned at me and asked me if I wished to invest some money with him, but I shown him that I’m just a backpacker, at least, a sort of backpacker, traveling with a low cost flight company. That means, that I’m not keen into invest my cash into unknown people for shady businesses.
It was my turn and I asked at the Airasia guy if they had seats for Bangkok, and he replied “Yes”, and then he asked “Only for Bangkok?” and I replied if he had a seat also for Chiang Mai and he replied “Yes, I’ve still some”. So, I asked him to count how much it’d cost me all the way up to Chiang Mai and he said something like 80 Euro. I made a fast calculation, I verified that 80 Euro was less than the 100 euro that I was asked for the Hotels over which I should add money for the transportation to Hong Kong, and then I gave him my credit card. He processed it, made me sign the receipt, and we had our deal. He checked my backpack in, and then he told me to rush to the Terminal 1 for the passport control. I was coming back to Thailand. That means that I’ve had gained a new free day in Chiang Mai, and I could do some more new exploration there. It sounded so good.
The Russian man told me to wait for him, but I was already too far away to hear him. Yes, probably he said “Wait!”, or maybe
Portrait! – He wanted to take me a portrait picture;
Strait! – He wants to go to Suez Strait with Airasia;
Straight! – He’s gay, and he’s insulting me calling me not-gay;
Tight! – He’s cursing his too tight trousers;
Candlelight! – He’s inviting the Airasia man for a romantic dinner in Pattaya.
I went back to the Terminal 1 and I went to the Passport control, that is next to the restaurants. Once the Immigration officer took my immigration paper back, I was free to enter the duty free area. Now the time started to flow back to normal speed and I was cheerful again.
Once you get through the passport control, you’ll find yourself in the first Duty Free area, which is mainly based on shops and restaurants. In the lower floor there are still many shops and a “Y” shaped area which has the two very long alleys with the gates for the airplanes.
I felt like I had plenty of time to walk around as on my ticket was written that I’d have the boarding at 10.15 a.m.. It wasn’t so late, but I felt like I spent ages in that airport that morning. Anyway, now my trip was looking good and I had to get myself together, the day problems were gone, and now it was time to relax. The first thing, I had to look for a newspaper shop, in a way to find something to read as my MP3 got lost few days before. The research was unfortunate. It looked bizarre, in all that Duty Free floor there wasn’t a shop which sold magazines or bookstores. Hong Kong is bizarre.
While wandering around the nice and clean airport, I passed by a fast-food restaurant which sold typical Hong Kong food. I browsed the big menu that displayed pictures of the available foods and I found one that looked promising. The menu was made of a “Lo Mai Gai” and a dish of pork congee with preserved eggs. I stopped there and I ordered that menu. It was an opportunity that I couldn’t miss.
Preserved Eggs
Century egg or Pidan, also known as preserved egg, hundred-year egg, thousand-year egg, thousand-year-old egg, and millennium egg, is a Chinese cuisine ingredient made by preserving duck, chicken or quail eggs in a mixture of clay, ash, salt, lime, and rice hulls for several weeks to several months, depending on the method of processing.
Through the process, the yolk becomes a dark green to grey colour, with a creamy consistency and an odor of sulphur and ammonia, while the white becomes a dark brown, translucent jelly with little flavor. The transforming agent in the century egg is its alkaline material, which gradually raises the pH of the egg to around 9, 12, or more during the curing process. This chemical process breaks down some of the complex, flavorless proteins and fats, which produces a variety of smaller flavorful compounds.
Some eggs have patterns near the surface of the egg white that are likened to pine branches, and that gives rise to one of its Chinese names, the pine-patterned egg.
The origin of the method for creating century eggs likely came about through the need to preserve eggs in times of plenty by coating them in alkaline clay, which is similar to methods of egg preservation in some Western cultures. The clay hardens around the egg and resulted in the curing and creation of century eggs instead of spoiled eggs.
According to some, the century egg has over five centuries of history behind its production. Its discovery, though not verifiable, was said to have occurred during the Ming Dynasty 600 years ago in Hunan, when a homeowner discovered duck eggs in a shallow pool of slaked lime that was used for mortar during construction of his home two months before. Upon tasting the eggs, he set out to produce more, this time with the addition of salt to improve the taste, thus resulting in the present recipe of the century egg.
According to a persistent misconception, century eggs are, or were once, prepared by soaking eggs in horse urine. The myth may arise from the pungent odor of ammonia (a side-product of protein breakdown) given off by century eggs, which is reminiscent of urine. Horse urine itself, however, is only slightly basic, ranging in pH from 7.5 to 7.9. Though human urine left standing can reach a maximum pH of around 9.4—the same as a 1-molar solution of ammonia—it is still less than that produced by mixing quicklime (calcium oxide) or wood ash in water.
