Advertisement
Published: February 18th 2007
Hello Ladies and Gents! Contrary to popular belief, I’m not dead. I am alive and well and certainly not locked up in a Thai prison being charged with sex crimes. I sincerely apologise for the lack of contact over the past……..shit has it really been 6 months!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!? I’ve finally got my arse into gear and started updating the blog so here goes continuing on from where I left off:
The evening’s well deserved beer drinking session was great fun, however somewhat subdued compared to our previous South East Asian track record. I think it was mainly to do with the fact everybody was truly exhausted from the previous three days’ exertions. It consisted of a few beers and a chat to the soundtrack of Gary and James’ guitar playing, not to mention some interesting Spanish guitar from a random South American at our table.
One funny moment was when I was accosted by a Lao guy who was pushing shots of Lao whiskey on me whilst trying to convince me that it would improve my sex life by making me a stallion in bed! Needless to say that I happily obliged as I reasoned that I couldn’t really lose;
free whiskey and an improved sex life - can’t complain eh?!!!
Woke up the next morning not feeling too bad after our afore mentioned ‘quiet night’. We said our final goodbyes to our hostel, Houay Xai, The Gibbon Experience and Laos as a country as we boarded our longtail boat to Thailand. I think I speak for everyone when I say that I said goodbye to Laos with great regret. It was without a doubt my favourite place in South East Asia. I could not pick out one particular aspect of the country that I liked the most. It was the fusion of hundreds of different perks, quirks, people and places that created one of the most enjoyable and certainly unforgettable months of my life. First of all the landscape is amazing. The scenery is breathtaking and totally unspoilt offering some fantastic views. Also, the people are among the poorest I have met, however at the same time the most content. They are not obsessed with money or possessions. As long as they have a rice paddy and a buffalo they have no need for anything else. This makes for such a relaxing stay as you don’t have to
be constantly on guard. Obviously you still have to exercise a bit of common sense, however I didn’t encounter or hear any stories about thefts, scams, muggings, violence, or anything at all negative whatsoever. Also there is no such thing as a holiday complex in Laos which helps to maintain such a great atmosphere as you feel a lot closer to the culture without the comfort zone of a plush hotel to hide away in. So anyone reading this who doesn’t mind roughing it for a while and wants a bit of an adventure, get your arse to Laos! Get there soon though because I have a feeling that as the country develops and opens up to tourism a lot of that charm will be lost.
20 Baht and a 5 minute boat journey later we had crossed the Mekong River and once again felt Thai soil under our feet. After a brief and surprisingly painless stop at immigration, we grabbed a taxi to the Chiang Khong town centre. It was amazing how much it felt like we were returning to civilization. After spending so long in sleepy and peaceful Lao villages, being back in the hustle and bustle
of Thai culture was certainly a shock to the system!
We had decided that our first stop in North Thailand would be Chiang Mai and therefore set about finding the bus station. Now I’m not sure whether I had grown too accustomed to the Lao courtesy; that the Thai people are generally less welcoming; that I caught her on a bad day; or (and probably the most likely) that I was asking silly questions, but the woman behind the counter seemed unnecessarily rude. After I inquired about the bus she just barked a few bus times and prices at me, then grunted as she waved me aside in order to attend to the next customer (who was definitely going to spend some money). This left me feeling somewhat unenthusiastic about returning to Thailand! I booked the bus and took some comfort from indulging in an ice cream and a packet of crisps - luxuries that weren’t readily available in Laos.
When the bus arrived I was amazed! Compared to some of our previous forms of transport, this bus was made for a king!! Air conditioning, spacious seating and probably most unbelievable of all, completely empty! A long, but
'Farang' Admission Fee
No matter how many times I see it, it still annoys me. Granted it's only 50p, but it's the principle!easy journey ensued and we arrived in Chiang Mai that evening. Until this point I had forgotten how much of a nightmare tuk tuk drivers could be! After some weary negotiations we arranged a lift to the city centre to find a place to stay. After a small amount of deliberation (but not too much due to a combination of a tiredness and a heavy downpour), we checked into the Libra Guesthouse in the old part of the city and had a nice early night.
