Travel Memoir - An Unexpected View

Our arrival in Chiang Mai in the northwest of Thailand highlighted how busy the city was, especially compared to the smaller Mueang Chiang Rai that we had just arrived on. After several hours on a coach through the mountains, we had arrived at the busy bus station and immediately hopped onto a songthaew.

If you’ve not been on one, a songthaew is a pickup truck that has been converted into a small urban bus by adding two benches to the back and a canopy over the top. Driving through the crowded city at 50 mph, with the back open and the wind whipping around, it was a harrowing ride, though a common one for Thailand.

We survived to check into our lovely bed & breakfast, the Ma Guest House. After climbing four flights of stairs to our room on the top floor, we could see out onto the busy streets of Chiang Mai. Of course I took several photos, one of which you can see above, and then I began to unpack and settle in for the next few days.

After a while, I headed to the bathroom. At the far end of the bathroom, slightly above eye level, was a window. After standing on my tiptoes to look out, I rushed back to the bedroom to grab my camera again.

Fluffy clouds hung in the sky. The twin peaks of Doi Pui and Doi Suthep rose in the distance. A local temple right below had a brick building dating back ages. The afternoon sun cast rays down upon the scene.

There is something about finding the unexpected in a common place that shakes up your thoughts. You begin to see how the world can harbor wonderful things even in the most mundane places. And you begin to look for them, the unseen views hidden amongst what you used to see as boring and common.

Perhaps the shepherds felt the same way when they went into Bethlehem and found the baby Jesus? That sense of discovery at finding Jesus exactly as the angels told. The wonder that this is how God would send his son. The incongruity of a king born in a barn.

I can understand their need to go out and tell others. I rushed off to take a photo and tell my travel companions. I shared the story, and photo, with you. We want to share so that others can see something beautiful they may have missed.

Take a moment today to examine what you overlook. Maybe there is something special waiting for you to find in a normal, everyday place. A beautiful view out a bathroom window. A savior in a manger.