Up after a very restful night’s sleep, the sunrise is like a burning ball of fire in the sky.
After our coffee, we head out to walk the little lanes and back roads around the Little Village for our morning exercise. It is still quiet and peaceful, and we manage to find our way to the Crematorium and back, passing along the way the “stalker” cow – the thing watched us all the way down the lane, and then once again on the way back!
Breakfast includes freshly squeezed orange juice (oh so good), brewed coffee (even better!) and a big choice of delicious food.
I opt to be bad with the Banana Pancake (excellent decision – it is like a crepe wrapped around a fresh banana! YUM!) and Ed is good with the Omelet with ham. This morning we are at leisure, as our cooking class will not start until 3. Frans arrives for breakfast, and we chat a while before he leaves for his golf outing this morning. He will be joining us for our cooking school – so we will see him later in the afternoon.
We settle ourselves onto our porch to catch some sun, when Hans arrives telling us we may like this (to lay out in the sun) or we may like to take a bike ride. He has a whole route all planned out to take us through the Hang Dong area, including past the “Grand Canyon” of Chiang Mai. We’re game!
We set off on our bikes for our solitary ride through the countryside. It’s a bit harrowing – at least in my mind – because truly – if we get lost? How will we tell anyone where we are? All my worries are in vain though, since the ride directions are in such detail – and with such good landmarks (i.e., turn left at the x junction –red-white telephone mast on the right; or turn left at the big tree with 3 small spirit houses, one of them red, at this spot also the electricity cables cross the road) – it was impossible to get lost!
After passing the stalker cow again – and the Makok Art Space house – which I think is totally cool because of the big tree trunks they’ve used for the stilts -
-our first stop is the hillside Wat that has fabulous views. We wander through the lower level of the Wat property – with its terribly odd depictions of devils torturing people (maybe?) and other traditional Buddha representations.
Then we climb the steps up to the main Wat area, perched up above the valley looking out on the fields and forests below. It’s a hike, but it is so pretty and peaceful up above.
Back down at sea level, we watch as a worker is creating, by hand, a dragon statue at the entrance to the stairway. Fascinating – he’s actually forming the dragon scales from clay and adhering them to the body. Eventually his work will be finished to look like the already completed statue on the other side of the stairway entrance (see picture on the right).
We cycle on – turning at this T-intersection and that X-junction. Just the two of us and our bikes – and the occasional scooter that zips past us!
At about 5km, as our directions state, we come upon the Grand Canyon. It’s totally cool – a lake and canyon outcropping in the middle of the valley with some picnic areas and a restaurant across on the other side. Really beautiful.
After an aborted attempt to ride up a very steep gravel road to get to the Canyon View restaurant for a coffee, we head back on our route which takes us past the Hang Dong market (where we will shop for our cooking supplies later), past little villages with shops and houses and rice fields, and back across the main road to the little lane where the Little Village is located.
Here is a video of part of our ride: http://youtu.be/e-wp5oZ4rwc
Back at the Little Village we freshen up then head to lunch at 1 – which was probably a mistake! But, hey, it’s included! This afternoon we dine on two types of chicken stir fry with rice – and it’s really a meal! Frans comes back from his golfing – which he thoroughly enjoyed – and is the smart one – he only has a tosti for lunch while we’re being rolled away from the table! Well at least we have an hour or so to try to digest our food before we cook again!
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