075: Rose of the North

Just last month, as the year was winding down, we packed our bags and headed to Thailand. A way to close out one year and ease into the next with a bit of distance from the everyday. We also have a large extended family in Thailand that we are always excited to see.

So in December, we pointed ourselves north to Chiang Mai. The "Rose of the North," as I found out it's called, when looking up things to do there with the kids. My first time there, and I'd been curious about it for years. The kids were excited too, which always helps when you're traveling with family and trying to balance everyone's interests with the occasional photo opportunity.

We spent three nights exploring the city and its surroundings, and it felt different from the Thailand I'm used to. Chiang Mai has this unhurried quality to it; temples tucked into quiet corners, night markets that sprawl without the aggressive energy of bigger cities, a pace that lets you breathe. The stay coincided with the Chiang Mai Marathon, which I thought of taking part inhte half marathon segment, but then decided not to, due to lack of training and not wanting to ruin the rest of the holiday with aching legs. Fun fact: Legs are necessary for street photography.

We visited a couple of the golden temples, wandered through bazaars as the sun went down, and one evening took the kids to the night safari, which was a hit. There's something about seeing animals in the evening darkness that feels different from the usual zoo experience. The kids loved it, as well as the adults, which meant I could relax a bit and just enjoy being there. No photos from the safari here though, as it was mostly family shots.

I didn't carve out dedicated photography time on this trip. That wasn't the point. This was family time, and when you're keeping an eye on excited children and navigating unfamiliar streets together, the camera becomes secondary. But I brought it along anyway, and grabbed shots when I could; in between temple visits, wheneeryone else was occupied at market stalls, during those brief pauses that family travel sometimes offers.

We visited the famous Warorot Market and wandered around its surroundings for a bit. Then also the funky hipster market and art village, Baan Kang Wat. Filled with local arts and craft vendors, and overpriced coffees galore. A unique environment, eclectic in the way it is set up. Definitely worth the visit to experience something different in Chiang Mai.

So what you see here is less of a curated photographic essay and more of a visual diary. Stolen moments. Quick compositions. The kind of photos you take when you're present for something else entirely but still can't help noticing the light, the scene, the moment. It's a different kind of photography, but it has its own honesty to it.

Chiang Mai was a lovely pause before the chaos that awaited us in Bangkok - but that's a story for another post. For now, enjoy these photos from the Rose of the North.

Cheers.