Art in Paradise: One of the Most Fun Things to Do in Chiang Mai

Photo opps galore at this museum of illusion art, where you can insert yourself right into the 3D paintings.

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The optical illusions that fill Art in Paradise will result in some of the best (and funniest) photos of your entire trip to Chiang Mai

We’ve got tons of gorgeous photographs from our trip to Chiang Mai: stunning Buddhist temples (pristine white, pressed silver, mysterious blue, bold red, shimmering gold), adorable rescued elephants, ziplining through the rainforest.

But what are the pictures everyone asks us about? The goofy trompe l’oeil photos we took at Art in Paradise. And really, who could argue? They’re mind-blowing. They’re hilarious.

“Who could argue? The pics are mind-blowing and hilarious.”

Billing itself as an illusion art museum, Art in Paradise is a fun way to spend a couple of hours. If you like taking silly pics (as you know we do), you definitely have to make this a stop on your Chiang Mai itinerary. It’s outside the Old Town, but it’s an easy tuk-tuk ride away.

A group of three or more people is ideal. Duke and I wanted some pics of both of us, so we kept bugging a poor Japanese girl who happened to be just in front of us as we worked our way through the museum.

Get ready to be amazed and amused! –Wally

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No trip to Chiang Mai is complete without a fun-filled trip to Art in Paradise

Art in Paradise
199/9 Changklan Road Changklan
Muang Chiang Mai Thailand 50200

137 Pillars House: Where Luxury and History Meet

Searching for Chiang Mai hotels? How’s a personal butler, serene grounds and an epic pool sound?

The Drawing Room at 137 Pillars, a lovely spot for tea

While researching our trip to Chiang Mai, Thailand, I came across the fascinating story of the meticulous restoration of the former Borneo Trading Company headquarters, which was transformed into the stunning 137 Pillars House luxury hotel. As luck would have it, this special place was located in the Wat Gate enclave, where we were staying. 

Upon our arrival at the property, we stopped in at reception, where we were welcomed by a lovely woman named Charm, who led us along a footpath through the lush and serene compound to the original teak homestead where the eponymous Jack Bain’s Bar, named after its previous inhabitant, is located.

“The plan was to have it as a vacation home. But the new owners decided, we can’t keep this to ourselves. We have to share this with everyone.”

The Jack Bain’s Bar got a whole new look (and an actual bar!) last year

A Trip Back in Time at the Jack Bain’s Bar

The spirit of the past still lingers in the air, and you feel as though you’re stepping back in time as you enter the intimate space. A photo of two of the home’s illustrious past residents, Jack Bain and Louis Leonowens, hang behind the bar.

Louis was the son of Anna Leonowens, the tutor to Prince Chulalongkorn, son of King Mongkut, from the fabled story of Anna and the King of Siam, or more famously known from the fictionalized 1950s Rogers and Hammerstein musical The King and I. Louis joined the Borneo Trading Company in 1886 and established its Chiang Mai headquarters in 1889. He was the first resident of the home.

 The bar is named after Jack Bain, whose father bought the compound from the company.

“Jack was a colorful character and a bit of a playboy. He loved drinking and loved the company of women, which was quite the opposite of his Scottish father, William” said Santhiti Arunsit, who goes by San, the director of sales for 137 Pillars.

His family compound remains close by.

The bar’s interior was refurbished in December 2016 — it used to have more of a library feel, and there wasn’t an actual bar. A luxe leather-tufted bar was added, giving the interior the aura of a prestigious British gentleman’s club. Black and white images documenting the history of the Borneo Company hang on its richly paneled walls, and jazz music plays through the speakers.

We sat upon an avocado green leather grid-tufted sofa and met with San, our cordial host for the afternoon.

One of the most luxurious hotels in Chiang Mai, 137 PIllars has a rich history

He had recently visited the 32-story sister property in Bangkok, which includes 179 residences and 34 suites on the top nine floors. Located in the capital’s Thonglor business and shopping district, the hotel boasts a rooftop infinity pool with 360-degree views of the city.

“It carries the same DNA as 137 Pillars but is more modern,” with such features as a freestanding circular bathtub that comfortably fits two, San told us, adding that every property will have a Jack Bain’s Bar.

I contemplated getting the theatrical Signature Cocktail, which is served in a flaming coconut, but in the end I’m a sucker for a well-crafted old-fashioned. The Jack Bain’s Bar version does not disappoint and is appropriately named the Aged Teak, which Wally and I both chose. 

The Aged Teak cocktail is a take on an old-fashioned — but with cinnamon smoke in a cloche for a dramatic reveal

We were captivated as we observed the bartender masterfully prepare our drinks. After mixing the cocktail, a piece of cassia bark, the tree that cinnamon comes from, was burnt over the boozy beverage and a glass cloche placed atop. This imbues the cocktail with a slightly smoky note and makes for a spectacular presentation. Like a genie leaving its bottle, a wisp of cinnamon-scented smoke escapes the glass when the cloche is lifted.

The grounds of the hotel are gorgeous and quiet

The History of the 137 Pillars House

When Bangkok-born Panida Wongphanlert arrived in Chiang Mai looking for a relaxing getaway from the capital city’s frenetic pace, I’m betting she had no idea the role a centuries-old colonial teak estate would play.

After enjoying the laidback northern city of Chiang Mai as a casual visitor, Wongphanlert began putting some serious thought into purchasing a weekend home there, where she could stay when she desired an escape from urban life.

Encouraged by her family, she repeatedly revisited the northern city intent on finding the perfect vacation home. On one of these sojourns, she discovered the historic residence referred to by locals as the Baan Dam, Black House — so called as the teakwood had acquired a sinister and charred hue, due to natural weathering and the repeated application of linseed oil by its previous inhabitant to ward off termites. It’s located in the Wat Gate district, where foreigners, many of whom were involved in the teak trade, were required by law to live at that time.

These bicycle tuk-tuks sit out front of the 137 Pillars hotel

Wongphanlert was told that the property belonged to the Bain family, and when she was granted permission to the visit the compound, the house was vacant, neglected and hidden by dense tropical overgrowth. The walls of the structure sagged, but despite this, the charm and character as well as original features, including detailed fretwork, remained intact.

Once she learned the layered history of the Black House, Wongphanlert fell in love with the property and felt compelled to share its story. With the vision to return the homestead to its former greatness, and the permission of Bain’s eldest daughter, she acquired the compound in 2005, and the Wongphanlert Holding Company was established.

Scale and Potential

“The original plan was to have the home as a vacation home,” San told us. “But they decided, we can’t keep this to ourselves. We have to share this with everyone.”

To get it right, Wongphanlert, herself a trained architect, sought to restore the weathered teak homestead, which took over four years, enlisting the expertise of Chiang Mai University architect and lecturer Julaporn Nathapanich. She also collaborated with Habita Architects on the design of the surrounding British colonial-style structures to create a relaxing 30-suite luxury hotel. The suites are named after three of the original founders of the West Borneo Trading Company.

