Before I begin, let me wish everyone a Happy Chinese New Year!
Hope the Dragon Year would be a HUAT HUAT year for everyone and may everyone be happy, sexy, glam and healthy!

♥

This Chinese New Year has been a rather quiet one for everyone in my family.
We didn’t do any visiting this year because of Grandma’s recent demise,
but we still had fun at our family chalet! 🙂
I visited A’s place though, and it was a lot of fun meeting her family.
I hope A had fun at my family chalet and family dinner too. Heh!

I also received some pretty clothes to wear for the new year!
Special thanks to SugarThreads for the super adorable striped dress and
LustMonday for the comfy and stylish looking chiffon shirt dress!
Many many love!

I shall continue with my travel to Chiang Mai!
This is probably my favourite part of the entire Chiang Mai trip – visiting the Karen Tribe in Mae Hong Son and Elephant rides.
But before I start on those, I MUST share this amazing place in Chiang Mai that A and I chanced upon
while we were researching about Chiang Mai couple weeks ago.

Nimmanhaemin Road is supposedly the hippest and most artsy place in Chiang Mai.
Littered with lots of cute cafes and chillout places, this is the perfect place to escape to
if one wants to escape from the typical “Chiang Mai sights”!

If you google or youtube the place, you can actually see a lot more pictures of the streets.
There are about 19 or more little streets branching off the main Nimmanhaemin Road, almost all are awesome!
Lots and lots of hidden treasures!

We saw this pretty little shop and we were blown away!
A lot of the things in there were made from recycled materials and they are all super cute!
It’s at Nimmanhaemin Soi 19, for those who are interested.
There is a shop, a cafe and a Ukulele shop in one!

There is this funky statue there. Look closely and you’ll see that it’s actually decorated with coins!
Creative!

Here are some of the things they sell in there.
A bought that blue/green document bag you see in the collage.
When we first saw it, we were guessing the material it’s made with.
After checking with the store assistant, we were pleasantly surprised that it was actually made from an old fridge door!
The sides of the bag has the rubber tubings from the old fridge too. Mad special!
It’s not cheap, about S$200, but definitely worth the price!

Our main aim at Nimmanhaemin Road was initially to find this shop we saw in one of the Youtube clips.
After asking around and some googling at the WIFI cafes there, we finally found it!
It’s called iBerry at Nimmanhaemin Soi 19. Super cute!
I wish there is such a place in Singapore too!

SUPER BIG STATUE!
Look at the size of the chairs and tables next to the statue.
We were super tired from all the walking but thrilled when we finally found the cafe!

Trying to look like that little thing on the table. Hahahaha!

Then we found this thing where you can stick your head in and take photos!

We had this super yummy thick toast thing there.
IT WAS FUCKING GOOD!
The bread is toasted and cut into little cuboids.
Honey is drizzled on the bread and it tasted heavenly with ice cream.
I’m drooling now already. Bring me back there!!

The next day, we visited one of the prettiest temple I have ever seen.
The White Temple.
It’s unlike most conventional temples because it looks very modern and is entirely white!

This place is almost like an art exhibition.
Check out these photos and you’ll understand why I said that.

The artist’s depiction of hell.

Something quite funny. You can actually see the artist’s standee all over the temple.
Apparently, he is tired of taking pictures with the tourists so he planted a lot of standees. Hahaha!

Inside the main temple hall, photography is prohibited.
But I managed to sneak a few photos. Hehehe!
Look at this! In which temple can you see such funky wall paintings?!
These are the things that we mortals are all caught up with, that we forget the true meaning of living.
I see Milla Jovovich in Resident Evil, Kungfu Panda and Transformers! Can you? :p

More pictures around the temple as we leave.
I LOVE this skull thing. Almost like McQueen!

For those who have watched this really good Japanese movie called Departures before,
you’d know what a stone letter is.
Here is a stone letter A and I exchanged in the temple.

After the temple, we ventured out to look at the infamous Golden Triangle.
I never exactly knew what the Golden Triangle is before I got there.
It’s actually a little triangle formed by borders of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand,
and it was one of the most illicit opium-producing areas a few decades ago.
I wonder if there are still such businesses going on in there now.

Allow me to introduce our funny tour guide.
Her name is Thip and she got the funkiest accent ever.
She pronounces January as “Jan-jer-ree”, Belongings as “Bee-long-jings” and Louis Vuitton as “Loo-wee-tong”.
Hahahaha. But she is still totally amazing.
A says she will make an awesome sales person. :p

After a short 10 mins boat ride, we crossed the river and ended up in Laos!

You can buy postcards here and mail them to your friends.
They will receive them 2 months later. Haha.

We also saw the funkiest baby “basket”!
And of course, adorable children. 🙂

Saw neatly arranged rocks. I think these must be some children’s toys.

Then we went back to Thailand (sounded so far haha) and checked out the actual Golden Triangle itself.
Okay lor, it was just a piece of triangular-shaped land.

After a short bus ride, we reached the northern most end of Thailand, just a bridge away from Myanmar.

*My eyes are getting a bit dizzy from all the uploading of photos and typing*

We later went to visit the Karen Tribe at Mae Hong Son.
This is one of my favourite parts of the entire trip.
I have heard so much about these long-neck people and I’m honoured to have the chance to meet them.
They live in the same village as another tribe where the women would enlarge their ear piercings.
It’s fascinating!

Her teeth is like that because of all the betel nuts chewing.

And this lady is one of the singles in this village, supposedly one of the prettier ones there.
Their skin is so fair and nice!
Put her in a singlet and jeans and she can pass off as one of our cousins lor!

And the long-neck tribe, also known as Karen Tribe.
They originate from Burma, present day Myanmar.

Looking at these women saddens me a bit actually.
The tour guide told us that these women need to put the rings into their necks by
slipping brass rings in molten state through their heads and let them harden at their necks.
So they will have a lot of burn marks under the rings.
THAT’S SO CRUEL AND SCARY!

But after doing some research when I got back, I realized that that wasn’t the case.
Tour guide kayu.
Here is a Youtube clip that shows you how the rings are put on and removed.
And yes, it is also a myth that these ladies will die and their necks will break the moment the rings are removed.

But in some articles, I read about how the muscles in the neck will weaken after prolonged wearing of the brass rings.
And that after they remove the rings, the woman must lie in bed for the rest of their lives.
It was said to be one of the punishments for adultery.

Here is an article explaining why the Karen women wear the brass rings around their necks.
“There are many different accounts of why the Padaung practice this bizzare custom.
Their own mythology explains that it is done to prevent tigers from biting them!
Others have reported that it is done to make the women unattractive so they are less likely to be captured by slave traders.
The most common explanation, though, is the opposite of this –
that an extra-long neck is considered a sign of great beauty and wealth and that it will attract a better husband.”

Anyways, it was the Thai Childrens Day that day so A and I decided to buy some candies and chocolates for the kids.
Some of them never eat chocolates before eh. 😦
And they are so not in touch with society that they don’t even know it’s Childrens Day.

This lady has the most number of rings in the village.
Her picture is on the Wiki page about their tribe too eh!

She has like 26 or 28 rings around her neck!
A and I tried on the rings (there is only 17 rings here) and we are so glad we were not born into this tribe.
We would be considered freaking ugly if we were. Haha.

And one final photo with their pretty headgear before we leave the village.
I bought that yellow necklace I’m wearing in this picture too! Pretty? 😀

Think I’m going to pass out if I continue blogging!
Have been at it for the last 4 hours. OMG!
I’ll be back with more pictures from Chiang Mai.
And till then, hope you all have a wonderful day ahead.
Cheers!