Stick(y)ing to the plan

The program here at the learning centre is pretty full on and as part of keeping us all as fresh and motivated as possible, one full day off is scheduled once a week for each couple or individual. Today was our day.
The forecast was for rain today so we decided to take 4 wheels rather than 2 as our mode of transport to do some exploring. As it turned out, not a drop fell until about 6pm when we were safely ensconced in our new second home - the Senses massage establishment back down in Chiang Mai.

We left the TLC at 7.45am with our first destination being breakfast in an Airbus A330 which inexplicably is parked in the middle of a busy road intersection about 30 minutes drive north.
As to how they got it there we have no clue, but is is decked out as a cafe inside and we were able to enjoy morning iced coffee in the luxury of business class(!) - for the princely sum of $6 each which included both entry fee and coffee :)
Next stop was the incredible ‘sticky falls’ which are both beautiful and intriguing.
The calcite that has formed on the rocks as the calcium rich water passes over them leaves a surface texture that is … well…. sticky. Not sticky as in gooey but more akin to walking on pumice stone which makes for incredible grip and an ability to walk up the waterfalls with excellent traction.
Leah McGeorge had briefed us on the experience and had suggested to walk down the stairs and climb the falls (rather than the reverse). We took her advice and enjoyed it so much we repeated it a second time.
As we left this major tourist attraction the crowds were just starting to arrive and the day was warming up so our timing was good.
We were making good progress so we ventured further north about 1.5 hrs- not too far from the Myanmar border (close enough that we had to go through a police checkpoint and fortunately we had our passports with us). We arrived at another set of similarly ‘sticky falls’ (Sri Swangan falls) which were north of the next major city of Chiang Dao. These were perhaps even more attractive than the more heavily tourist visited ones that we had just left. It was very pleasant to be there during the midday heat and enjoy the cool of the shade and the proximity to water which always lowers the temperature.
There was a cafe which was tantalisingly placed in the perfect location adjacent to these falls with signage that promised it was open and serving coffee and food. Alas, as we approached this promise of satiation for caffeine and calories we discovered this signage was false advertising as its doors were firmly bolted.
Desperate for a lunchtime fix we headed back south and called in to the Lotus supermarket and got some snacks and iced coffee which ticked the required boxes.
Next stop was the Chiang Dao limestone caves which were geologically ‘average’ but the actual caving experience was the most authentic we have ever done. A guide (who spoke almost no English) was mandatory as there were no lights for the majority or the route. Lighting was provided by an ancient kerosene Tilley lamp which our guide entrusted to no one except herself. Tiny crawl throughs were all part of the tour and when I hung back for a moment or two too long to take a photo I found myself crawling through these confined spaces in almost pitch blackness. This combined with large groups of bats flying about in the cave system meant that it was about as close to a 19th. Century caving expedition as we were ever likely to experience.
It was now mid afternoon and time to start heading south. A phone call to ‘Senses’ in Chiang Mai secured us a 6.30pm booking for a massage, with a short stop for fuel and some more supplies from Makro enroute. After we left Senses we drove back to One Nimman shopping precinct to allow Loss to experience the ‘Western’ delights of the Happy Frog followed by post prandial coffee at ‘Graph’.
A bit of a shopping browse at One Nimman and a half hour drive back to the TLC brought an excellent recharge day to an end.Read more