The distinctive heritage Anglo-Malay-style structure that houses the Jack Bain’s Bar gives the hotel its name: 137 Pillars (alluding to the number of teak posts that once elevated the structure to protect it from flooding). Architectural elements, such as the ornamental fretwork, had to be painstakingly repaired, revived or created anew.

Step into another world behind the whitewashed wall 

This approach maintained the integrity of the original teak house, which involved moving the house via hydraulic lift — “slowly,” San says — to the middle of the property. Deteriorated parts that were unsalvageable were removed and faithfully reproduced, keeping the historical features intact. The pillars were replaced, and the structure was raised, allowing adequate air circulation beneath the building to avoid rot. Load-bearing steel beams were added to ensure structural integrity. If floodwater comes, it doesn’t compromise the structure above.

During this process, an odd mix of relics was discovered, including an Edison light bulb, crockery fragments, ornate wood carvings, bottles and even a bathtub. A few of these curiosities are now displayed under the home next to the glass-walled gym.

The Dining Room serves up breakfast and Asian dishes

The homestead now accommodates two restaurants. Palette is so named as it features the works of local artists, and the striking Dining Room, in an adjacent building, with indoor and outdoor seating, is where breakfast is served daily. Palette offers Western cuisine and the Dining Room serves Asian food.

137 Pillars also offers a cooking class where guests can learn how to prepare Thai cuisine. Appropriately named the Kitchen, you are not simply shown how to prepare a dish but are taken to a local market, accompanied by the instructor, to shop for ingredients.

Two of the hotel’s cabañas

Garden Sanctuary

The grounds were transformed by landscape design studio P9. The old house provided the starting point and conceptual foundation, making it the foremost element within. The courtyard includes mature native trees that were incorporated into the design, with plaques identifying their genus.

A dramatic five-story living wall of climbing green vines cleverly obscures the view of the world beyond the hotel walls. If you want to cool off, take a dip in the sapphire blue pool beneath

The stunning swimming pool is shielded on one side by a 50-foot-high living wall of vines.

The Suite Life

Guests can experience accommodations reflecting the stately colonial era, with the comfort of modern amenities. Each room has a personal butler and a spacious suite set amid the tranquil tropical grounds.

San showed us two of these opulent suites, which any guest would be remiss not to let their worries float away in the idyllic setting.

Rajah Brooke Suites

The Rajah Brooke Suite’s bedroom

The charming porch is a highlight of the Rajah Brooke Suite

Who wouldn’t want to take a bath in this adorable tub?

There are a total of three Rajah Brooke Suites. The rooms include a personal bar, pre-loaded iPod, four-poster king-size bed and walk-in wardrobe. The tiled veranda has a daybed and a rattan rocking chair. The spacious bathroom with dual washbasins leads to a private garden patio with an outdoor rain shower.

Louis Leonowens Suite (the Pool Suite)

The sitting room of the Louis Leonowens Suite, better known as the Pool Suite

The Leonowens Suite’s bedroom

This spacious suite is as luxurious as it gets. Consisting of a large sitting room with a library of curated books and comfortable sofa and chairs, it would be easy to never want to leave. This room even comes with a private plunge pool. Elephant-motif sculptures and black and white framed photos of old Chiang Mai on the walls evoke the city’s history.

If you’re looking for distinctive luxury lodgings with a glimpse into Chiang Mai’s colonial past, 137 Pillars House has it all and then some. –Duke

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137 Pillars House
2 Soi 1, Nawatgate Road
Tambon Wat Gate
Muang Chiang Mai, 50000 Thailand

The Monsters of “Supernatural,” Season 2, Episodes 4-6

A zombie attack, hypnosis and H.H. Holmes all make appearances. Learn how to talk to the dead and prevent corpses from becoming revenants.

Not all zombies want to eat brains. Some go right for the guts

S2E4: “Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things”

Monster: Zombie

Where it’s from: This type hails from Greece

Description: While there are zombie traditions from around the world, this episode deals with the Greek version. Sometimes called revenants, they’re people who have returned from the dead. They still inhabit their old bodies, so they’re often subject to decay.

What it does: The idea of Greek zombies might relate back to the Keres, female spirits of violent death. Their mother is Nyx, the goddess of darkness, and they’re aligned with the Fates, a trio of goddesses who determine people’s destinies (indeed, the Keres are sometimes referred to as the Death Fates).

““Murder Castle,” a massive boarding house, had labyrinthine hallways and secret rooms — including a gas chamber and a large kiln convenient for disposing of bodies. ”

Zombies are corpses come back from the dead — and they’re not the brightest of the undead

This graphic description of a battlefield from Hesiod shows their mad fury for blood and gore, a key part of our modern takes on zombies (such as The Walking Dead, Dawn of the Dead and 28 Days Later):

The black Keres, clashing their white teeth, grim-faced, shaggy, blood-bespattered, dread, kept struggling for the fallen. They all wanted to drink black blood whom first they caught, lying or fallen newly wounded. Around him they threw their mighty talons, and the shade to Hades went, in icy Tartarus. Their hearts were glutted with human blood: They threw away the corpse, and back to the tumult and fighting rushed, in new desire.

You can tell a person has returned from the dead from the unholy ground around their grave, revealed by a circle of dead grass.

How to defeat it: Dean: We’ve got a full-on zombie running around. We have to figure out how to kill it.

Sam: Our lives are weird.

There are many reports on how to kill the walking dead — set them on fire, or Sam’s personal favorite: cut out the heart and feed it to a wild dog — but the Winchester Bros. decide to go with silver bullets. Trouble is, this hardly slowed her down: “Damn, that dead chick can run,” Dean says.

In the end, they go with nailing the undead creature back into its grave bed. This means of stopping zombies has been practiced for centuries.

“Ancient Greeks on the island of Sicily had a fear of revenants so dire they weighed bodies down with rocks and amphora pieces to keep them from rising from their graves to haunt the living,” Ancient Origins reports.

On Supernatural, a divination ritual brings the corpse back to life, but divination is really a way to predict the future.

Who hasn’t wanted to speak with the dead? Well, we’ve got just the ritual for you!

Necromancy Divination Ritual to Speak With the Dead

Make a figure out of dough to represent the person you want to talk to. Dress it with a few bay leaves and some fennel.

Dig a ditch deep enough to stand in and surround it with incense. Pour in a mixture of wine, honey and milk. Then nick your finger and squeeze a few drops of blood into the mixture.

Work yourself into an ecstatic state (“a few cans of Red Bull will probably do the trick,” jokes the blog’s author) before finally speaking to the dead.

Source: Creating Weirdness on a Daily Basis…

Ever done something you regret? Blame it on mesmerism!