In Thai and Lao, the common word for this type of preserved egg literally means "horse urine eggs", either due to this myth or the distinctive ammonia odor of century eggs.
In Thai: khai yiao ma
My tray was ready in a few minutes, and then I took a seat. As a drink, I took a pepsi. The Lo Mai Gai, which is a sort of Dim Sum, a huge rice ball cooked with herbs and filled with meat, and then wrapped in Lotus Leaf, looked promising. I smelled the Pork Congee and it felt amazing. It was time to try it.
I unwrapped the lotus leaf, which enveloped the steamed big fist-size rice ball. Inside of it, the sticky brick of rice had a color shading from brownish white to some brown spots. I don’t know if it was burnt or it got the color from the Lotus Leaf.
I took my chopsticks and I pulled them in the middle as it should have some meat filling. Unluckily, as soon as I pulled the chopsticks in the rice, a brown-reddish sort of gravy pulled out with a bloody smell. It was absolutely downputting. It looked like some of the meat inside wasn’t quite well cooked. I tried the rice and in some sports it had quite an aromatic taste, while in others it was bitter. Probably it had taken the taste from the leaf.
While having my second breakfast, arrived a man and he asked if he could sit at my table. He looked like Chinese. I said that he was welcome. The man introduced himself as a Food Expert from Singapore. He said that his job is to travel across the world and try different restaurants, then he has to write appraisals.
I just found my myth. I want to do his same job. This guy is so lucky and he knows it.
I started my congee, which was pearly white with the dark-amber pieces of preserved egg. The congee is a sort of Porridge, made overcooking rice until it disintegrates into a pulp. In this case, it was boiled with what looked like minced pork to add flavor at the broth, and garnished with a sliced preserved egg.
I tried it and it was amazing. The rice porridge was warm and soft. It had a delicate taste of rice with a back taste of pork, with the perfect amount of salt. To improve it, there were the slices of preserved egg. I took one with a spoon and tried it. It felt like hard jelly, but it tasted like mushroom. Actually, if I didn’t know that it was a preserved egg, I’d think it was a Pork Congee with Mushrooms. It was so good. I think that not many Westerners wouldn’t dare to try it, but they miss something really good.
The Singapore man asked me if I like it, and I said that it was lovely. He replied that he was gladly surprised to see a Westerner trying these typical foods and to know that he likes them. I should make is same job.
He said this, and all the Airport witnessed it. Everybody heard him well.
When I finished my food I said “Good-Bye” to him and I left the restaurant. I went downstairs, where I found a bookstore where I bought a Clive Cussler book. It’s about a couple, the Fargos, damn rich people that goes around the world solving mysteries and spending a large amount of money. At least, it’s a good way to daydream.
It was quiet in the busy airport. I felt relaxed as I just finished eating my second breakfast and I was wandering around. I had my backpack, my book, and my small satchel with my passport. It was so nice. It was early before the boarding, so I had plenty of time to spend. Then, I looked at the timetable of the flights. It said
Airasia Flight FD 3713 – Boarding
Was it boarding? I checked at my ticket and I discovered that the time that the Airasia guy wrote as boarding time, was the departure time. I checked which was the gate. As I expected, as it always is, it was the farthest. On the opposite side of the terminal.
I can’t believe, I’m late in the Hong Kong Airport too.
Without more time to think, I started to run. I dashed through the Duty Free area and I entered the “Y” branch that would lead to my gate. It was far, the bottom one. I even couldn’t see it as it was far. I kept on running as fast as I could, but the weight of my backpack, the heavy sweater that I was wearing for the cold Air Condition were slowing me. Every step felt like I was at least ten kilograms in more. I kept on running, dodging tourists and their luggage, trying to not run over babies or crashing old ladies. By good luck, some, rather short, pieces of the terminal are served by tapis roulants, but it was useless. Too many people decided that walking was too tiring and decided to cram the tapis roulants. I kept on running beside them, passing them by, until I found an empty tapis roulant, on which I kept on running. Time speeded up, I felt like I were an arrow shoot across the terminal, running on a running tapis roulant. Or maybe I felt just like I’d feel to run without my backpack and sweater. I arrived at the end of the tapis roulant, still far from the gate, that I was breathless, but I couldn’t stop. I had to keep on running. Then a noise, like a book falling down, and the Clive Cussler book flew on the floor, gliding next to me. I lost a book, again, like in Hong Kong few days before. So, I stopped, took it up, and started to run again. Then, it appeared, the gate was there, with only few people left in queue.
