Chiang Mai

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We arrived in Chiang Mai (by train) at 8:15am on Sunday and took a tuk tuk to Diva Guesthouse, where we were asked to wait until our room was free. We relaxed in the reception area, and I took frequent trips to the bathroom, as my tummy was playing up. Surprise surprise! During this time, though, we planned our next two days' activities.

Once our room was ready, we had showers and some food, then set off in a tuk tuk to Tiger Kingdom. We bought tickets to go into all enclosures, from small to big cats, however, when passing the big tiger cage, I must admit, I was a little reluctant. We played with the babies, who were around three months old, and at one point, one stretched, taking my face between his front paws! I loved it, but the keeper put a stop to it. We laid on the floor with them, taking photos of one another, but I would love to have been able to truly play with them. Unfortunately, this is not allowed. There are lists of rules outside every enclosure, instructing visitors not to touch the tigers' front paws or heads, to approach them from behind, not to make any sudden movements etc. I, of course, adhered to the rules. Breaking rules inside a tiger enclosure? In the words of Sweet Brown: "Ain't nobody got time for that!"

Next was the medium-sized tigers, who, in retrospect, were the ones that put us most on edge. They were quite lively, in comparison to others. They were jumping in the pool, chasing each other around. One even turned, looked at Edithe, and licked her leg! When having a photo taken with one that was laying down, chewing an exposed tree root, I didn't hear the man tell me to be careful when touching the tree, as it has electric fencing wrapped around it, so had Edithe not repeated his words, I could have electrocuted myself!

Moving onto the big cats. I was a lot less nervous than I expected to be. They were very docile, which led me to question whether they were sedated in some way, although, it could just be that they were hot and tired. They allowed us to stroke their backs and lift their tails. It was amazing being in such close contact with them, and it was an experience I'll never forget, but having thought about it, it is cruel to have them in such small enclosures being pulled about by strangers all day. I'm still questioning whether they are drugged. The staff are very relaxed around them, as if they know for a fact that the tigers won't attack. As I say, it was an unforgettable experience, but undoubtably uncomfortable and unnatural for the tigers. looking back now, I do actually feel guilty for partaking.

Later on, we wandered around the Sunday market, then went to the UN Irish pub to celebrate St Patrick's Day. There was a live band, and everyone was in good spirits. I ended up talking to an Australian guy who was clearly wasted, but had me in fits of laughter. Unfortunately, he carried on drinking and got a little carried away, telling me he loved me and the like, so I made swift my exit. We went for a quick massage on the way home, then went to bed.

On Monday morning, we woke up at our leisure, grabbed a bite to eat, then wandered around the old town for a while, passing various temples and exiting the old town walls. We went back to the guesthouse and chilled for a while before being collected for our cookery course with Thai Cottage.

We were first given a brief introduction to the various ingredients used in Thai cooking, by way of a market tour. We were shown different types of ginger, chillies and basil (to name but a few) and told what dishes they are most commonly used for. When we were finished, we were given free time to wander, while two late-comers were given the tour. I actually got quite annoyed at having to wait for so long, and was half-tempted to just leave and demand a refund back at the guesthouse. I'm glad I didn't.

We were given a list of dishes and told to choose four. I chose chicken in coconut milk soup, chicken with cashew nuts, green curry and spring rolls. We were given step-by-step instructions on how to prepare each dish, and the opportunity to enhance them as we wished (for example, I made my green curry spicier than it was supposed to be). It was all surprisingly quick and easy to make. We were cooking for a couple of hours, with a food break after the first two dishes, and of course, after the second two. At the end, we were given certificates and recipe books. I honestly can't wait to test some of the dishes out on my friends and family back in the UK!

Later, we went for a quick drink, then a foot and hand massage. It was the best massage I've had, to date. So relaxing and a perfect ending to our time in Chiang Mai - one of my favourite cities so far.

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Photos

Medium-sized tiger
Forget being mauled by a tiger; I nearly electrocuted myself on the electric wiring on the tree!