S2E5: “Simon Said”

Monster: Mind control

Where it’s from: Germany

Description: This episode focuses on a young man with a strong power of suggestion (think about the famous Jedi line, “These aren’t the droids you’re looking for”). In fact, he doesn’t even have to speak — he can make you do something just by thinking it. Yikes. That’s quite a power, and would be easy to use for evil.

What it does: Mesmerism, the idea that a person could be healed via thought while they were in a trance, became all the rage in the late 1700s.

Franz Mesmer, for whom the practice is named, was a German physician who devoted his life to the study of energy transfers (or “artificial tides”) he called animal magnetism. It wasn’t until later that mesmerism focused on hypnosis.

Hypnotism is a powerful tool — just imagine getting people to do whatever you want!

How to defeat it: Perhaps the best way to steel your mind to hypnosis is to know how it works. Learn how to put people under your hypnotic spell from the Hypnosis Training Academy.

S2E6: “No Exit”

This charming gent is H.H. Holmes, one of the worst serial killers in history

Monster: Spirit of H.H. Holmes, America’s first (and potentially most prolific) serial killer

Where’s it’s from: Holmes lived in Chicago in the late 1800s, during the World’s Columbian Exposition.

Description: This man was truly a monster. Born Herman Webster Mudgett, he went by numerous aliases. He’s infamous for having created what became known as “Murder Castle,” a massive boarding house with labyrinthine hallways and secret rooms — including a gas chamber and a large kiln convenient for disposing of bodies. He admitted to 27 murders, but the death toll could actually be in the hundreds. His gruesome tale is told in Devil in the White City, which is pretty much required reading for Chicagoans.

Holmes’ spirit leaves ectoplasm, which the Winchesters say is only generated by extremely angry spirits.

What it does: Why let death stop you from killing? Holmes’ murderous spirit captures and murders innocent victims.

A rare image of Holmes’ Murder Castle, a boarding house for single women on Chicago’s South Side — quite close to the Columbian Exhibition

How to defeat it: Stab him with a pure iron dagger to make his pervy hand disappear. And trap him in a circle of salt. It might be a good idea to entomb the spirit in concrete as well, even if that means “borrowing” a cement truck like Dean does. –Wally

Fah Lanna Spa: A Thai Massage and Tok Sen Escape in Chiang Mai

Which direction will you go?

What is tok sen? How is Thai massage different? This spa and café provide a relaxing retreat from a busy vacation in Thailand.

Sadly, Wally and I don’t indulge in spa treatments as often as we’d like. Between everything fitting into a day, making time to pamper ourselves becomes a low priority. After days spent exploring ancient temples, ziplining through the jungle and bathing pachyderms at the Elephant Nature Park, a relaxing respite from our adventures was just what we both needed.

A boardwalk across a koi pond creates an enchanted world at the spa

With the ethos “easy to find, but hard to forget,” Fah Lanna Spa is located on a quiet street in the northern part of the Old Town in Chiang Mai, Thailand. We were warmly welcomed by the lovely Miss M on our arrival. As we passed into the reception area, the sound of the outside world receded and we found ourselves in a tranquil and intimate open-air courtyard framing the blue sky above, which is appropriate, as the word fah is Lanna for sky.

“I felt like a tuning fork as the mallet made contact with the wedge, resonating deep into my musculature. The knocking was precise and never painful and left me feeling blissfully relaxed.”

Miss M will hook you up with a customized massage

We were seated in the garden terrace and served a cup of ruby red roselle tea accompanied by a cooling cloth lightly scented with Fah Lanna’s signature scent. The tea has a flavor similar to a less tart cranberry and is made from the dried outermost crimson-colored sepal of the hibiscus flower.

“We choose roselle tea because it’s refreshing and it cools the body,” M explained.

A few of its additional health benefits include antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which help reduce high blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

The foyer at Fah Lanna incorporates elements of a traditional Lanna kitchen, including these drying baskets

As we enjoyed our tea, we filled out our consultation forms, which included a diagram asking us to circle the specific areas we would like our massage therapists to focus on and what level of pressure we would like applied. I tend to hold tension in my shoulders, so I circled both shoulders and lower back and specified medium pressure. Wally chose the traditional Thai massage, while I decided to give the tok sen massage a try. M reviewed our preferences, confirmed our treatments and gave us a tour of the grounds.

The rooms at Fah Lanna Spa are named for local regions and the handicrafts they’re known for

Paying Homage to Local Culture

M explained that the award-winning interior reflects traditional Lanna style. The reception area where we were seated is modeled after a Lanna kitchen, complete with handwoven rattan rice-sifting baskets suspended in the air and filled with medicinal roots and herbs left to naturally desiccate. A wooden walkway framed by lush tropical greenery traverses the freshwater pool of the inner courtyard, which is filled with koi. Each of the 25 treatment rooms are named for different districts in the Chiang Mai area and reflect a captivating mix of the traditional regional handicrafts for which they are famous.

The muted palette combined with a wonderful olfactory component further enhance the feeling of peace and calm. I asked M what this was and she smiled and led us to one of the sources. A clay pot typically used to steam rice acts as a conduit for a combination of 108 herbs, slices of kaffir lime and cassumunar ginger, known as plai in Thai, releasing an intoxicating scent. The house-made ginger tea steeping on the terrace also contributes to this wonderful sensory mélange.

“The Lanna people walk and talk slow,” M told us, “which is good for a spa environment.”

After our tour, M introduced us to our massage therapists. Wally’s was named Joy and mine Nok. Could their names be any more perfect? We were led to our private treatment rooms and changed into comfortable, loose-fitting pajama-like clothing.

As my session began, Nok asked me to place my feet into a basin of warm water. She squeezed the juice of two kaffir limes into the water and exfoliated my tired feet with a botanical tamarind and salt scrub.

Thai massage is a bit different than the typical type of massage you get in the States

Thai Massage: Time to Get Bent Out of Shape

Combining elements of acupressure and yoga-like stretching, Thai massage is a pleasantly intense way to start the day. This technique dates back over 2,500 years and was developed by the personal physician to the Buddha himself, Shivago Komarpaj. Considered to be one of the four pillars of Thai traditional medicine, it’s an important component to relaxing the body after extended meditative practices.

There isn’t any oil used, as you might be used to. Instead, Thai massage increases flexibility through stretching, pressure-point manipulation based upon acupuncture points to increase circulation to promote overall health.

Joy got right up on the table with Wally to knead his aching muscles, and a few times she bent him into various positions. “She stretched muscles I never knew I had,” he told me.

After being gently pulled and pummelled, Wally was left feeling relaxed and refreshed.

The tok sen tools of the trade

Tok Sen: This Knock Knock Is No Joke

While Wally tried the Thai massage, I chose the tok sen therapy, a signature specialty of Northern Thailand and the spa. This technique requires special tools: a mallet and wedge blocks made of tamarind wood. Legend has it that the best tok sen mallet and hammer comes from the wood of a tamarind tree struck by lighting. (I can neither confirm or deny that mine was.)