I arrived as I was the last one. I took my backpack off, to take the sweater off too. The book fell. I took off the sweater, the queue moved, and I pushed all the stuff forward, I tried to pick the book up but my satchel fell off. The queue moved forward. I wore the satchel while pushing the backpack, and the book fell again. I picked up the backpack, wore it on a shoulder, I picked the book up, and fell the backpack. The queue move forward. The book fell too from my sweated hand. I kicked the book forward and I picked it up again only when I wore my backpack and I had my sweater in hands, just when I had one more person before me, before entering the airplane.
The flight assistant, a beautiful Thai looking girl welcomed me to enter and tore my electronic ticket stained of sweat, carefully avoiding to touch the sweat stains on it. I’d do the same, especially if I were a beautiful Thai looking flight assistant with a all sweated, after-run-heavily-breathing Westerner backpacker holding a book of Clive Cussler in front of me.
I entered the plane and I took my seat, that was next to a window. I sat down and I looked who was seating around me. Most of the people in the seats before, after and next to me, looked like from the same large group young Americans or Australians. I guess they were more likely Americans as I could understand quite well what they were saying. I wouldn’t say the same thing with Australians and their accent. Some seats ahead, there was also the Mongolian-looking Russian guy. He seen me entering the airplane and said that wanted to talk with me about business. I said “maybe later” and took my seat.
I sat down and relaxed. I took the book and started reading it while waiting that the airplane moved to the runway. We waited a little bit longer and then it was time to take off.
Soon we were airborne. The sky was incredibly blue and the sight was so clear. Hong Kong vanished below us, sending her greetings with some small nice-looking islands that I pictured from the sky. Then, it was time to read again. The book was really nice. I’d say that it’s one of those adventure books that hooks you up to the pages and go by so fast. It was about an adventure in a tropical place, and being in tropical countries myself too, I felt more involved into the book story. I like Cussler books.
I wish I had my MP3 player too as I could play a song that could match very well at the sight from the plane, it’s Benny Benassi “Come Fly Away”.
I'm glidin' in the beautiful sky
it's such a clear day.
Go ridin' in,
your sweet lullabies,
come fly away.
The flight felt like being so short, but in reality it was three hours long. Then, after having flown on a Thai flat land, the airplane started the descent to Bangkok where we landed in perfect time.
Thailand – The Floods
The plane arrived in Bangkok and as soon as we disembarked, I speeded toward the immigration desks in a way to make lose the track of me to the Russian Guy, but it wasn’t a problem as he stuck to the American guys, trying to convince them to invest some money in his business.
I arrived again at the immigration, there were days that I was passing from an immigration gate to the other, but I was starting to like it. The Thai immigration officer studied both me and my passport, scanned both me and my passport, checked the immigration form and pinned it at my passport, and then, both me and my passport were allowed to enter Thailand. Somehow, I felt like coming back home.
I took my backpack at the luggage claim and then, I went out of the arrivals. The noise of Bangkok airport, the noise that I know so well, welcomed me. It was in that moment, while illegal Taxi drivers were calling me, hotel guys trying to convince me to go to their place that I thought
Dear Hong Kong, Fuck You.
I made my way upstairs, at the departures, where I checked in again for my flight to Chiang Mai. Then, I passed once more through the Passport Control and I entered the Domestic Flights area.
My flight should be at 15.50 local time, that meant that I still had a couple of hours of waiting. The first thing to do, was to change some cash. I gave all the Hong Kong Dollars left and some Malaysian Ringgit too. In fact, according to my plan, I had surely to pay for a transportation in Chiang Mai and hopefully for a room too.
I spent some time looking, carelessly, at the shops, and then, I decided to have a coffee. I entered the area with all the restaurants and I discovered that most of the shelves were empty. I approached to the coffee shop and a board said that the large floods in the Thai central areas, North of Bangkok, stopped the supplying of foods, so only few things, made by local factories and bakeries, were available.
The floods. All of a sudden, I reminded of the floods. I reminded all the warnings that I’ve read while I was still in Italy, the maps where were charted the flooded areas, and then, also Stefano, that had problems with his flight to Phuket. Now I was in the middle of it too. A day earlier than I should. It looks like I can’t keep far from troubles. As a friend say, I breed on danger. No, I’m just too naïve to feel danger with too much anticipation, let’s say so.
I took a coffee with a blueberry donut. I ate it slowly sitting at a window of the restaurant. The beautiful garden of the airport had very bright colors and it was kissed by a weak sun light under a partially cloudy sky. Some girls, probably Airport employees were talking and laughing near some cars on the right-hand side of the garden. I relaxed while texting home, my friends and Stefano too. I wondered where he was and if he went to Chiang Mai. Perhaps, I could meet him up there too.
