Accidentally in Chiang Rai

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  Chiang Rai, Thailand
Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Ros:
We hadn't really meant to come to Chiang Rai. We left Houay Xai at about lunch time, as we couldn't really be bothered to get going quickly. Crossed the easiest border crossing ever (walked to the river bank, got a stamp from a cheery little guy in a concrete hut, got on a boat 2 mins across to the other side, got another stamp from a cheery, slightly more official looking guy in a slightly more swish concrete hut) and immediately decided we couldn't be bothered to go anywhere in lunchtime-heat so went to have a drink and something to eat in a nice restaurant overlooking the border. Our guidebook said that buses west went regularly, all day. So no need to worry.

Stupid guidebook. Stupid Ros and Hugh for trusting stupid guidebook. We'd missed the last bus going west so had to either stay in Chiang Khong (the border town) or get on a bus to Chiang Rai

Chillies in Chiang Rai Market

. We did the latter.

Chiang Rai is a sizeable city 3 hours south (and a bit west) of Chiang Khong. Well, 3 hours by local bus - which translates into about half that if we'd been in something that stuck to the main highway. Still, the bus trip was pretty. But when we arrived at Chiang Rai bus station we couldn't be bothered to get another bus back up to any of the places we'd originally thought of going to (think the day was getting a bit of a theme to it!) so we picked a guest house from our guide book and, praying that for once the book could get something right, got in a songthaew.

The guest house is great - bit of pressure to go on one of their treks (one of the main reasons people come to Chaing Rai is to go trekking to see the minority villages nearby - long-necked Karen and the such) but cheap, clean, quiet and in a really nice rambling set of buildings and gardens. Our shower is a little scary. Appears to be a mini gas boiler. But as the bathroom is semi-outdoors I guess we don't need to worry about carbon monoxide!

We have had a little wander around this morning. Renewed culture shock in the morning market (I want to go back to Laos where things don't smell as bad and everything is more laid back!)

Aerobics ...... Thai-style

. We'll go and find the night market later, which is apparently quite nice (and outdoors, so the decaying fish etc is less likely to make us pass out). Chiang Rai is technically in the Golden Triangle area where lots of opium growing and smuggling goes on (although apparently most activity has now moved to Burma) and seems to have its fair share of police stations. But apart from that it is a fairly typical small Thai city/large town, although there don't seem to be many tourists here at all.

Tomorrow we're moving on to Chiang Dao (yup, yet another Chiang!), a little place in apparently beautiful scenery a bit further south and west.

T-Shirts to Save the King:
A little note on something very bizarre in Thailand. When we first arrived all those weeks ago, we thought for a while that there must be an awful lot of public-service employees in Thailand, as loads of people seemed to be wearing the same uniform. We realised though that it is no compulsory uniform for work, but the most popular thing of the moment to wear in Thailand - pink or yellow t-shirts of the variety you used to have in your school sports kit, often with the national logo. The reason is that the Thai king - who everyone is totally potty about - is getting a bit old

Fighting Fish in jars at Chiang Rai night market

. He recently came out of hospital and there seems to be some worry that he might not last all that much longer. Yellow is an auspicious colour associated with the year of his birth, whilst pink is an auspicious colour that has something to do with him getting better and leaving hospital (he was wearing a pink blazer when he was wheeled out). So to show their support for the king, and maybe try to keep him healthy, everyone is wearing identical pink or yellow t-shirts. Bizarre.

Where we're staying:
Mae Hong Son Guest House, paying 250 baht for a double room with en-suite, hot water bathroom. Room is very small but quite cute with rattan walls and two windows overlooking the garden. Mighty scary don't-mess-with-me cats. Think the guided trek would looks quite good (although we shant be taking part as we're moving on tomorrow).

Eating:
We ate in the guesthouse last night, which was fine and pretty cheap. Found a place next to this internet cafe that promises falafel and hummus sandwiches so we're going to see what that's like after updating this blog - we're on the main road just round the corner from where the night market would be if it was night-time. (Internet cafe is really nice too - I've been trying not to eye up the very yummy looking chocolate cake...)

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Chiang Rai Church

Toad at our guesthouse

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