This traditional type of Lanna massage takes its name from the rhythmic sound of the wooden hammer hitting the wedges. Tok means “to hit,” while sen refers to lines of energy that run through the body. By working these pressure points with a steady staccato rhythm, the vibrations release toxins from your body and clear blocked energy. The tapping is carefully applied at either a medium or strong pressure.

Before the vigorous tapping began, Nok applied a menthol balm to my back, which first felt cool on my skin and then warm. I had chosen medium pressure as I wasn’t sure that I’d be able to handle anything above that. I felt a bit like a human tuning fork as the mallet made contact with the wedge, resonating deep into my musculature. The knocking was precise and never painful and left me feeling blissfully relaxed.

Lots of goodies in the gift shop

Making Scents

After our treatments, we visited the well-curated gift shop and were served Thai sweet rice crackers and ginger tea. Wally was more dignified than I and only ate one of his rice crackers, while I greedily devoured both of mine and had a second cup of tea.

The spa has its own signature line of exceptional organic wellness products that are available for purchase in its gift shop and online. So even if you can only go as far as your bathroom, the aromatic scents of their products will inspire your own Lanna sanctuary.

Whether or not you stop in for a spa treatment, Fahtara café is a chill place to enjoy a coffee, smoothie or delicious meal

Fahtara Coffee

We enjoyed lunch at Fahtara Coffee, part of the spa complex, and although I would have loved to have ordered a coffee after our treatment, it seemed counterintuitive, so we each got smoothies: passionfruit for Wally and mango for me. For lunch, Wally ordered the spicy Bangkok-style glass noodle salad with shrimp, calamari and mussels, and I decided on the pad krapow, Thai basil chicken, which had a nice amount of lingering heat to it. Lunch for two, including the smoothies, came to 460 baht or roughly the equivalent of $13.

We were joined by one of the spa’s owners. When he learned this was our last day in Chiang Mai, he said, “You saved the best for last.”

While we sipped our smoothies, he told us more about the spa, which opened at the end of 2011 and has since expanded. The concept came entirely from his boyfriend, who’s from Northern Thailand, while he handles accounting and business operations.

“He’s the artist and I’m German,” he joked.

In short, Fah Lanna is an incredible experience, where you’re sure to find a treatment that is right for you. You can even arrange complimentary pickup from your hotel.

The goal of the spa was “to have something beautiful inspired by traditional culture, but rustic, homey and cozy,” the owner told us. Mission accomplished. –Duke

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Fah Lanna Spa

57/1 Wiang Kaew Road, by the corner of Jabhan Road

Near Chang Puak Gate, Old City

50200 Chiang Mai, Thailand

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The Bizarre Origins of Phra Upakut

Upakut wears a lotus leaf atop his head and was born from a mermaid swallowing the Buddha’s sperm. We visit his temple in Chiang Mai — and potentially save it from destruction.

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Did you know that if a mermaid drinks sperm she can get pregnant? At least according to Buddhist folklore, that is! That’s how Upakut, seen in the middle here, was born

When I first read of Upakut’s bizarre origins, I was instantly drawn to him. So perhaps that’s why fate presented his temple as the first one we stumbled upon on our trip to Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Wally and I walked across the Ping River via the Nawarat Bridge on Tha Phae Road, one stretch of the main thoroughfare that bisects Chiang Mai and leads to the East Gate of the Old City. A large attention-grabbing digital billboard stands on the east corner, and it’s  a challenge to cross the busy street — it’s worth going a bit out of your way to use a crosswalk.

“Upakut was conceived when a mermaid ate some of the Buddha’s semen that came off while he washed his robes in a river.”

Tha Phae Road is lined with handicraft boutiques, antique shops, banks, restaurants and hotels. Not far from this intersection, we encountered our first temple, Wat Upakut. The temple was built in 1300 and predates the former ancient capital.

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Upakut pops up in many of the temples in Chiang Mai. Here he is at the base of the chedi at Wat Lok Molee. Make a game of seeing if you can spot him at the Buddhist temples you visit

Phra Upakut is an important figure in Burma, Northern Thailand and Laos. He is a benevolent deity who protects against all evils and physical harm and is an auspicious attractor of wealth.

There are many different stories regarding his origin. According to Sanskrit legend, he was the son of a perfumer and one of the early adherents of the Buddha. Before the Buddha entered nirvana, he asked Pra Upakut to remain alive until becoming Maitreya, the second coming of the Buddha.

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With his lotus cap, alms bowl and upturned smiling face, there’s just something Duke found so appealing about Phra Upakut, seen here at Wat Sang Kaew

Thai Buddhists believe that Upakut is still alive to this day, residing in the middle of the Great Ocean, with a lotus leaf on his head. On the ninth full moon of the year, he roams the streets of Chiang Mai as a monk seeking alms. The first devotee to make an offering will be blessed with good fortune.

Under the Sea — and also on Fire

The most colorful story, and my personal favorite, claims that Upakut was the son of Buddha and his mother was a mermaid. He is also known as Bua Khem, whose name means “Needle-Sharp Lotus,” referring to the stem that appears like a point atop the floppy lotus leaf upon his head. According to this version, he was conceived when a mermaid ate some of the Buddha’s semen that came off while he washed his robes in a river.

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This unusual offering at Wat Upakut had caught fire — and Wally ran off to tell the monks and save the day

In the wat complex, we meandered to the whitewashed chedi located adjacent to the monks’ living quarters. An offering of a pig’s head and feet sat alongside a black plastic laundry basket with cling-wrapped fruit. Wally was mesmerized by the strange setup, as was I — until I focused and realized that a votive candle had caught the basket on fire and the plastic was half-melted.

“I don’t think that’s supposed to be burning,” I said, and Wally came out of his daze and yelled,“I’m going to see if I can find a monk to put it out!” and dashed off.

After trying to pantomime flames and a melting basket (the monks looked at him like he was crazy), eventually one followed Wally over to the chedi. Not long after, they had found a hose and put out the fire.

Here are some pictures of Wat Upakut, the temple dedicated to him:

My Patron Saint

I purchased a statuette of Upakut, which a monk carefully wrapped and packaged for us. He excitedly told us of the upcoming Phi Ta Khon, the Festival of Ghosts, where an invocation of Upakut takes place at the temple in the wee hours of the morning. Both our eyes lit up as we asked the monk to tell us when this was happening. He seemed bewildered by our question, smiled and placed the small box with Upakut into my hands. We later learned that the festival does not take place until the end of June.

