Chiang Mai

Trip Start Feb 22, 2008
1
13
42
Trip End Feb 21, 2009


Loading Map
Map your own trip!
Map Options
Show trip route
Hide lines
shadow
Where I stayed
SpicyThai
(Chiang Mai hotels)

Flag of Thailand  ,
Monday, May 5, 2008

The train arrives into Chiang Mai at 9am and i say goodbye to the Dutch girl before catching one of the red pick-up trucks to the hostel.  As i get to the hostel i am 1st in line to check-in, there are about 5 others behind me who were also on the night train.  The hostel is called SpicyThai and won the best atmosphere award from Hostelbookers.com and looking aruond i can see why.  It is a big house with a large lounge/dinner with a large TV amd comfy sofas.  The Dvd collection is huge and there are people lying all around reception and the lounge watching House on DVD.  Breakfast is included so i settle into my room and then head to the breakfast table with the others from the train.  There is a girl at breakfast called Laura who is also 26 and travelling around Asia before going to Oz to work.  Everyone is talking to each other over breakfast and i am already inlove with this hostel!
The hostel has a trip planned for that afternoon to go and see one of the local temples and then go to  the lake for some swimming.  Laura and some of the others are going on the trip so i sign up straight away.  The hostel also has free internet so i spend the morning catching up on emails and uploading pictures on to the Jaipur and Goa blogs.  I also book a 2day, 1 night trekking trip in the hills for the next day.  It involves elephant riding, treking, bamboo rafting and white water rafting.  I can't wait.

The temple visit involves 350 steps!!  Why do they insist of putting temples in hot places on top of hills with a long walk up?  The view from the top is great and Noon (from the hostel) was once a tour guide so tells us all the history behind the temple.  There are loads of street vendors near the temple so i try a waffle hotdog??  and sausage meat on a stick, both are supprisingly tasty!

When we get to the lake we all jump straight in the water, it is sooo nice after the heat at the temple!  We play water frezzby, which i am terrible at! and some of the others order food.  One girl makes the mistake of ordering Fresh Shrimp.  It turns out that :"fresh' here means still alive!!  The shrimp are all in a bowl with some soy sauce and chilly, alive jumping all over the place.  But we all give it a try and it is nothing really special.  The whiskers feel strange in your mouth, but there is no taste to the shrimp, all you can taste is the chilly!

We get back to the hotel late afternoon and the others are going to a BBQ restaurant that evening, but i want to head to the Night Baazar and buy some shorts for the trek tomorrow.  When i get to the night Baazar i find a Burger King and have ther most gorgeous Whooper Junior ever.  I was in heaven!  The Night Baazar is buzzing and i manage to buy some blue fisherman style long shorts and some black long shorts that look like a skirt when on.  So i am all set for tomorrow and i head home to bed!
Print this entry