After having finished my donut I stood up and I took the very boiling coffee with me. I love black coffee, but this one was far too hot. I walked toward the gate for my flight switching the coffee hand every few minutes as it was totally burning. A very boiling experience.
I sat down next to the closed gate, a tapis roulat was before me, with a recorded voice that kept on saying, in Thai, to be careful at the step in the end of the tapis roulant, to not fall. I was happy, I was in the airport, with my backpack, my coffee and a beautiful book. While there, I noticed that a young Asian family passed by on the tapis roulant. They had a young baby girl, maybe 4 or 5 y.o.. She looked at this strange “Farang”, that is “Foreigner” in Thai, which was happy with his book and coffee, and she smiled at me waving her small hand. I smiled back and then she laughed while following her parents to their gate.
The airplane left Bangkok in perfect time, but now I was starting to feel the “hangover” of all those hours of thrill. Now, that I was finally quiet, my adrenaline was lowering and as soon as the airplane took off I fell asleep, holding my book like a Teddy Bear. In the same day I used both my backpack and a Clive Cussler book as a Teddy Bear. I should start to be worried about it.
I slept very well, then, all of a sudden I woke up. I looked outside to see if we were still on the flat lands at north of Bangkok or we were already on the hills near Chiang Mai. The panorama was a beautiful golden sunset over the sea. I looked at it, still dizzy after the sleep. Then I realized that something was going wrong. I should be flying on the mainland, not on the sea. The sea was in wrong place. I looked carefully and I discovered the awful truth. That endless spread of water wasn’t the sea. Was the flood. I never imagined that it could be so much catastrophic. Of course I’ve read about the over 500 deaths count for the flooding, but I imagined that it would be, somehow, smaller. Before seeing it, I supposed that, maybe, people were killed by the fury of the water, that’s what I imagined. But nothing like this. It was horrifying. The image was of a large, flat, streamless lake. Like the country was turned into a still frame at sunset. The sea of water and mud was dotted by archipelagos of small islands, which were the roofs of housing. Palms and trees were towering out of the water. All in the golden light of the sunset. As the day dies over a battered land where many people died. When I seen it, I couldn’t hide my tears, it was, and it’s still too huge to be told correctly, and even the pictures that I took from the plane, can’t show the horror of that catastrophe.
Slowly the airplane arrived at the hills, which appeared in their strong green color. The weather was cloudy and, seeing that it was sunset, it was starting to be dark. Chiang Mai was closer and I was feeling that finally I’d be landing in a place that I know and I like much.
I arrived again at the immigration, there were days that I was passing from an immigration gate to the other, but I was starting to like it. The Thai immigration officer studied both me and my passport, scanned both me and my passport, checked the immigration form and pinned it at my passport, and then, both me and my passport were allowed to enter Thailand. Somehow, I felt like coming back home.
I took my backpack at the luggage claim and then, I went out of the arrivals. The noise of Bangkok airport, the noise that I know so well, welcomed me. It was in that moment, while illegal Taxi drivers were calling me, hotel guys trying to convince me to go to their place that I thought
Dear Hong Kong, Fuck You.
I made my way upstairs, at the departures, where I checked in again for my flight to Chiang Mai. Then, I passed once more through the Passport Control and I entered the Domestic Flights area.
My flight should be at 15.50 local time, that meant that I still had a couple of hours of waiting. The first thing to do, was to change some cash. I gave all the Hong Kong Dollars left and some Malaysian Ringgit too. In fact, according to my plan, I had surely to pay for a transportation in Chiang Mai and hopefully for a room too.
I spent some time looking, carelessly, at the shops, and then, I decided to have a coffee. I entered the area with all the restaurants and I discovered that most of the shelves were empty. I approached to the coffee shop and a board said that the large floods in the Thai central areas, North of Bangkok, stopped the supplying of foods, so only few things, made by local factories and bakeries, were available.
The floods. All of a sudden, I reminded of the floods. I reminded all the warnings that I’ve read while I was still in Italy, the maps where were charted the flooded areas, and then, also Stefano, that had problems with his flight to Phuket. Now I was in the middle of it too. A day earlier than I should. It looks like I can’t keep far from troubles. As a friend say, I breed on danger. No, I’m just too naïve to feel danger with too much anticipation, let’s say so.
