Sticky Falls

And the second and last stop: Sticky Falls, also known as Buatong Waterfall.

That was fun! You go downstairs to the beginning of the waterfall and then hike it up – in the falling water. So much fun!

Contrary to what intuition might tell you, it wasn’t at all slippery. You could easily manage barefoot. Though, that was too pedestrian for my taste, so I glamorously slipped on my new aqua shoes (I had a pair from New Zealand that were growing a few cultures without my permission, so I got uncultered ones in Australia).

I liked having done that, because I’m pretty sure my toes and feet wouldn’t have appreciated the terrain as much without that extra protective layer.

It was so much fun hiking up, I did it a second time.

The waterfall forked a few times, so the second time around, I took the paths I hadn’t taken previously.

Unfortunately, the paths were beleaguered by countless (!) tourists with not a single modicum of respect or consideration whatsoever when it comes to their bloody self-celebrating selfie sessions! I’ve honestly had it.

There were long sections of the waterfall where it was more stop than go. One step forward, waiting. Waiting all the time for people finishing their bloody picture session on top of the fall, which incidentally they had been doing at every spot that allowed for it – which was – I’m not exaggerating here – every 1 or 2 meters.

I’m so very flabbergasted by this. I just don’t get it. They’re not even in it for the activity, but for Instagram and TikTok, ruining it for everyone else (very few people, unfortunately)!

While I do try to be considerate with others taking pictures and not walk through the frame (I assure you, no one else there or elsewhere extended you that courtesy the other way around), I just couldn’t be asked to stop every 2 meters. There were so many people around, you were just bound to photobomb several of their pics.

I threw consideration out of the window and hiked on wherever possible, stomping through the water in a huff.

Just close to the end – see aforementioned description – it was impossible.

After that, I wanted some peace and quiet and spotted a short hike – some 150m – to a cold water fountain.

Wow, that was peaceful and beautiful. And hardly anyone was there. Two more people that I saw.

I enjoyed that thoroughly and then went back to rehydrate myself with a flavourful coconut before our 1.5h drive back to Chiang Mai central.

I took some time to chill and organise stuff and decided to take a look at the much talked-about Night Bazaar.

It was large! A lot larger than I thought. The things you could buy: polyester shirts featuring elephants or beer brand names, beautiful handcrafted woodwork, candles, figurines, etc.; street food (I’m quite fond of morning glory – no matter which way I put that, it will come out wrong… – and I had corn on the cob which smelled divine, but alas, it was way too shrivelled and burnt – unfortunately inedible).

Once I had decimated my dinner, I called a Grab bike to get me back to the hostel.

Usually, they just expect you to hop onto the bike and be fine with that.

I, however, tend to insist on a helmet. In Bali, a lot of them simply didn’t have a spare one and sometimes gave you theirs instead.

But my driver had an extra one – with one caveat: you couldn’t actually close it. It was just waiting for a breeze at the right angle to fall off my head.

Also, the way he was driving – you could say it was reckless, sure. In between cars, sudden stops and accelerations, slaloming around the cars in dense traffic…

Everyone has their style of driving, but I can’t help but stand by mine: the life-preserving one.

P.S.: No camera for the Sticky Falls, so more crude snapshottery.Read more