Goodbye Part 2

Soursop jelly and ice. I hadn't eaten this in decades!

It was my last day to spend time with my parents.

I declined a proposed trip to the Malaysian border, and we settled on a compromise instead: Bukit Panjang. A part of Singapore that still feels decidedly local, with no Western or expat gloss. Old HDB buildings I remembered from childhood. A non-air-conditioned hawker centre. Men drinking kopi o and playing Chinese chess, unhurried and deeply unconcerned with the rest of the world.

We wandered through the loud and busy markets where my parents bought things for their grandchildren. Chines New Year paraphernalia were out in force. My father ate more durian. And, naturally, we ate again.

Somewhere in between meals, I managed a short nap. The past week had been utterly exhausting in the way only constant eating can be. Then it was time to shower, pack, and head to the airport.

My parents, who were ever so sweet, took public transport with me so we could spend a little more time together. And also, of course, eat again. It’s never too early to celebrate Chinese New Year.

My dad ordered yusheng, a raw fish salad traditionally eaten during Lunar New Year, where everyone gathers around the table and tosses the ingredients high into the air while calling out wishes for prosperity, health, and good fortune. The higher the toss, the better the luck. It’s chaotic, symbolic, and oddly joyful. A fitting note to end on.

My flight wasn’t until just after midnight, so we said our goodbyes at the airport. I lingered for a while longer, drifting through duty-free, then into the lounge, where I did what I’d been doing all trip.

I ate again.

An entirely appropriate way to end this chapter of the Festival of Fifty.

Exploring Singapore on public transport like pros. This is my parents hobby when in Singapore

Local market at Bukit Panjang. Prices are still good here

And...its time to eat...again

When in Rome...

Everyone has their marketing red packets ready!

More local fruit. Jambu. I still don't know what the best English translation is

This sight is becoming less common with all the public spaces and hawker centres "modernising"

Otak otak (Singapore style not Indonesian just to be clear! They are very different...) another childhood favourite

Eating yusheng. Each ingredient has its own saying with associated meaning when poured on. 

The extra long chopsticks for tossing

Lets go!!!

Goodbyes

Sadly, our time in Chiang Mai came to an end.

Verdict on the trip? We all had a good time. But then again, we usually do as a family. Was it the most exciting or memorable trip we’ve ever taken? No. But that wasn’t really the point.

It was a short break that did exactly what it needed to do. Time together. A change of scenery. Space to slow down and step away from the everyday rhythm of life. And as an added bonus… it was cheap. Which never hurt! There were many more chapters to go in the "Festival of Fifty"...

We flew back to Singapore on the same Scoot flight, then parted ways at Changi airport. Mal and the boys stayed overnight at an airport hotel, opting for an early morning flight back to Sydney rather than the age-inducing overnight option.

Lara, my parents, and I headed back to the family apartment. Which of course meant one thing.

More eating.

My parents know how to play this game

The tiny Chiang Mai airport

Lounge was not bad

Came with free 15 min massage

Elliot lounging in the tiny Yotel

The view out of the family apartment

My parents knew what I liked. Sar ho fun

Can you guess what major annual event is coming up

My parents bought this for me as must try. Have never seen this in Australia

You eat it as is. SOOO sweet

Chocolates we had to have

I mean who doesn't need Chinese New Year kitkats

Chiang Rai & The Golden Triangle

The White Temple

Today was a long travel day.

We drove for around three and a half hours north to Chiang Rai, with the main aim of visiting the White Temple.

Wat Rong Khun is impossible to miss. Blindingly white. So white it actually hurt our eyes. Designed by contemporary Thai artist Chalermchai Kositpipat, it’s a modern temple rather than an ancient one, heavy on symbolism and visual impact. I’m still not quite sure what I think of it. Parts were striking. Parts felt more like an elaborate art installation than a spiritual space. It’s undeniably impressive, but it also felt very much designed to attract tourists. Which, to be fair, it does extremely well.

Our pit stop. An odd place with hot springs where vendors sell eggs boiled in the water!