I took a coffee with a blueberry donut. I ate it slowly sitting at a window of the restaurant. The beautiful garden of the airport had very bright colors and it was kissed by a weak sun light under a partially cloudy sky. Some girls, probably Airport employees were talking and laughing near some cars on the right-hand side of the garden. I relaxed while texting home, my friends and Stefano too. I wondered where he was and if he went to Chiang Mai. Perhaps, I could meet him up there too.
After having finished my donut I stood up and I took the very boiling coffee with me. I love black coffee, but this one was far too hot. I walked toward the gate for my flight switching the coffee hand every few minutes as it was totally burning. A very boiling experience.
I sat down next to the closed gate, a tapis roulat was before me, with a recorded voice that kept on saying, in Thai, to be careful at the step in the end of the tapis roulant, to not fall. I was happy, I was in the airport, with my backpack, my coffee and a beautiful book. While there, I noticed that a young Asian family passed by on the tapis roulant. They had a young baby girl, maybe 4 or 5 y.o.. She looked at this strange “Farang”, that is “Foreigner” in Thai, which was happy with his book and coffee, and she smiled at me waving her small hand. I smiled back and then she laughed while following her parents to their gate.
The airplane left Bangkok in perfect time, but now I was starting to feel the “hangover” of all those hours of thrill. Now, that I was finally quiet, my adrenaline was lowering and as soon as the airplane took off I fell asleep, holding my book like a Teddy Bear. In the same day I used both my backpack and a Clive Cussler book as a Teddy Bear. I should start to be worried about it.
I slept very well, then, all of a sudden I woke up. I looked outside to see if we were still on the flat lands at north of Bangkok or we were already on the hills near Chiang Mai. The panorama was a beautiful golden sunset over the sea. I looked at it, still dizzy after the sleep. Then I realized that something was going wrong. I should be flying on the mainland, not on the sea. The sea was in wrong place. I looked carefully and I discovered the awful truth. That endless spread of water wasn’t the sea. Was the flood. I never imagined that it could be so much catastrophic. Of course I’ve read about the over 500 deaths count for the flooding, but I imagined that it would be, somehow, smaller. Before seeing it, I supposed that, maybe, people were killed by the fury of the water, that’s what I imagined. But nothing like this. It was horrifying. The image was of a large, flat, streamless lake. Like the country was turned into a still frame at sunset. The sea of water and mud was dotted by archipelagos of small islands, which were the roofs of housing. Palms and trees were towering out of the water. All in the golden light of the sunset. As the day dies over a battered land where many people died. When I seen it, I couldn’t hide my tears, it was, and it’s still too huge to be told correctly, and even the pictures that I took from the plane, can’t show the horror of that catastrophe.
Slowly the airplane arrived at the hills, which appeared in their strong green color. The weather was cloudy and, seeing that it was sunset, it was starting to be dark. Chiang Mai was closer and I was feeling that finally I’d be landing in a place that I know and I like much.
First night in Chiang Mai
The airplane landed in perfect time, in the small and beautiful airport of Chiang Mai. Soon we disembarked and we were shown the way to the luggage claim. In the same room that works as luggage claim there are also stalls where people could book a very expensive limousine taxi and a Hotel Booking Agency.
I took my big backpack and, as soon as I moved to the Hotel Booking Agency, I was stopped by two young Thai Girls dressed in turquoise. One of them asked me if I wished a local Sim Card with 100 TB for free. Seeing that I wanted to take a local Sim Card, I accepted the deal. So, they copied the number of my passport and they gave me my brand new “True” Sim Card. True is the name of the company. Hearing from the Expats, it’s not the best around, but it was a way to call home for cheap money.
I placed the new Sim Card in my backpack and I went straight to the Hotel Booking Agency where I was welcomed by a crazy Thai girl. I asked if she had rooms for the night, and she shown me some fancy hotel. I told her that I needed a cheap room, the cheapest she had and only for a single night, as I already had booked my room for the following days in a guesthouse. She asked me which guesthouse I booked and I told her “The Royal Guesthouse”. She looked at me and said “I hope you had a low floor as they don’t have elevator!”. I said that I bargained with them and they gave me a room at the second floor at the price of one at high floor. That means, one of the best rooms at the cheapest price of the hotel. Anyway, she shivered, like she was hiding something.
She shown me an hotel and she told me that they had a room for about 280 TB, that means, more or less, about 7 Euro. I said that it’d be perfect, so she called them. They replied that they couldn’t give it to me only for one night. She kept on looking and she found another one. She said “This more expensive!”, I replied “How much?” and she said 300 TB, that means about 7,50 Euro. I said that it was still good, and she called them. They said that for them was ok, and she wrote me a voucher for the hotel. The hotel is called “Grace Boutique Guesthouse”, a very nice name, and it was in the very centre of the old town, in an area that I know quite well.
