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Published: December 23rd 2006
Checked out of Trang hotel in morning and caught taxi to the airport, and flight to Chiang Mai. Took a taxi from the airport to Parami Guesthouse, checked in and were really pleased with the place. It had 8 rooms, each with private bathroom, and a table on the garden to have breakfast at. We dumped our stuff, had a chat with the woman behind the desk and booked a Thai Cooking Course for the next day with 'Pad Thai Cooking School'. We then wandered up the road to explore the local area. Made it as far as a tea house and stopped for lunch. We sat out the back overlooking the river and ordered some Thai food and freshly squeezed juices. Yum! After getting suitably full, we crossed the bridge over the river and came across the night market. We wandered along, purchased a few more bits and stopped for a well earned foot massage. Caught a tuk-tuk back to the guest house and crashed out.
Woke up Monday, had breakfast in the garden and were picked up for our cooking course by a Songthaew (mini truck with an open back and two benches on either side). We collected
a few other people and then were taken to the food market where Yaow, one of the teachers from the school explained the differences between different chillies and thai vegtables. We then continued to the school. There were about 16 of us in the class in total, we met a girl from the UK who was on her way back after 2 yrs travelling & working in Auz & NZ, a girl and 2 guys from Geelong- Auz and a couple of guys from Liverpool amongst others. We cooked 6 dishes, a soup, green curry, spring rools, chicken & cashews, pad thai and a dessert! We were totally stuffed! We had the experience of cooking with real big flames! (see pic). After being dropped back to Parami, we freshened up and headed to an Internet cafe by the river and then to The Brasserie for drinks where there was a live reggae band.
Tuesday we wandered over the river and up the main street, came across a silver jewellry
paradise! Needless to say we all left having slightly emptier purses and heavier fingers ;o). We caught a Tuk Tuk to Parami and were picked up for a trip to
Cooking School
Ready, Steady...COOK!a long neck village (I thought the village was def a set up, but there were doubtlessly people living in these conditions - see pic) . We stopped at a Butterfly farm en route. In the evening we walked up along te riverside and stopped for dinner. We all had steak! lol! After yesterday's Thai food fest we couldn't face anymore Thai food! Wandered over the main bridge again and went for a Thai massage. Stummbled across the night market again and bought a few more bits (we can't help ourselves! it's all so cheap!), and caught a Tuk-Tuk back to the Guesthouse.
When we went downstairs for breakfast Wednesday, we were infomed by Airie (half of teh husband and wife who own of the guesthouse) that there had been an earthquake in Chiang Mai at about midnight. After a bit of working out, we figures we must have been on the Tuk Tuk at that time and so didn't feel it as it was jumping about!
We wandered over the bridge and into Chiang Mai City, it was a scortching hot day. We found a beauty parlor and had a manicure, pedicure and Thai massage, they nearly snapped
Hayley in two! All that pampering had given us an appetite so we stopped at Rosie'a Restaurant for some Thai food and a few drinks, and bumped a few in to a few of the people from yesterday's cooking course. Went to watch some Thai Boxing (v WWF stylie). They get you there thinking you're going to watch just the Thai Boxing, and actually it's full of lady-boys, a few of which were singing and prancing around!
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mum
non-member comment
chiang mai pictures
Hope i m lucky to be first to read this. A nice experience for your girls well done love mamaxxxx