Fast Eddie's Magic & Muay Thai Boxing

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We arrived in Chiang Mai around 7am after the coldest bus ride ever. by the time we arrived in Chiang Mai, one third of the air vents were stuffed with tissue or plastic bags and at least one girl put her hands in her backpack to keep warm. The girl next to me tucked paper into her hoodie to mask her face.

We got to our hostel, which ended up being a guest house, and there was no one at the desk. When a woman did arrive, we were told there were no rooms until noon. What? Between this and the train-to-bus ticket switch, I was beginning to wonder what travel agent Fast Eddie had actually done for us. Being exhausted from the lack of sleep (I don't sleep well when I'm cold) I nearly fell face first into my morning tea. I managed to get a room around 11am, but the guys didn't get a room until 3pm; the people staying in it needed to move their things and didnt' do so before they went out for a day trip. I still think that the hotel should have moved their things out, though I understand why they didn't.

Our friend Colin, who booked into a different hotel, joined us and booked in to join us for our upcoming Mekong boat ride. Then we went to eat our first real meal of the day. We all wandered through the night market, which Edward had said was great last year, but I found to be less than impressive. I was expecting something different, maybe special goods, but it was all the same stuff I'd just seen in Bangkok the day day before.

Tom and I had purchased Muay Thai boxing tickets. Muay Thai boxing is the national sport and like nothing I've ever seen. I loved it! The opponents don't just punch each other like they do in western boxing, they also kick, creating a sport that's more challenging and visually engrossing. The fighters moved with such speed and energy and power it was astounding. The sportsmanship was also great, with the winner helping the loser up from the mat, shaking hands, etc. We saw six of eight fights, with one of them canceled, so we only missed one. We left after 11pm, exhausted, knowing we had a big day ahead of us.

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Photos

Night Market
Who wants an elephant?