Kitty Got Claws. The imaginary Makara is a fantastical mythological creature formed from the parts of more than one animal. They collectively possess claws, scales and a large gaping jaw, which is often depicted disgorging the Naga. Considered protector guardians these sentry statues are often found at the entryways to temples. #makara #sculpture #detail #mythicalcreature #folklore #chiangmai #watuppakut #buddhisttemple #amazingthailand #thailand #rtw #travelblogger #exploremore #wanderlust #traveltheworld #savoteur

A post shared by Wally & Duke (@notsoinnocents) on May 17, 2017 at 4:32pm PDT

I quickly adopted Upakut as my patron saint, pointing out his likeness at the different temples in Chiang Mai. There’s something comforting in the cross-legged figure with an upturned head, eating from his alms bowl with a serene smile on his face.

Wally couldn’t seem to remember his name and jokingly referred to him as Ipecac, a syrup used to make a child vomit after swallowing poison. Whenever he did so, I tried my best not to smile. –Duke

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Wat Upakut

164-166 Tha Phae Rd.

Tambon Chang Moi

Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, Thailand

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Makkha: A True Spa Experience in Chiang Mai, Thailand

The aromatherapy massage at this delightful day spa is a treat for your senses.

Awaiting our aromatherapy massages in Makkha’s gorgeous lobby

For the second largest city in Thailand, Chiang Mai is decidedly laidback — especially when compared to the frenetic pace of its capital Bangkok. But it’s still nice to escape an itinerary packed with temples and daytrips, which is exactly what Duke and I did when we visited Makkha Health & Spa, tucked down one of the Old City’s narrow side streets.

Beer, the delightful receptionist at Makkha

We were welcomed to the spa by the lovely Beer, who immediately made us feel at home, which is fitting as Makkha occupies a 50-year-old traditional Lanna-style home with wood-paneled walls. Soft light glows through intricate latticework, surrounded by polished dark teak.

Beer brought over cups of bael tea, made from dried slices of the thick-skinned spherical fruit, also known as wood apple. The tea has a distinct, smoky aroma with a hint of sourness and has been used for centuries as an Ayurvedic digestive tonic. It reminded me of chai, Duke of matcha (though I’d trust Duke’s palate more than mine). These were accompanied by a tightly coiled cold towel, which we’re never 100% clear what to do with, so we rub our hands and forearms and usually do a quick cooling scrub to the back of our necks.

So beloved is the bael tree that a folktale exists in the sacred Hindu text the Garuda Purana about a hunter on the night of Shivarathri, an annual festival celebrating Lord Shiva, the blue-skinned deity. The story goes that the man climbed a bael tree while waiting to hunt animals that had come to quench their thirst at a nearby pond. Also beneath the tree was a Shiva lingam, and as he waited, the hunter absentmindedly plucked some leaves, which dropped onto the linga. Through this unconscious act, he had worshipped Shiva and attained moksha, a concept similar to nirvana.

The rooms at Makkha are soothingly neutral — letting the massage experience come to the forefront of your senses

We had opted for the two-hour body scrub and aromatherapy massage. We were led to our respective treatment rooms, instructed to take a quick shower and asked to change into the mesh underwear the spa provided. The shampoo, from a Thai company called Wan Waan, is essential oil-based and doesn’t lather (read: chemical-free). I had never experienced a shampoo like this before and really enjoyed it — plus, no conditioner necessary! In fact, we liked it so much we purchased a bottle of the lavender shampoo to take home.

When the therapist returned to the room, she began with the scrub, sloughing off the grime that accumulates during travel. The first targets are your legs and feet — excellent for weary travelers who have been walking almost nonstop for days.

Somehow she seemed to keep both hands moving over me, but switched from scrubbing salts to oil without pause. Maybe she was magic. The scrub does a great job of exfoliation, leaving you feeling rejuvenated. It reminded Duke of a slightly less intense, much more pleasant-smelling hammam scrub.

The Wan Waan essential oil-based products the spa uses are available for purchase

Aromatherapy Massage: Heaven Scent

Beer had mentioned that Makkha’s signature scent is jasmine, which I selected for my aromatherapy massage. Its warm, floral scent filled the room, making it easy for me to imagine myself in a tropical garden. Thinking of its mosquito-repellent properties, Duke chose citronella. Lavender, rose and orange cinnamon are also available.

It began with a deep tissue massage through a sheet, a traditional Thai technique. She then proceeded to climb up onto the table, straddling me, and used her hands, forearms and elbows to knead out my knots.

I like a strong massage to work through my knots and tension. I’m glad I didn’t check “extra strong,” though. These women have powerful hands. You can request a gentle, more relaxing rubdown if you prefer. Really, though, there’s something so wonderful having a masseuse knead your muscles until they go from as taut as a pulled string to relaxed and reinvigorated. When it gets sort of painful — no pain, no gain, as they say — I focus on the music.

Makkha Health & Spa’s lobby

After our massage, Duke and I were served sticky rice with mango, refreshed and ready to face the afternoon.

Forget the crowded outdoor market massages and treat yourself to the warm and welcoming Makkha Health & Spa. It’s the perfect way to relax and recharge before or after an adventure. –Wally

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Makkha Health & Spa

38/1 Soi Ratchamanka 8 Phra Sing Amphoe Mueang

Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand

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Flight of the Gibbon: A Zipline Chiang Mai Adventure

6 reasons why you should make ziplining through the rainforest part of your Northern Thailand vacation.

Duke and Wally on one of the two double ziplines at Flight of the Gibbon

Diesel, Wally, Mr. O and Duke still feeling the rush from their ziplining excursion

When we got back from our trip to Chiang Mai, Thailand, one of the first things people asked was, “What was your favorite part?”

There are so many to choose from — my monkey mind buzzes through dazzling, bejewelled Buddhist temples to getting up close and personal with rescued elephants. But one adventure  races to the top, so to speak: ziplining through the jungle at Flight of the Gibbon.

“Yes, it’s as intense as it sounds. The ride was so long I had time to panic…and then calm down.”

Making it all the more memorable is the fact that the morning we were there happened to be my birthday.

Here are six reasons why you should choose Flight of the Gibbon as a part of your Chiang Mai itinerary.

Flight of the Gibbons will pick you up and transport you to the jungle

1. A driver picks you up right at your hotel.

They recommended the early morning time slot, as the rainforest tends to be cooler and the gibbons more active.

The downside is that it was too early for breakfast at our hotel. When you’re used to a hearty meal to start your day, as we had become accustomed, it’s jarring to skip any sort of sustenance — not to mention our caffeine fix!

We recommend making sure you’ve got something in your belly before your pickup.

Duke pointed out a pair of engraved buffalo horns in front of our seats in the van with rather angry-looking rats carved onto them. “They just look that way because they haven’t had a cup of coffee,” I grumbled.

The ride takes about an hour and half to the village of Mae Kampong.

Duke and Wally are all geared up and ready to hit the jungle course! (The harnesses are a bit snug in the crotch region, FYI.)

