Bangkok to Chiang Mai
Trip Start
Jun 15, 2008
1
3
36
Trip End
Jun 15, 2009
Chiang Mai,
Thailand
Sunday, June 22, 2008
We set off for Chiang Mai, which is about 900 km North of Bangkok, on the 7.35pm sleeper train from Bangkok. Earlier that day we explored Bangkoks Gourmet food market and I tried to find some alcohol for our fourteen hour train journey that evening. As you may or may not be aware I am not a fan of Beer. In fact the taste of it makes me sick. This is not a good thing when you are travelling around a country which only serves beer. Cheap and strong beer. A can which is 6.4% volume costs about 50cent. Happy days, except if you have been paying attention you'll know I DONT LIKE BEER. So I eventually find an off licence and pick out a bottle of Vodka. Vodka and Coke will do nicely for the trip me thinks. I head up to the counter only to be told They dont serve alcohol between 12 and 5. Well then why the F*CK are you open?!!!
I lick my wounds and head back to the hotel to pick up our stuff and head to the train station
Relaxing in the train station
. On the way to the station I finally get a place willing to sell me alcohol,. happy and content we continue on to the station arriving at about 5.30pm. The place is filled with backpackers just stretched out on the floor using their luggage as pillows. I happily join them after a KFC. About 2 euro for a a meal deal. To quote lee from The apprentice "Now thats what Im talking about"When we finally board the train around 7pm, my self and Caroline are very very puzzled. There are no beds or bunks in our carriage. We booked a 2nd class sleeper carriage and there are no bunks in sight just seats facing each other with the same on the other side and a aisle running down the center. We evetually figure out that the seats pull togeter to make a bed and another bunk comes down from the roof. Quite amazing really. Safe in the knowledge we have a bed for the journey we have a few drinks and actually have a blast as we make our way towards Chiang Mai.
The next morning with a dodgy stomach and tired body and mind (It very hard to sleep on a noisy, hot train) we prepare for our arrival in Chiang mai. At the station we are greeted by lots of owners of guest houses from the area. "Hey you, come stay at my guest house, I have swimming pool and free transport to it in town"
Train Station
. They hassle you and hassle you. Eventually we accept their offer to check out their guest house and if we dont like it we can just leave it. At the guest house we ask to see a rom wich costs 500 baht or 10euro. The room is bloody awful so we ask to see a room for 700 baht or 14 euro. Its a little better and we are wrecked so we accept it. We check in and come back up to the room only to find a bloody big cock roach. Not the kind of welcome we wanted. We decide just to stay the one night there and find another guest ouse for the remainder of our stay in Chiang mai.
We spent the evening eating and drinking and staying away from our dirty guest house for as long as possible. Weirdly the next day my self and Caroline both agree that it was probably the best nights sleep we have had on the trip so far.
Sat 21st June
We book into another guest house which is in the centre of the big market in town called the night bazaar. Much happier with our new accomodation we decide to book ourselves onto some courses
Toilet on the train.
. We find a cookery course run by a local tv celebrity chef and book onto it for the next day. We also book ourselves onto an adventure trek for Monday the 23rd June.This involve trekking into the surrounding jungle and meeting some of the local tribes. We will also be white water rafting, swimming under a water fall and taking an elepahant ride on the trek.Pretty much like some thing you would do in delphi adveture centre except with elephants, white water rapids and a waterfall. We spend the evening in a beatuiful bar and restaurant on the banks of the Mekong river called (Oddly enough) The Riverside Bar and Restaurant. There are as many locals here as tourists and the food, drink, company and Band are all excellent. I take delight in seeing some Thai people getting absolutely smashed on Thai whiskey. A whole bottle costs 150 baht or 3 euro. MADNESS. So as I said these thai people are absolutely hammered and they are SWEATING. They are the first thai people I have seen sweat on this entire trip. I excitedly point this out to Caroline but she doesnt seem to be as impressed as me.The next morning we head off on our cookery course. We start at 10pm learning how to carve vegtables into roses and leaves e.t.c. for presentation, then around 11.30 we start to cook dishes. In total we learn 6 dishes and get to eat them as we cook them. Food was delicious and the people showing how to cook the dishes were very funny and made the day very enjoyable. Head back to guesthouse and to internet cafe. Tomorrow we go on our trek. Planning on leaving Chiang mai on Wednesday and heading to laos.
peace out
John
Comments
thats what i'm talking about
Hey johnny just reading your travel blog sounds like your havin a good time. Dude if your sending me an e-mail send it to joycer31 not Gmail. Tell caroline i said howdy.
later man