Amora Tapae Formerly Rydges Chiangmai Chiang Mai

We are leaving Chiang Mai by overnight express train in a couple of hours and I am looking forward to it. We have travelled by every means possible in this country (except long tailed boat) and we have lst class cabin for two only so we should get a good nights sleep. The bus trip from Chiang Rai was really good - airconditioned the only way to go here and not expensive. Neither is the train - but then not much is unless you count the huge mark up at the top hotel here (Rydges) on water (boug...

Woke up early and walked around town. Found a Starbucks but they don't have Chai tea. Returned to the hotel to join the group for breakfast. As a group we traveled by bus up the mountain to Wat Doi Suthep, one of the most revered temples in all Thailand, with its famous chedi, covered entirely with engraved gold plate. After dinner I walked to the weekend night market.

After breakfast we drove to an elephant camp for a first-hand look at the important role elephants play in every aspect of Thai life, from ceremonial purposes to warfare to transportation and farming. We watched the elephants take a bath in the river and fed them sugar cane. Then they performed for us, playing games like basketball and soccer. Later we drove to a orchid farm where we had lunch.

so we survived the first day of the festival which we found out yesterday was just a warm up to today, new years eve. Yesterday was truly amazing, we spent the whole day soaks and standing on the side of many bars and the river and soakin every sole which came past. i never hav been so wet in my life and even when i went to sit down in the sun just to dry off a little as i was dripping, every person who came past thought it would be amzing fun to soak me again. the water sometimes is so so co...

The following extract from our diary is the day before, the day of and the day after L's birthday....... Thurs 21st Aug - We decide to go our separate ways today for the first time in 3 months (!!) and L does the "A Lot of Thai" cookery course while M does "Gaps culinary art school". We both have a fantastic day - we haven't cooked for 3 months either! L arranges to meet up with 2 girls from the course later. Meet Brian & Sharon at 8.20pm and head to Starbucks to meet Stef & Fiona. Wa...