They’ll hook you up with harnesses and helmets

2. Safety is their number-one priority.

We’ve done ziplines and treetop obstacle courses where you’re responsible for hooking yourself in. There’s a fail-safe where the device locks to assure at least one clamp is connected to the wire.

What’s so great about Flight of the Gibbon is that you don’t have to worry about any of that. At every station, there’s an attendant (they call them sky rangers) at either end. One sets you up, straps you in and gives you a push, and the other reminds you to put your feet up and helps catch you, stopping your momentum, at the end of the zipline.

“We want our customers to have fun and be safe, but safety is our first priority,” said Diesel, one of the staff.

3. The sky rangers are hilarious.

As an added bonus, the guys who work there are so goofy, they really set the tone for an enjoyable excursion, allaying any initial fears you may have.

I get vertigo, though there’s something about being strapped into a harness and wire that allows me to actually stand on narrow wooden platforms high above the ground. Maybe it's just that I love the thrill of ziplining so much I don’t allow myself to succumb to vertigo.

At one of the first stations, though, the platform jiggled and I started to panic a bit. But then Diesel came zooming across, doing stunts, his legs on the wire above him.

“I think he’s part gibbon,” I told Duke.

I quickly let go of any fear and gave into the pleasure.

And it wasn’t just Diesel who could have a second career moonlighting as a comedian. At a resting spot, a few groups converged, and we heard another ranger repeatedly calling a British guy Harry Potter. (At one point he even said the levitation spell: Wingardium leviosa!) And when a bright metallic blue beetle buzzed by, he broke into a refrain of the Beatles’ “Let It Be.”

A family of gibbons, including this mother and child, swing in the branches high above you

4. You’ll meet a family of gibbons.

Duke has a thing for primates, and after watching a National Geographic special on Thailand called The Living Edens, he became obsessed with gibbons.

At one point, you do a little hiking. And just when we were getting a bit tired, Diesel called out, “You’re going too fast for me! Let’s take a five-minute rest.”

A roly-poly rolls up into a ball — and became ammunition for a prank amongst the sky rangers

He took the opportunity to teach us a bit about the flora and fauna of the rainforest. He spotted a roly-poly bug, and when he picked it up, it curled into a tight armored ball. Diesel palmed it and kept trying to get other sky rangers to shake his hand and get a surprise bug as part of the deal. Like I said, a real kidder.

Up a hill, you head off to see a group of trees where a family of gibbons resides. There’s one female, with light fur, and three dark-furred males.

Diesel explained the difference between a gibbon and a monkey: Gibbons don’t have tails. Their long limbs are what allow them to swing from treetop to treetop.

Duke is also fond of their distinctive “whoop whoop” call, which we heard in full force later in the morning.

5. One of the ziplines is half a mile long!

At 800 meters, it’s the longest and fastest of the bunch. And, yes, it’s as intense as it sounds. The ride was so long I had time to panic…and then calm down.

See that glow on our faces? That’s the post-ziplining bliss

Wally is giddy — ziplining through the jungle was a fab way to spend his birthday!

6. It’s the thrill of a lifetime.

There are 30 stations, the majority of which are ziplines — with the highest one almost 100 feet up! 

A map of the 30 stations you’ll work your way through at Flight of the Gibbon

Whee! Duke rappels at one of the stations

If you’ve never been ziplining, it's high time you tried. If you have, then you probably understand the rush of adrenaline that comes when you soar through the treetops. It’s the closest to flying I’ll ever get. –Wally

Rosa Bonheur, a Friendly Watering Hole in Parc des Buttes Chaumont

One of our favorite bars in Paris, France goes from family-friendly to gay dance party in the course of a day. Plus: the recipe for its signature cocktail!

The charming Rosa Bonheur bar at Buttes Chaumont in Paris, France

After exploring the hilly parkscape of Buttes Chaumont, our friend and Parisian resident Kent, Wally and I arrived at the “Log Cabin,” which is the congenial and charming wood-beamed pavilion Rosa Bonheur.

The artist Rosa Bonheur has a delightful bar named for her in Parc des Buttes Chaumont in Paris

The bar was named after Rosa Bonheur, a successful 19th century animalière (painter of animals) known for her artistic realism. Beatrix Potter she was not: Bonheur was a nonconformist and a celebrated feminist who earned a living as an artist, managed her own property, wore trousers, hunted and smoked.

Bonheur painted lifelike depictions of animals

Lions and horses were among Bonheur’s favorite subjects

“Insider’s Tip: If you want to visit Rosa Bonheur, arrive before 4 p.m., as a fence is put up then and you will have to wait in line to enter.”

Later in her life, Bonheur took to wearing trousers and became a feminist icon

Bonheur bought an estate near the Forest of Fontainebleau and settled there with her lifelong companion, Nathalie Micas (and, after Micas’ death, American painter Anna Klumpke), and her menagerie of animals. She died in 1899 at the age of 77.

We grab a bite to eat at Rosa Bonheur — before it turns into a gay dance club

The bar is mellow and family-friendly on weekend days

Cabin Fever

The laidback crowd features a mix of Parisian fashionistas and hip families earlier in the day, giving over predominantly to gay men as evening approaches.

Inside is a full bar and a food counter serving Mediterranean-style tapas. “Round Here” by the Counting Crows played. A little girl plopped herself down at the long table where we sat and began coloring in her book.

After an hour or so, as the afternoon wore into evening, the communal tables were pushed back, families disappeared, and it became a buzzing dance hall. The dance mix began with Miley Cyrus’ “We Can’t Stop,” followed by Brandy and Monica’s “The Boy Is Mine.”

Later in the evening, I observed a couple of flannel-clad and unshaven “lumber gays,” one of whom was animalistically lapping the side of the other’s face.

The whimsical bar at Rosa Bonheur, where you can order tapas and the signature cocktail

Our drunken friend Michael sized up the crowd with one of his hilarious comments: “There’s a fat man, a gay man and another fat man, who’s probably gay. They all do blow in the bathroom and throw up.”

Wally and Duke in Buttes Chaumont, down the hill from Rosa Bonheur

Insider’s Tip: If you want to visit Rosa Bonheur, arrive before 4 p.m., as a fence is put up then and you will have to wait in line to enter.

One of the signature cocktails we enjoyed was a refreshing elixir made with Lillet Blanc, grapefruit juice and ginger beer called the Rosa Summer. You can also order a chilled bottle of the Rosa Bonheur Rosé, so you don’t have to go back to to the bar as often.

We’ve recreated an ode to this at home, and you can easily make a pitcher of this to serve at your next soirée.

The Rosa Summer, the perfect summer cocktail

Rosa Summer

Ingredients

• ¾ ounce Lillet Blanc
• ½ ounce grapefruit juice
• ½ ounce ginger beer

 

Preparation

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add all ingredients except for the ginger beer. Shake vigorously for about 10 seconds.

