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Published: December 20th 2009
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It's the day of the kings Birthday when i arrive in Ayuthaya and the town is alive! I think every town in Thailand will be the same though. The streets are closed to traffic and there are food stalls and entertainers everywhere. Some of the streets are lined with makeshift cinemas, there is a Thai boxing ring and so many people. I don't think there is one person at home today everyone is out to celebrate! I spend the evening walking round the streets and taking in the atmosphere. Watch a few kids beat the daylights out of each other in the boxing ring and finally settle down for the night in the early hours. Royal birthdays are celebrated properly here, they really are proud and happy to have a king, three day holidays and a party to end all parties! The following morning i meet one of the girls (Oor) staying at the guesthouse on holiday from Chanchanaburi with her friend Panida and Gee, a guy from Chile. We decide to take the bicycle tour round town Temple spotting, many many temples to see in Ayuthaya as the original capital of Thailand its full of them. That evening we head
out to the local club for some drinks and dancing. A great live band with a lot of beer drank we eventually head back to the guesthouse to retire for the night. The following day i spend the day out the front of the guesthouse, BJ's guesthouse on soi 2 of Ayuthaya is a little family run place with Sato the main member of the team. He entertains the guests all day long with magic tricks and joking around while his wife keeps everyone fed. Can't recommend this place enough to anyone thinking of going to Ayuthaya. I'm waiting around till 11pm for my night train to Chiang Mai, and at around 6 take a walk through the night market with Oor, Panida ad Gee. With 3 of them cooking a meal for everyone at the GH, Thai, Laos and Chilean food to enjoy it's a great evening and I'm sorry to have to leave.
The night train is great, a little longer than the bus but at least you get a bed. Chiang Mai mid afternoon i finally find somewhere to stay as the place seems to be packed? The following day i take a walk round town
finally finding what i was looking for. A good Thai massage, i hadn't had one my whole time traveling and had heard of a great place to go for one. The Chiang Mai women prison! One hour massage for a little over 3 pound and it is fantastic after the bed i slept in the previous night had me feeling like I'd slept on a pile of rocks. All the money gets saved for the women who are all due for release within the next 6 months and will use their new skills to earn a living. That evening I'm walking past one of the bars I'd had a drink in the the night before and decided to stop off for another. Talking to Polla who is on holiday from Bangkok after her massage degree she introduces me to Max and Peter from America who have decided to take on the Chang challenge. A game devised by the bar owner Marc, 60 shots (doubles) of Chang beer in 60 mins. One on the minute every minute. The record stands at 63, i make the first mistake of having a beer whilst chatting to Max and Peter then the second mistake
of getting roped in to join them. First to fall is Nee, one of the girls working at the bar (9), then Polla (14ish), followed by myself (35), Max (mid 40s) then Peter smashing the record by making it to 76. Also later though smashing his head on the curb and ending up after a bit of persuasion going to the hospital for a check up. Although the following day he is the one waking me at 730 to go out to visit Nee's family village. She is going home as it's her birthday and had invited us all to join her. It takes three hours to finally get there as it is well up in the mountains and we take a quick stop on the way to see the Queens weekend getaway. Meeting all the kids in the village was great they all had a lot of excitement and a lot of life considering what they live with. Some of the homes have a solar panel but some of the houses are still without electricity, they enjoyed the sweets we bought and loved to have their photo taken, you just had to be sure to show them after every
single one. Nee and her sister cooked us all a delicious lunch of about 5 different dishes in the time it would take me to knock up a bowl of soup! A really nice place to visit as it hadn't had western visitors before as it was so out of the way i don't think any tour bus could get there so we got a real chance to see a true Thai mountain village living it's day to day life.
The following day Peter and Max head south to sample some island life. Polla shows me the local mountain temple and in the evening we go to watch Thai boxing. Where the mid fight entertainment is interesting. One boxing ring surrounded by around 15 bars and we had the luck of being seated in front of the only lady-boy bar to give a show in between some of the fights. After the second the speakers started throwing out YMCA and the "girls" went for it! The next day is a nice relaxing one sat around and in the evening going to watch Arsenal beat Liverpool 2-1. Sweet.
Catch the bus the following lunchtime to Chaing Khong the border
cross port for Laos. I've now spent 7 weeks in Thailand when it was supposed to be a month per country but what with losing a week with the Samui fun and having to go back to hospital a few more times than wanted I'll just have to cut some time in the next 3 countries. It's been a great place and time though and one country i'm sure to visit again. For now though, Laos here i come where i plan to meet up with German Marc once again for a few days in Luang Prabang and then head south, should be fun.
bye for now.........
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