I went out of the airport and all the pavement was crowded by people waiting for some transportation. It looked like everybody already took all the Tuk-Tuks and the Song-Taews. Chiang Mai is nice and it’d be a pleasant walk to the centre as I already did it many years before. So, I decided to carry my backpacks and start walking the way to the centre, and surely I’d be stopped by some Tuk-Tuk or some Song-Tew driver on the way.
I left the Airport and passed by the huge board that welcomes people in Chiang Mai. I’ve to say that I love this town, and if a day, as I hope, I’ll be an Expat, this place would be my first choice, my second choice would be some place near the sea, like Krabi. As soon as I arrived in the main road outside of the Airport, I heard the horn of a Song-Taew and it slowed next to me. I told him that I needed to go to Tha Phae Gate, which is the main landmark near my guesthouse and he told me to jump on.
Now the night was falling over Chiang Mai. The hot breeze of the day was starting to chill down a bit. I was very happy to be there, to be again in a place that I like. Few people were on board and the bus made its way to take them at their places. I was the last one left, but it didn’t take long to take me at the Tha Phae Gate.
Once arrived I carried again the backpack on my shoulder and I went straight up Ratchadamnoen Road. The street was crowded with people, mostly tourists, that were walking around looking for shops, drugstores, currency exchanges or restaurants. I guess that most of them just came back from some adventure or some Day Trip, and I was looking forward to be one of them soon. It was still early, as it was about 18.00, but it was dark, and it already felt like it was evening. I kept on going up, and after few crossroads I arrived in Rachapakinai Road, where I easily found my guesthouse.
I entered the guesthouse and the very kind personnel welcomed me and took me at the room. It was in the second floor, it was very cozy and clean. I definitely liked it. If I should say the truth, seeing the price of 7,50 Euro and the beauty of the place, this guesthouse is a zillion times better than the fancy hotel that I had in Hong Kong. Friendly staff, clean room, TV, Air Condition, free water bottles, private bathroom with shower. It had all that I needed.
The first thing was to turn the TV on a music channel, then I partially unpacked my backpack. As soon as I did it, I noticed that something was missing. My lock. I had a lock with a steel cable. Knowing that if somebody would steal from my backpack, he'd just could cut the fabric instead being scared of the lock, when I travel by plane, I'm used to hang the lock at a side hook of the backpack. Then I usually use it in the hotels if I've not a safe box. I couldn't believe, I was stolen the lock and nothing else. I'm sure it had been the Old Chinese Man in Hong Kong. Only he could do it.
Then, it was time for a nice and long shower. The shower restored my strength and I felt refreshed, revived and awaken again. I worked on my old-but-still-good mobile phone in which I placed the Thai Sim Card. I’m not an expert on Thai Sim Cards, and to learn how it works and how to dial the “cheap rates” code to call home, was quite challenging, but in the end I did it. I called back home as they expected that I’d be still in Hong Kong and I told them that I decided to move to Thailand earlier and I was happy with it. It sounded like all was well in Italy and I didn’t tell them about the floods to not make them to worry. Once I ended the call, I got dressed again and I was ready to go to have a stroll in the town that I love.
First thing I made my way back to Tha Phae gate. When I seen it the last time, that was four years earlier, it was under recovery works. Now that the works were over, it looked very beautiful. There were installed some lights in the pavement to light the walls on the sides of the gate itself. I’ve to say that I liked it. Once through the gate, that if I were in the ancient time, I’d just got outside of the town, I went on the opposite side of the square, where there were going works to set up some stands with lights and lanterns for the approaching Loy Krathong Festival.
I followed the street until I found the beginning of Loi Khor Road and I followed it all the way down until the Night Market. In past this street had many bars that were open until deep night, now it had, if possible, even more. I liked the street and it looked like a cheerful place. This place was giving me new energies.
I arrived at the Night Market and had a walk through the stalls. They were selling exactly the same things that I’ve seen in the same market about four years before, with the slight difference that now there were many less fakes of branded T-Shirts. Probably, in the meantime, started some new local regulation against the fake goods.
On my way around the Night Market I arrived to the Anusan square. I entered it as I knew it’d be the place with my favorite restaurants. Nothing changed since my last visit. It looked like time froze and rewinded up to four years earlier. I went across the stalls of the market and I pointed straight to one of the fish restaurant. When I turned the corner, I noticed that something had changed.