Strain into a cocktail glass and top with a splash of ginger beer.

Garnish with a sprig of mint.

Enough Rosa Summers and you’ll be jumping for joy like Wally and Kent

Kirsten and Jennifer sit on a bench with interesting graffiti outside the bar

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Rosa Bonheur
2 Allèe de la Cascade
Paris, France

The Monsters of “Supernatural,” Season 2, Episodes 1-3

In which we’re visited by the Grim Reaper, the original vampire baddie Vlad the Impaler and the Hindu shapeshifter rakshasa. Plus, we play with a Ouija board and learn how to make Abramelin Oil.

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What’s a Halloween party without a Ouija board? It’s the best time to talk with the dead

We had a phase in college when we’d whip out the Ouija board and try to talk to the spirits we were sure roamed our dorm. A group of my friends was sitting around the board when I walked in one night. Nothing was happening.

I took a seat — and suddenly the planchette started darting around, spelling out a story of a young girl who had drowned.

“Vlad is said to have invited a large group to dinner, had them stabbed and then impaled their still-twitching bodies.”

Of course everyone thought I was nudging it along, so they had me sit the next round out. The planchette didn’t budge.

“See?” one of them said. “He was totally pushing it.”

“I’ll tell you what,” I replied. “I’ll go back in, but I won’t touch it.” And I left my fingers hovering an inch or so above the planchette. It started darting around again. Everyone freaked out — and my connection to the spiritual realm was undisputed.
 

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A reaper reveals itself

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S2E1: “In My Time of Dying”

Monster: Reaper

Where it’s from: All over the world

Description: The reapers of Supernatural can alter perceptions. So this one appears to Dean as a pretty girl since he didn’t like her natural (spectral, freakyass) form.
Typically, the Grim Reaper is depicted as a skeleton wearing a black hooded robe, often carrying a scythe.

We covered reapers in a previous Supernatural roundup.

The ep also mentions fetches. These creatures from English and Irish folklore look just like you, but the time you see them makes all the difference. If you see your double in the morning, good news! You’re going to have a nice long life. See a fetch at night, and you’re soon to be a goner.

Queen Elizabeth I of England was shocked to find a corpse lying on her bed. Upon closer inspection, she saw that the body was identical to her own. She died shortly thereafter.

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Queen Elizabeth saw a fetch lying on her bed — and she died not long after

What it does: What do you think the personification of death does? It kills you, duh.

If you’d like to communicate with someone who’s died, do like Sam and break out the Ouija board (oh, I’m sorry, I mean the Mystical Talking Board).

Norman Rockwell painted a scene of a couple using a Ouija board for a cover of The Saturday Evening Post

The Ouija board debuted in 1891, and for $1.50 you could have the opportunity to answer questions “about the past, present and future with marvelous accuracy,” according to an ad at the time.

Victorians were obsessed with spiritualism and occultism.

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Victorians were kind of obsessed with spiritualism and trying to speak with the dead

“Communicating with the dead was common — it wasn’t seen as bizarre or weird,” explains Robert Murch, who has researched the history of Ouija boards.

How to defeat it: You can’t kill death, silly.

The fellas mention a couple of items they learn are used to summon a demon. Oil of Abramelin is on the list. It’s a hoodoo formula named for its inclusion in a medieval grimoire called The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage, written by a man with the unfortunate appellation Abraham of Worms. He was a 15th century Jewish Kabbalist who adapted from the Jewish Holy Oil of the Tanakh. Moses whipped up a batch in the Bible’s Book of Exodus.

Abramelin the Mage. I’m sure he’s slathered in his namesake oil

Old Wormy said that the oil is a part of rituals that involve “the gifts of flight, treasure-finding and invisibility, as well as the power to cast effective love spells.”

The sex-crazed ceremonial magician Aleister Crowley believed Abramelin Oil “consecrates everything that is touched with it.”

There’s a lot of talk about variations on the recipe, some of which resulted from a French dude’s mistranslation. Here’s one that seems legit (and not overly archaic).

Abramelin Oil

• 4 parts cinnamon bark quills, reduced to powder

• 2 parts myrrh resin, finely ground

• 1 part calamus chopped root, reduced to powder

• half of the foregoing total weight olive oil

The mixture is macerated for one month, then decanted and bottled for use, producing a fragrant oil suitable for anointing the body. It may be applied liberally, after the manner of traditional Jewish holy oils, such as the one that was poured on Aaron’s head until it ran down his beard. 

Daddy Winchester also wanted acacia. And though he had lied about the reason he wanted those ingredients, acacia is more likely to be used for protection than for summoning a demon. The bush has become a symbol of renewal, strength and purity, as well as immortality due to its evergreen nature, according to Building Beautiful Souls. It was common in Hebrew tradition to plant an acacia at the head of a person’s grave. The instructions for Noah’s Ark were written on acacia wood. And in Tibet, acacia incense wards off evil spirits.

The only way you could really beat death is to make a swap — a life for a life. John sacrifices himself to get the reaper off Dean’s back.

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The Hindu demon rakshasha is known for tearing people apart

S2E2: “Everybody Loves a Clown”

Monster: Rakshasa, a Hindu monster

Where it’s from: India

Description: These demons can shapeshift into any animal or monster they wish. Sculptors were told to carve them with a “terrifying appearance, complete with fearful side tusks, ugly eyes, curling awkward brows, and carrying a variety of horrible weapons.”

In the Hindu epic, the Ramayana, Hanuman, the monkey god, enters a town full of rakshasas:

“Some of them disgusted the eye, while some were beautiful to look upon. Some had long arms and frightful shapes; some were very fat and some were very lean; some were mere dwarfs and some were prodigiously tall. Some had only one eye and others only one ear. Some had monstrous bellies, hanging breasts, long projecting teeth and crooked thighs; whilst others were exceedingly beautiful to behold and clothed in great splendour. Some had two legs, some three legs, and some four legs. Some had the heads of serpents, some the heads of donkeys, some the heads of horses and some the heads of elephants.”

What it does: Well, they devour people. And sleep on beds full of insects.

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Ravana, the 10-headed King of Rakshasas kidnapped the lovely Sita in the Hindu epic the Ramayana

Rakshasas are ruled by their 10-headed king, Ravana, arguably the main villain in the Ramayana. “He was possibly a wonderful leader,” writes Vampires.com. “He was also a murdering rapist who ate people.”

Ravana makes an appearance shaking a mountain on a carving in a temple in the Angkor complex in Cambodia.

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We probably don’t even want to know what this rakshasa is up to

“Rakshasas are notorious for disturbing sacrifices, desecrating graves, harassing priests, possessing human beings and so on,” according to the New World Encyclopedia.

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Rakshasas can shapeshift, enjoy devouring people and always fade away at the start of a new day

How to defeat it: A rakshasa’s power grows in the evening, and they’re at their strongest during the dark of a new moon. But they disappear with the rising of the sun.

