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Published: July 30th 2010
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Here we go again. JP tickling the ivories this time, not Monsieur Edwards. So if my Chang deadened brain can recall anything beyond the last 5 minutes, i'll try and put the last couple of weeks in some sembelance of order.
In Canchanburi we visited the Bridge over River Kwai and also the tiger temple. Tiger temple was great and awesome to get so close to such creatures but i'll level with you, there was a bit of tension when you had to sign the disclaimer!!!! Canchanburi itself was really small but very cool and not overally touristy which was refreshing after so much time in south thailand. Having said that in places its was tough to get by with very limted thai - the best example being when Gaz had a touch of heartburn and tried unsuccesfully to get some Rennie or Gaviscon from the 7-11 store. Accepting the challenge, i then tried to gesticulate the symptons and pronounce slowly and loudly (like a stupid westerner - if they dont know the word saying loudly isnt gona help!!!) to the store clerk. After some time, i had thought they finally understood when she reached under the counter positively.....only to
produce a german football badge!!!!. Not quite what i wanted.
After Canchanaburi we headed back to Bangkok to catch a 16 hour train to Chang Mai. The trains are pretty fun and its great actually having some risk back in your life - sitting on the steps of the exteriors doors having a few beers and watching the beautiful thai countryside roll by really does take some beating. Gaz is a bit braver than me when it comes to jumping off for a wander at stations - having to run and jump on the moving train as it sets off. Unfortunately, it was on the train i lost my final remaining piece of technology (in case youve not seen on facebook, thats 2 cameras and ipod and and mp3 player in total!).
Chang Mai was really cool - a pretty big Thai northern provincial capital. Its good itself but also the base most people do some form of adventure activity. We decided to do an advanced 3 days trek into the mountains (i suppose they're hills but lets not argue over specifics). Check out my comedy walking atire. Holy smoke, it was the hardest thing either of us
have done. Basically of the 13 in the group, 8 people dropped out within the first hour. And with that the english speaking guide had to leave also. The 5 of us persisted with the Burmese guide (not even thai - you cant make this shit up!) for 5 hours of baiscally almost vertical trekking to the top of the "mountains" to stay with the guide dudes burmese hill tribe family. Absolutely fantastic experience but, and Im afraid this is a big but, the worst nights sleep known to man kind.
The evening started off well enough (i'd even anticipated no chance of alcohol and brought a bottle of Samsung whisky with me - genius, or so i thought). Get to the top, absolutely goosed, change your literally 100% sweaty clothes into something (slightly) dryer. Ive never pissed sweat so much in my life. Eat with the family (of which certain members most definately had been smoking Opium), a meal which connsisted of an entire and recently hacked up chicken (bones and all) and rice. Sink a few whiskys, so far so good. Bed time. Oh dear. Now let me put this into some context. Bed was not a
bed. Bed was bamboo. With 5 other dudes in very very close proximity. One of which was a very very camp Chinese dude. Furthermore, we slept with the family separated by a piece of bamboo. About 5mm thick. Oh, did I mention there was dogs and chickens in the room too. Then one of the many children (what else you gona do in a hill tribe!!) starts spewing. And crying. All night. Throw all this in the mix, coupled with the fact we were above the clouds so it was about -10 and i needed a burst for hours but didnt dare getting up with no elec or water and you start to get the picture. Literally as soon as sun up it was up and out. Another 6 hours of trekking. Having said all that what an absolutely phenomenol experience.
So in Chang Mai we met 3 really really cool Germans. They were off to a place called Pai whilst we were trekking and waited for us there. We got a comedy local bus to Pai. It was only 4 hours and cost about 10p each, but was choka and check out the leg room in the photies
- certainly not designed for westerners!!!! The Germans taught us poker which, togther with drinking and smoking is basically what we did for a good few days. They had found us a beautiful place on the river in Pai, best place we have stayed (check out the photo) in thailand for like 10 quid a night between us. Now thats expensive for thailand but in persepctive would prob have cost about 200 quid in UK. Pai itself was awesome like a really cool hippy town (the kind Im guessing Ian Wiggins woudl really like!!). After Pai it was Chang Rai where we are now.
Chang Rai is pretty cool, we have been hanging around with a Brazilian dude who is absolutely hilarious. Last night we all went to a Thai nightclub 4 km out of town. We were the only westerners in there and I now know what it feels like to be a rock star. Great at first then totally weird. By the end of the night I was utterly freaked out. Next stop tomorrow is the border to Loas, cross that then start making our way down the Mekong River to Luang Prabang a big northern Loas
town thats meant to be beuatiful full of french colonial arcitecture.
Right Im off to rock out in another crazy thai night club (actually that would be pretty stupid as its only 4pm!!!).
Take it easy on the streets. JITOY.
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