Four years before, in the same place, there was a square with a stage where dancers were performing every night free traditional dances. Now the stage was taken away and an hangar-looking structure was a little more leftward. This new place is a Ladyboy Cabaret bar. It promises free Ladyboy Cabaret and the beer looked to have the bar standard price. I promised to come back one of the following evening as in past I went to see one of these cabarets in Phuket and it was nice.
I entered the open-air restaurant and I placed my order, which was grilled fish, steamed rice and a big Chang Beer. I sat down. I was thinking about the same day. It had been incredible. Far too many things happened and I wished that I took my “Red Booklet” at the restaurant with me to write down some notes. I checked my mobile phone and I seen that I received some text messages from my friends. I texted them back advising them about the new Sim Card and then arrived my food. I was hungry. Actually, I was very aware that I’ve eaten a lot of food all the day long, but I was still hungry. Probably the stress made me so much hungry.
The sky was dotted with red lanterns. Somebody already ignited the Loy Krathong lanterns. The music, the noise were some sort of a lullaby sung from a dear one. Her fragrance of flowers and curry. Her dress in bright colors. Chiang Mai was welcoming me back. As I promised in past, I’d be back to you, and now I was toasting at our reunion.
When I finished my beer I stood up and I made my way back to the guesthouse. It was a long way, but I was so cheerful that it felt like the guesthouse was just around the corner.
When I arrived, I brushed my teeth, wore a clean T-Shirt and I went to sleep in my first Thai night of this trip. The bed felt super comfortable and the area was quite silent. Soon I felt sinking into the dreams. Dreams under the sky of Thailand.
Good night my dear Chiang Mai.
Rat-tree Sa-Wat Chiang Mai!
I took my big backpack and, as soon as I moved to the Hotel Booking Agency, I was stopped by two young Thai Girls dressed in turquoise. One of them asked me if I wished a local Sim Card with 100 TB for free. Seeing that I wanted to take a local Sim Card, I accepted the deal. So, they copied the number of my passport and they gave me my brand new “True” Sim Card. True is the name of the company. Hearing from the Expats, it’s not the best around, but it was a way to call home for cheap money.
I placed the new Sim Card in my backpack and I went straight to the Hotel Booking Agency where I was welcomed by a crazy Thai girl. I asked if she had rooms for the night, and she shown me some fancy hotel. I told her that I needed a cheap room, the cheapest she had and only for a single night, as I already had booked my room for the following days in a guesthouse. She asked me which guesthouse I booked and I told her “The Royal Guesthouse”. She looked at me and said “I hope you had a low floor as they don’t have elevator!”. I said that I bargained with them and they gave me a room at the second floor at the price of one at high floor. That means, one of the best rooms at the cheapest price of the hotel. Anyway, she shivered, like she was hiding something.
She shown me an hotel and she told me that they had a room for about 280 TB, that means, more or less, about 7 Euro. I said that it’d be perfect, so she called them. They replied that they couldn’t give it to me only for one night. She kept on looking and she found another one. She said “This more expensive!”, I replied “How much?” and she said 300 TB, that means about 7,50 Euro. I said that it was still good, and she called them. They said that for them was ok, and she wrote me a voucher for the hotel. The hotel is called “Grace Boutique Guesthouse”, a very nice name, and it was in the very centre of the old town, in an area that I know quite well.
I went out of the airport and all the pavement was crowded by people waiting for some transportation. It looked like everybody already took all the Tuk-Tuks and the Song-Taews. Chiang Mai is nice and it’d be a pleasant walk to the centre as I already did it many years before. So, I decided to carry my backpacks and start walking the way to the centre, and surely I’d be stopped by some Tuk-Tuk or some Song-Tew driver on the way.
I left the Airport and passed by the huge board that welcomes people in Chiang Mai. I’ve to say that I love this town, and if a day, as I hope, I’ll be an Expat, this place would be my first choice, my second choice would be some place near the sea, like Krabi. As soon as I arrived in the main road outside of the Airport, I heard the horn of a Song-Taew and it slowed next to me. I told him that I needed to go to Tha Phae Gate, which is the main landmark near my guesthouse and he told me to jump on.
Now the night was falling over Chiang Mai. The hot breeze of the day was starting to chill down a bit. I was very happy to be there, to be again in a place that I like. Few people were on board and the bus made its way to take them at their places. I was the last one left, but it didn’t take long to take me at the Tha Phae Gate.
Once arrived I carried again the backpack on my shoulder and I went straight up Ratchadamnoen Road. The street was crowded with people, mostly tourists, that were walking around looking for shops, drugstores, currency exchanges or restaurants. I guess that most of them just came back from some adventure or some Day Trip, and I was looking forward to be one of them soon. It was still early, as it was about 18.00, but it was dark, and it already felt like it was evening. I kept on going up, and after few crossroads I arrived in Rachapakinai Road, where I easily found my guesthouse.
