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Published: December 9th 2006
1. I 'suck' at bartering
2. I have 'rip me off' written on my forehead
3. Planning is impossible
4. Dont eat strawberries that have been floating in a bucket of water at Doi Suthep!
5. Food poisoning is inevitable, regardless of how careful you think you are being!
6. Look around before thinking you just HAVE to have that item!
7. The road to Doi Suthep is windy and long - take travel sickness tablets - that is what you bought them for!
8. Air conditioning is a good idea - even in Thailands cool season
9. Taxis, Tuk Tuks and 'Red Buses' are never going to charge you what they should
10. Do not feel guilty about screwing someone over when bartering. They probably just got away with ripping off an unsuspecting tourist named Reety!
11. When you think the item is a bargain at the price they mention, halve it anyway!
12. It is possible to get homesick on your trip of a lifetime!
13. I will NEVER get used to squat toilets, hoses instead of toilet paper or putting sh*tty toilet paper in a waste paper bin! Well the honeymoon period is definately over and
I find that each day is a little harder travelling in Thailand... just me and Trenty! Its hard work doing it by yourself, but having to look after someone else and ensure they are having a good time makes it so much harder. Dont get me wrong, we are still having a good time, but there are bumps along the way that make you homesick as hell and wanting your own bed! I have found a few things along the way disheartening and it does have a tendancy to disillusion you and your grand plans!
Friday
We have had a couple of low key days.... we were planning on Muay Thai last night so decided to just do a bit of local sightseeing by ourselves yesterday.... Our mission was to visit Doi Suthep... Doi Suthep is a temple high above Chiang Mai with gorgeous views over the city... Firstly, we got lost trying to walk to Tapae Gate (just around the corner!) .. My favourite mode of transport pulls up and offers to take us there for 40 baht. We jump in... the whole way around the corner to our destination (1 minute away) he is
Doi Suthep Temple
The outside at least!trying to convince us to go to the handicraft area of Chiang Mai (where he gets commission)... ahhhh we are on to you buddy, no thanks!! Once we got to Tapae Gate we found a 2nd hand book shop and bought a copy of the Nancy Chandler Map of Chiang Mai and the one of Bangkok... for all you that bought one in preparation for your trip... I hate to say it but I think it is pretty useless... will look great in a frame when I get home though!!
We were then told to make our way to a certain street corner where we could catch a red bus to Doi Suthep for 40 baht each. We got another friendly tuk tuk to drop us there for 50 baht and were feeling ok this time... it was too far to walk so the baht was worth it! We jumped into the back of the red bus and were told we could either pay 200 baht now to go straight away OR we could wait for other tourists and pay 40 baht pp. We knew the score so we said we would wait. Trent popped on the Ipod, I
Doi Suthep Temple
The outside at least! pulled out a book and we were quite happy, if a little hot! About half an hour later when only one Thai lady had jumped in, they offered to take us for 150 baht... we knew we were being screwed but after the wait we didnt even argue, just said yes... soft I know... this is where I start to realise I am sh*t at bartering! Off we set, and even though we picked up another 2 tourists and the thai lady got the front seat with air conditioning we were still being charged the 150 baht... screwed!
The trip to Doi Suthep was HELL! It was the longest windiest road I have ever encountered and he was flying up there! Trent and I were becoming greener by the minute! Let me out of here!!!!!! We made it to the top green and leant against the first wall we found for about 10 minutes... not a great start! Once we had recovered we headed up the 306 steps to the top of the temple.... puffing and panting we made it only to see a sign saying 'foreigner 30 baht' - 'screwed' again!!!!! We paid up then realised if we
Doi Suthep Temple
The outside at least! wanted to go INSIDE the temple we were dressed inappropriately and would have to hire clothes for 10 baht per item! Forget it mate... the outside is good enough for us!!!!!
We walked around the outside, took in the beautiful views of Chiang Mai, took a few happy snaps then started the descent down to the bottom of the steps where there was a local market.... this is where Reety got TOTALLY screwed... I still feel sick as I write this! There was a sweet looking guy selling 'hand painted' and I use the term 'handpainted' very loosely, paintings on cloth.... beautiful scenes of thai fisherman villages etc... he wanted 600 baht each... I asked 'how much for two?' to which he replied '1000 baht + I throw in beautiful handmade paper cylinder for free'.... to which
I should of replied ' I will give you 100 baht' but instead Reety thinks 'hmmmm bargain for less than $40 AUD' and says 'I will give you 950 baht' ... I can hear you all groaning as I write this!
YES I AM TOTALLY SOFT AND BLONDE OKAY?!?! He replied with an 'ok' WAY too quickly... but
Doi Suthep Temple
It is the Kings birthday this month and also celebrating so many years since accession to the throne (60 years I think)... so these big displays are all over the city! off I set happy with my purchase, but with a lingering 'I've been ripped off' in the back of my head!
On the way down to the red buses, Trent spots some strawberries.... Trent : 'yum strawberries' Me:
'want some food poisoning my darling son?!' .... actually that is what I
SHOULD of said, instead, being the caring mother that I am, I didnt even blink at the big bucket of water that the strawberries are beign washed it..... dirty tap water no doubt.... and I say 'want some?!' .... Trent downed them quite quickly not even offering me one ('serves himself right' I think to myself now! Hehehe!) and off we set in search of a 40 baht ride back to town.. HA! Wishful thinking!
