''I don't think you'd like England''
Trip Start
Jan 16, 2006
1
65
102
Trip End
Ongoing
Chiang Mai,
Thailand
Sunday, April 29, 2007
So that's what I did.
Mother dearest arrived at 3 in the afternoon I believe. May be wrong. So I dragged myself out of bed to go for breakfast and then proceeded to fqall asleep in the taxi. Good work. And then I met my Mum! 16 months since I seen her. Awww bless.
So what did we do? Got back to Bangkok's notorious Khoa San road and looked around for a bit. Went for dinner with Cameron, Owen and Aiden and chilled.
Went to Wat Pho the next day
Bamboo Rafting
. This is the big posh temple in Bangkok and it's massive. It's famous for being the Temple of the Reclining Buddha. Which is HUGE. Massive gold Buddha lying down. Check the pics... I'm an artist.Then tried to go the The Grand Palace, the residence of the King of Thailand and also home to the Temple of the Emerald Buddha - the most sacred Buddhist religious artefact, in Thailand at least. Despite hundreds of people telling us "It's closed", I'm thinking "I've got the run of you, punk" and laughed loudly in their faces to show that I'm not gonna fall for their scam of telling me where I should go so they get commission. I know better. Yup, it was closed. Shut at 3.30pm. We were there at 4. Oh well. One for another day.
So after this excitement we headed for the Train Station and left for Chiang Mai on the Overnight Sleeper Train. First Class baby... And then we arrived in Chiang Mai.
Got accosted by locals on the way out of the train station, as per usual, bombarded with leaflets for accommodation and, for the first time ever, we actually took a leaflet, saw the place, thought it too good to be true. They're having us on, bet it's not that price or it's a proper shit hole
Bamboo Rafting 2
. I don't believe it. Super nice and pretty damn cheap. Recommend anyone hittin up Chiang Mai to stay at .................So, day 1. Wandered around Chiang Mai inside the city walls, found an English Pub, which was actually just like an English Pub. That's one thing I've never seen whilst abroad; an English Pub that looks like one. Beer was shit though. Bloody foreigners.
And then we walked to the Night Market. Chian Mai is famous for this, and rightly so. After loads of really nice food from the food court (not your regular McD's Burger King KFC Pizza Hut plastic fork job; loads of different types of really nice Asian food. It's good.) and off to explore the shops. You can always guarantee that if you take 1 part shops + 1 part woman, you will undoubteldy be left carrying all the crap they buy. This is scientific fact. Do not attempt to dispute it.
So off to bed for mother, off to the pub for me. Not for long though cos knackered after very little unrewarding sleep on the train, so just had a couple. We'll leave that for tomorrow night.
And tomorrow involved elephants
Chiang Mai - Another Temple!!!
. Loads of 'em.We went on the elephant trekking. They take you on a minibus to the elephant sanctuary, then they give em a bath in the river and they spray you with their trunks (the elephants, not the guides) and then you can pet them while they're chained to a big wooden post. Sanctuary???
I guess they'd be dead if it wasn't for this place though so...
Then they do a show for you, involving dancing, shooting a football into a goal, and painting a picture. Yep, painting a picture. Pretty impressive.
And then you get to ride them. They take you on a 10 minute or so ride up to this small selection of shops and then back down for lunch. Surprisingly good lunch as it happens. Huge buffet with loads of different Thai dishes. I went up more than once, more than twice actually, it was bloody good. And then off to do some Bamboo rafting down the river. This couldn't have been more peaceful if it tried. Just sat on a raft, goin down the river. Well, what did you expect with a name like that?
Then Butterfly Sanctuary and home.
All in all a good day.
Which got better.
Went for tea ina nice restaurant, walked mother home - a little tipsy after her half a lager - and went out
Chiang Mai City Wall
. After aaaaaaaaaaaages I finally found a place that looked decent. Called What Bar (nice play on Wat - Thai for temple) with logo like The Who logo, and a spattering of floppy haired backpacker types in there. So I went in. And was not disappointed. After the first few my confidence grew, I was everyone's friend, and I got invited to play in the Killer Pool comp. 4 hours later, I was nobody's friend having walked away with their money. I won!!! Anyone who has played pool more than once (the fluke round) will know that I should not be allowed to win competitions. But I did so y'all can piss off.Got home around 5am after sitting with the bar owner for about an hour telling him why he should give me a job whenever I want to go and work for him, and that he should do some food. I had grand plans for that place I tell ya.
And then it was the next day. Time to leave on the 4.30pm train back to Bangkok. Only 2nd Class Sleepers left. Whatever is one to do when faced with such intolerable circumstances?Actually it was just as good as the First Class but half price. Only problem was the influx of drunken Eastern Europeans from the Party Carriage next door who thought it terribly amusing to conga through our carriage shouting their national anthem or some other shite.
But we made it, unrobbed and and unhurt. And now we're back in Bangkok...