I entered the guesthouse and the very kind personnel welcomed me and took me at the room. It was in the second floor, it was very cozy and clean. I definitely liked it. If I should say the truth, seeing the price of 7,50 Euro and the beauty of the place, this guesthouse is a zillion times better than the fancy hotel that I had in Hong Kong. Friendly staff, clean room, TV, Air Condition, free water bottles, private bathroom with shower. It had all that I needed.
The first thing was to turn the TV on a music channel, then I partially unpacked my backpack. As soon as I did it, I noticed that something was missing. My lock. I had a lock with a steel cable. Knowing that if somebody would steal from my backpack, he'd just could cut the fabric instead being scared of the lock, when I travel by plane, I'm used to hang the lock at a side hook of the backpack. Then I usually use it in the hotels if I've not a safe box. I couldn't believe, I was stolen the lock and nothing else. I'm sure it had been the Old Chinese Man in Hong Kong. Only he could do it.
Then, it was time for a nice and long shower. The shower restored my strength and I felt refreshed, revived and awaken again. I worked on my old-but-still-good mobile phone in which I placed the Thai Sim Card. I’m not an expert on Thai Sim Cards, and to learn how it works and how to dial the “cheap rates” code to call home, was quite challenging, but in the end I did it. I called back home as they expected that I’d be still in Hong Kong and I told them that I decided to move to Thailand earlier and I was happy with it. It sounded like all was well in Italy and I didn’t tell them about the floods to not make them to worry. Once I ended the call, I got dressed again and I was ready to go to have a stroll in the town that I love.
First thing I made my way back to Tha Phae gate. When I seen it the last time, that was four years earlier, it was under recovery works. Now that the works were over, it looked very beautiful. There were installed some lights in the pavement to light the walls on the sides of the gate itself. I’ve to say that I liked it. Once through the gate, that if I were in the ancient time, I’d just got outside of the town, I went on the opposite side of the square, where there were going works to set up some stands with lights and lanterns for the approaching Loy Krathong Festival.
I followed the street until I found the beginning of Loi Khor Road and I followed it all the way down until the Night Market. In past this street had many bars that were open until deep night, now it had, if possible, even more. I liked the street and it looked like a cheerful place. This place was giving me new energies.
I arrived at the Night Market and had a walk through the stalls. They were selling exactly the same things that I’ve seen in the same market about four years before, with the slight difference that now there were many less fakes of branded T-Shirts. Probably, in the meantime, started some new local regulation against the fake goods.
On my way around the Night Market I arrived to the Anusan square. I entered it as I knew it’d be the place with my favorite restaurants. Nothing changed since my last visit. It looked like time froze and rewinded up to four years earlier. I went across the stalls of the market and I pointed straight to one of the fish restaurant. When I turned the corner, I noticed that something had changed.
Four years before, in the same place, there was a square with a stage where dancers were performing every night free traditional dances. Now the stage was taken away and an hangar-looking structure was a little more leftward. This new place is a Ladyboy Cabaret bar. It promises free Ladyboy Cabaret and the beer looked to have the bar standard price. I promised to come back one of the following evening as in past I went to see one of these cabarets in Phuket and it was nice.
I entered the open-air restaurant and I placed my order, which was grilled fish, steamed rice and a big Chang Beer. I sat down. I was thinking about the same day. It had been incredible. Far too many things happened and I wished that I took my “Red Booklet” at the restaurant with me to write down some notes. I checked my mobile phone and I seen that I received some text messages from my friends. I texted them back advising them about the new Sim Card and then arrived my food. I was hungry. Actually, I was very aware that I’ve eaten a lot of food all the day long, but I was still hungry. Probably the stress made me so much hungry.
The sky was dotted with red lanterns. Somebody already ignited the Loy Krathong lanterns. The music, the noise were some sort of a lullaby sung from a dear one. Her fragrance of flowers and curry. Her dress in bright colors. Chiang Mai was welcoming me back. As I promised in past, I’d be back to you, and now I was toasting at our reunion.
When I finished my beer I stood up and I made my way back to the guesthouse. It was a long way, but I was so cheerful that it felt like the guesthouse was just around the corner.
When I arrived, I brushed my teeth, wore a clean T-Shirt and I went to sleep in my first Thai night of this trip. The bed felt super comfortable and the area was quite silent. Soon I felt sinking into the dreams. Dreams under the sky of Thailand.
Good night my dear Chiang Mai.
Rat-tree Sa-Wat Chiang Mai!