Once again our 40 baht ride turned into a 50 baht ride.. yes it is only 10 extra baht per person but that isnt the point! The point is that the ride is set at 40 baht, but being a westerner stranded at the top of a very high mountain means that the red buses charge what they want. We jumped into one after realising they were all just going to rip
View from Doi Suthep Temple
Unfortunately by the time we got there mid afternoon the city was pretty hazy. You could see the city pretty good but it didnt show up in the photos! :-( us off regardless! Both with our heads between our legs, deep breathing and thinking 'dont be sick dont be sick dont be sick' ... We finally made our way back to Tapae Gate and this time we were determined to walk back to the Guesthouse.... we did it and it was one small victory for the day. Trent wasnt feeling too good by this stage but we both just thought it was the ride from hell that had done it, along with the lack of food since breakfast, so we set off for our favourite little restaurant around the corner from the guesthouse... just after we ordered our meals Trent turned white and said "I have to get out of here".... we grabbed our food as takeaway and set off for the guesthouse.... Trent jumped into bed and passed out, I jumped into bed and pigged out and started watching repeats of Satellite TV... very exciting.... certainly not Muay Thai!
Our friends Mike and Susana we met in Bangkok had contacted us via email earlier in the day to say they were now in Chiang Mai too. They had tried to get to Ko Tao but because of the
typhoon that had blown in from the Phillipines all the ferries were stopped.... they ended up in CM and swore they werent stalking us! Somehow I dont believe them... I know what great company we are! Hahahaha! They turned up at our Guesthouse to see if we wanted to join them over the weekend on an overnight trek to the Golden Triangle. We really wanted to go but had to say no due to Trents condition, and in turn, had to cancel our mountain bike riding today too! :-(
Saturday
Today has been really low key! Trent has spent the majority of the day in bed, trying to get better, while I have just read a book at the Guesthouse ("Hello my big big honey" a book of love letters between the women of Patpong and their lovesick 'farangs'), had breakfast at a little bakery across the street by myself, had a 2 hour foot massage and pedicure (300 baht - $12AUD) at the massage place across the street and been totally bored out of my brain! Late this afternoon we ventured out to the 'walking markets' ... they are usually only held on a Sunday
but during peak season this is extended to Saturdays too... they close down the streets to vehicular traffic and you get to 'walk' through lots of beautiful arts and crafts stalls.... there were soooo many things I could of bought! I bought 4 slouch bags in different colours... have wanted to buy them for such a long time and again probably paid way too much... but at this point I am beyond caring... and found so many other things which I will probably go back and try bartering for tomorrow....
Halfway through the markets however you will NEVER guess what I found..... yep those beautiful 'hand painted' paintings I bought yesterday.... hmmmm for 'hand painted' each is surprisingly identical to the others! I asked the lovely man selling them 'how much?!'... I am sure he thought he had a sale.... Guess what price he STARTED at?! First let me remind you how much I paid for them yesterday.... 950 baht..... Oh my.... I am almost embarrassed to type the price..... just dont tell anyone how stupid I was ok?! I would hate for everyone to find out... it is our little secret ok?! This lovely gentleman wanted only 70
Doi Suthep Temple
Me trying to be arty hehehehe! baht per painting.... yes that is NOT a typo.... he wanted 70 baht.... I could of had 2 for 140 baht without even bartering.... oh how you are all laughing... rolling around the floor of your comfortable lounge room... please at the same time you are still laughing at me... just for me ... go and sit on your beautiful clean toilet with a flushing system and think of me too....
At least when I bring these beautiful 'hand painted' paintings home to frame I can put them on my loungeroom wall and remember how good I was in Thailand at bartering... how good I was at being ripped off... how happy I made that little 'sweet' man at Doi Suthep... I bet he went home with a huge smile on his face and a heavy pocket! Oh how I want to go back and smack him over the head with his beautiful 'handpainted' paintings wrapped up in their 'free of charge' cylinder! No I am not bitter.... just amused that I, Reety, oh wise one, would be totally ripped off by a 'sweet' little thai man!!!!!
Tonight was a little better, we went to another restaurant that
Mike and Susana had tried last night... we had a pork suckling dish with rice and Trent and I both agree it was the best meal yet in Thailand! We had 3 serves between us, my usual large Singa beer and a coke and it cost us 142 baht... just under $5AUD!
Anyway it is time for me to upload some photos of Doi Suthep and random Chiang Mai ones, I bet you are all dying to see my 950 baht paintings... you will just have to wait... I will take some photos once I get over the sting! Tomorrow we are doing our mountain biking and then going to do a small bit of shopping at the Walking Markets again... maybe... if I can get this sign of 'rip me off' scrubbed off my forehead.... Back to my non-airconditioned room and my sick son.... Dont worry Mum and Dad, Mick and Karen... he is doing well.. more homesick than anything I think... it has been a real eyeopener and culture shock for both of us... but more so Trent!
Love to you all....
Reet & Trent xxxxx
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Lee
non-member comment
He saw you coming, he he.
Hi Reet Hope Trent is feeling better, I can vouch you are not the only one that's been ripped off with the "best bargain" Take heart, you are now older and sooo much wiser. Luv Lee PS Went on the annual "toy run bike ride" from Glenelg to Hahndorf today, there were so many motorbikes, (still with only 2 people on each though). The kids, families and oldies waving on Cross road and Anzac highway made it even more special, but it was fairly hot despite so called cool change. Keep smiling xx