Birthday spatula

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  Chaing Mai, Thailand
Monday, January 15, 2007

Hello, just got back from a Thai cooking school in Chaing Mai where we spent the day making various yummy things, and I got presented with a birthday spatula (yes am older again). We made Thai green curry, veggies, coconut soup, sticky rice with mango and went for a trip to a local market to buy the ingrediants and look around which was interesting.
I am staying at Julie's guest house ('no I am not the owner'), which I booked in advance. It was a good job too, as its full of people most mornings desperately trying to get a room there and leave the place they are temporaily staying at- is very popular (another of Laura and Hayleys' recommendations). You go through a great communal area/restaurant at the front of the guest house and turn right into a relaxed garden area ( lovely hammocks) which then leads to a series of refurbished rooms, that are tiled and prisitne. I know this because Katryn, a German girl I have been roaming Chang Mai with, showed me her room; I however turn left through the communal area to the non- refurbed bit, which is a bit smelly and old, although have my own room with bathroom and you cant really complain too much when you are paying less than 3 quid a night!
Yesterday we went to the Sunday night market which was excellent and of course I bought loads of rubbish I dont need. I also had a Thai massage on the street (they're everywhere here), the little old man who was the masseuse looked harmless enough, started off quite nice and relaxed then proceeded to exert so much physical pain I just sat there hoping it would all end for 55 minutes.

birthday cake

Thai massage certainly not like the swedish versions I've had at the day spa's back home. Yelping in pain only encouraged him so I kept my mouth shut for the last half hour and tried not to cry, can really feel it today, though am told its all good and I should keep at it as will help my lower back no end, though doesn't feel like it today I can tell you!
Tomorrow Katryn and I are doing a jungle trek (with an hour long elephant ride) which should be good, although I haven't actually undertaken any exercise for a month so will have to take it slowly! Chaing Mai very nice, still not sure where am going from here-  I heard heading north to Chaing rai was worth a couple of days, and Ayutthaya the old capital worth seeing, then head for the beach I think, although again not sure where to go (Phuket too expensive, Ko Samuii too developed or so am hearing??). any suggestions?
Well am  off now, thanks for the happy birthdays. J xxxx
Eco trek was good fun, just the 2 of us with a guide, which meant we could go at a reasonable pace and ask questions about the flora and fauna along the way. Passed through banana, soya and rice crops, and visited a bat cave and a waterfall. We then braved a massage at a place around the corner from the guesthouse- totally different experience to the previous torture session; nice room with mattresses on the floor, pyjamas to change into,  relaxing Thai music in the background, and nice woman who gave the massage and didn't try to kill me. I can see why Thai massage is sometimes called passive yoga; lots of stretching and twisting, not exactly comfortable, but felt better for it, especially after the trek, think I could get into this Thai massage business after all....only cost a couple of quid too.
Kathryn and I went for a really nice meal last night (paying ten times what I have been paying elsewhere) in a good restaurant as we were parting company the next day, we hit the night market for the final time, yep another box of goodies winging its way home on airmail and went out for a beer or 2.

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boy at temple	me and dragon at Wat Phra Singh	Me and Kathyn on jungle trek	thai cookery school
wat chedi luang, chaing mai	wat chiang mun	Wat Phra Singh, chaing mai	young monks, chaing mai

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