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The rakshasa page from the AD&D Monster Manual

On the show, they must be invited in, like some vampire legends.

The Brothers Winchester kill the rakshasa with a dagger made of pure brass.

If you play D&D, here are the stats for a rakshasa. Not only can you fight them, you play a rakshasa character!

They don’t give out medals for dungeon masters extraordinaire…but if they did, my friend Mike would receive one. I asked him what he thought about rakshasas in the world of Dungeons & Dragons.

“Rakshasas are one of my fave monsters!” he said. “They focus on stealth and deception, they possess both powerful magical abilities and immunities, and they can more than hold their own in physical combat. If you’re looking for a big bad for a story arc, rakshasas are the perfect masterminds.”

Wally has always secretly wanted to be a vampire

S2E3: “Bloodlust”

Monster: Vampire

Description: You all know what vampires look like. For more background, we first covered vampires on Supernatural in this post.

What it does: Here’s where we get into moral ambiguity: What exactly makes something a monster? Are vampires inherently evil? What about the ones in this brood who don’t hurt humans but instead drink cow blood? (Does it matter that they do so mostly so there aren’t missing people that will lead hunters to them?) Discuss amongst yourselves.

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Vlad Tepes, a Romanian prince from the 1400s, became the infamous Dracula

As for our modern vampire folklore, many trace it back to the man who became Dracula: Vlad III, known as Dracul (Drăculea in old Romanian). He also earned the name Vlad Tepes (which translates to “the Impaler”). That gives you an idea of his favorite hobby.

Born in 1431, Vlad was the prince of Wallachia in what is now Romania. He might not have been the monster we’ve all been taught to believe.

“His preferred method of execution, impalement, wasn’t just a sadistic way to get rid of his opponents; it was also a good way to scare them away,” Florin Curta, a professor of medieval history at the University of Florida, told Live Science.

Vlad the Impaler is said to have enjoyed dining amidst his eccentric décor (bodies impaled upon stakes)

His habit of impaling Ottoman invaders was a form of psychological warfare used to level the playing field with an army much larger than his own. It doesn’t quite explain why he used that horrific means of death on Saxon merchants and local nobles he feared would question his authority. (He’s said to have invited a large group to dinner, had them stabbed and then impaled their still-twitching bodies.)

Some say his cruelty went even further. “He would impale women for nothing, his reason being they weren’t working hard enough. Some say he took sexual pleasure from this. He even impaled the children and the elderly because to him, they were useless,” according to The Good, the Bad and the Monstrous.

Apparently, it wasn’t the only way Dracula punished his enemies, according to the website Vlad the Impaler. He also was fond of “cutting of limbs, blinding, strangulation, burning, cutting off noses and ears, mutilation of sexual organs, scalping, skinning, exposure to the elements or to wild animals and boiling alive.”

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Are vampires inherently evil? Would you slay one if it only dined on animal blood?

There’s evidence that Vlad would insert the spike through his victims’ rectums and angle it to avoid hitting the vital organs so the person would live as long as possible.

One of the myths surrounding Dracula is that he drank the blood of his enemies. Turns out the original source, a German poem, actually says he really just liked to wash his hands in the blood of his enemies before he ate dinner. Bon appétit!

How to defeat it: If you’re in danger, cut its friggin’ head off. –Wally

“He was possibly a wonderful leader.
He was also a murdering rapist who ate people.”

The Secrets of Parc des Buttes Chaumont

What to do in Paris? Visit this off-the-beaten-path park. It’s lovely now but had a gruesome origin.

Parc des Buttes Chaumont isn’t at the top of tourists’ itineraries, but it’s a great natural break from the heart of the city

On a sunny Sunday afternoon, our friends Michael and Kent took us to one of their favorite spots in Paris: Parc des Buttes Chaumont, located in the 19th arrondissement. We took the Métro to the Botzaris Station and walked until we arrived at the park.

Michael and a couple friends who also happened to be visiting Paris, Jennifer and Kirsten, went off in search of the guinguette (defined in the 1750 Dictionnaire de la langue français, as a “small cabaret in the suburbs and the surrounds of Paris, where craftsmen drink in the summer and on Sundays and on Festival day”). It’s called Rosa Bonheur, but Michael refers to it as the “Log Cabin.”

“After the French Revolution, the tract of land became a refuse dump, a place for processing horse carcasses and a depository for sewage. ”

A historic postcard of the Temple of Sybille, the folly in Buttes Chaumont

Kent, Wally and I decided to wander the idyllic and hilly park. It’s hard to believe, but the site, which loosely translates to “Bald Mountain,” took its name from the once-barren land, which, because of the chemical composition of its soil, used to be almost free of vegetation.

Wally and Duke in the folly at Buttes Chaumont, a little-known park in Paris

This horrific structure, known as a gibbet, displayed hanged corpses on the site of what is now Parc des Buttes Chamont

Park Life

Before the 19th century, it was considered just outside the city limits and near the Gibbet of Montfaucon, the main gallows of the kings of France. The natural elevation made it well suited to displaying the bodies of hanged criminals in a multi-tiered gibbet, a scaffold of sorts, from the 13th century until 1760.

After the French Revolution, the tract of land became a refuse dump, a place for processing horse carcasses and a depository for sewage. Another part of the acreage was a former gypsum and limestone quarry.

Emperor Louis-Napoléon III envisioned a bucolic public park with meandering paths, water features and cliffs. Though it was hardly an ideal location for such a park, Buttes Chaumont was the very spot on which Georges-Eugène Haussmann, who was chosen by Napoleon III to carry out his vision, commissioned landscape architect and civil engineer Jean-Charles Alphand to construct.

Alphand reported that “the site spread infectious emanations not only to the neighboring areas, but, following the direction of the wind, over the entire city.”

Despite this, work commenced in 1864, and the park made its debut during the 1867 Exposition Universelle.

The Greek temple, or folly, at Buttes Chaumont affords a fantastic view of Montmartre, topped by Sacré Coeur cathedral

Kent, who lives in Paris, took us on a tour of the park

Even though Kent and Wally are joking around, there are some precarious perches in Buttes Chaumont — be careful!

Wally in the folly at Buttes Chaumont

We took a trail, crossing the Pont des Suicidés, or Suicide Bridge (at one point, it was a popular spot to off yourself), to reach the neo-Greek folly known as the Temple of Sybille. Perched atop a limestone cliff, it was inspired by the Temple of Vesta in Tivoli, Italy. From its vantage point, we could see the geometry of Paris laid out before us, with Sacré-Cœur Basilica glittering in the distance. –Duke

1, rue de Botzari
Paris, France

“The site spread infectious emanations not only to the neighboring areas, but, following the direction of the wind, over the entire city.”

— Jean-Charles Alphand, creator of Buttes Chaumont