Eggs in basket

We made it! Although I think it is more bedazzling in real life

We actually felt hot for the first time we've been in Chiang Mai/Chiang Rai

What is this strange place?!

Uh...is that a TNMT?!? Why yes it is!

I feel like this guy was in a movie too

Thanos

And because a silver one wasn't enough, they built a gold one too

From there, we continued on to the Golden Triangle.

This is the point where Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar meet along the Mekong River, once infamous as the heart of the opium trade. Today, it’s calmer, more reflective, and very aware of its own history. We took a short boat ride on the river, drifting past borders that felt both significant and strangely abstract from the water.

And then… we got back in the car.

Another four-hour drive home.

Was it worth it? I’m not entirely sure. It was a very long day for what amounted to a handful of stops. But the kids can now say they’ve seen Laos and Myanmar, even if only from a boat, and sometimes that’s enough.

Not every travel day needs to be transformative. Some are just long.

I think the geography is best seen with the eyes rather than described..

Terrible photo but you get the idea

Time to get into the water

So we could marvel at the Chinese built apartment buildings and casinos in Laos across the water

Fresh coconut break. So cheap at under AUD2 each. It was icy cold too with handy spoon to eat the meat after, AND a tap to wash your hands

Traditional lanna meal to end our time in northern Thailand

Elephants & Waterfall

Today took us north of Chiang Mai into the Mae Rim Elephant Sanctuary. I’ll be honest. This was not an experience I over-researched. While I’m not exactly a rainbow warrior, I do try to avoid attractions that exploit animals purely for tourism. In this case, I had to take the tour agency at their word that the elephants here were either rescued or retired working animals, not bred for the purpose of entertaining visitors.

There was no riding, which felt like a meaningful baseline. The elephants weren’t asked to perform tricks, paint pictures, or do anything overtly unnatural. That said, some parts of the experience still felt… a little orchestrated, including a short sit down educational session.

We scrubbed their feet. We walked together through the forest. We bathed them in the river.

It was enjoyable as a family experience. The elephants were calm, the setting was beautiful, and the 6 month old baby elephant, equal parts adorable and feral, stole the show. He bulldozed his way through the group with zero regard for personal space or human plans, which honestly felt like the most authentic moment of the entire visit.

Whether this is an experience I’d actively seek out again is debatable. But in the moment, it felt respectful enough, and it sparked some good conversations with the kids about wildlife, tourism, and where the line sits.

The Village People. Clothes provided so our own didn't get dirty

Filling our bags with elephant treats. Sugar cane and wintermelon

When you have sugar cane in your hand, you are super popular

Putting Oma to work, smashing the African Dream Herb a natural anti-parasitic

Ready to use on the elephants

We all took turns doing this for photo ops...so is this tourism-based? I guess so...

Meeting mama and baby elephant

Walking in the forest together to get to the river

Where baby proceeded to empty bladder

The kids still went in

The elephants did look content

He was VERY naughty

We finished with lunch which was included in the cost

Vegetarian pad thai

And then we went somewhere completely unexpected, Bua Tong Waterfall, nicknamed “Sticky” Waterfall by foreigners. We had assumed this would be a standard waterfall situation - something scenic, crowded at the bottom, photographed from a safe distance. We were wrong.

Sticky Waterfall, is made from limestone deposits that create an unusual, grippy surface. The constant flow of mineral-rich water prevents algae from forming, which means the rocks aren’t slippery at all.

Instead, they’re… climbable. You can walk up the waterfall. Barefoot. Without sliding.

So that was what we did. We descended to the base and then made our way back up, climbing directly against the flow of water. It was fun, a little ridiculous, and completely unlike anything we’d done before. No crowds bottlenecked at the bottom. Instead they were at the top waiting for people to climb up the last bits! 

It turned out to be one of those accidental highlights, the kind you didn’t know to expect and therefore enjoy even more.

Another very good day!

The area was well set up. Lots of western tourists and backpackers here

So Asian...we wondered why this was here

Because shoes not needed!

Even Oma joined in the fun

Lots of mini falls with streams in between

Then longer, steeper stretches with ropes. This was where the bottlenecks were