Chiang Mai is one of the largest cities in Thailand, second only to Bangkok, however the difference in size between the two is vast. Chiang Mai equates to a small town by UK standards and as far as cities go, it is a really beautiful place. The original city (or Old City) is a perfect square surrounded by a wall and moat that were built as defense against invading Burmese. From there, over the years it has gradually spread outwards creating the New City. Chiang Mai is different from the rest of the places we have visited in Thailand as it is a very cultural place, whereas until then Thailand had been one big
party geared towards westerners. The first few days in Chiang Mai were very quiet. We spent a lot of time catching up on blogs, uploads etc, thankful for being back to a reasonable internet connection. I think the main reason was that we needed some time to readjust to the hectic Thai lifestyle!
A few nights were spent out in the city, mainly reacquiring the taste for Chang Beer! One night we had a few drinks in the rooftop bar. It’s a cool place situated on the top floor of one of the new city’s buildings with a great view out across the old city. Whilst admiring this view we noticed some distant lights that seemed to be suspended in mid air. They were in fact from a temple situated atop one of the mountains surrounding the city. It was then that we decided it was definitely worth a visit.
The following day we hired a moped each and braved the insanely busy stream of traffic that seems to constantly flow around the circumference of the old city. When you pull out onto the road it’s like jumping into grade 5 rapids! The torrent of traffic literally washes
you away! The first time I joined this relentless throng of mopeds, pick ups, tuk tuks, buses and trucks I thought I was going to be stuck on the same road circling the old city forever! As our confidence in actually controlling the moped grew, we realized that the only way to get anywhere in this city is to just go for it. There’s no place for defensive drivers on these roads. If you’re not a highly aggressive, complete arsehole, white van man style driver then you just have no chance! After a couple of laps of the city and a few disorientated stops, we finally found our way onto the road that wound up the tree-carpeted slope of Doi Pui.
I have never really ridden a motorbike for an extended period of time before and I have to say that I can see the attraction. Before all you hardcore bikers who are reading this start, ok ok, fair enough I was only riding a florescent green 125cc automatic moped that sounded more like a hairdryer than a bike, but riding along those mountain roads with their long sweeping bends really gave me a taste of that feeling of
freedom that every biker is constantly blabbering on about.
We eventually arrived at the entrance to Wat Pra That Doi Suthep. A steep naga-flanked stairway led upwards through forest to the temple complex itself. It was reminscent of the stairway to the temple in Houy Xai, however much more grand in every sense. Apparently a highly revered Buddha relic was mounted on the back of a white elephant, the elephant was then left to wander until it finally died, in doing so deciding the temple’s situation. I’m not surprised it died after walking up that bloody hill! We reached the top of the stairs and reluctantly paid our 30 baht ‘foreigner entry fee’ before entering the complex. I must say that the temple itself was very impressive. Much the same style and architecture as most of the other temples I have seen in South East Asia, however so much more (for want of a better word) ‘spangly’(!).
Although the temple was great, the main attraction for me was the view. I tell you what, I’ve got to hand it to that white elephant, he picked a great spot. It offers the most spectacular panorama out across the city
and the valley beyond. You really feel like the master of all you survey.
We had heard that further up to the summit of the mountain was the king’s winter palace. It sounded like it was worth a look, however it was getting late and our bellies were rumbling, so we decided to call it a day, keep hold of the bikes for another day and do it tomorrow.
The following morning we once again donned our helmets, climbed onto our bikes and braved the Chiang Mai traffic. We took the same route, however this time passed the temple and continued all the way to the top. One thing that was surprisingly noticeable was the vast change in climate. As we ascended I could feel the air thinning and the temperature dropping considerably. On arrival we were confronted with two huge pictures of the King and Queen on billboards at the entrance of the palace and were once again reminded of how much the Thai people respect their royalty. Due to the lack of shoulders on our vests, we hired a rather dashing shirt each and began our tour.
I’m not sure what we expected from our
visit, but I have to say that it took the crown as probably the most boring place I visited in South East Asia! The first stop was a ‘Log Cabin’ which just looked like an outhouse in somebody’s garden (which in essence was exactly what it was), then it was onto the Rose Gardens that weren’t in bloom. Slightly disappointed, we moved onto the winter palace itself, which was quite a modern building with about as much architectural character as Nayland Village Hall. After that it was onto the ‘Fountain of Celestial Water of People’. Sounds pretty grand eh? Well I’ll let the photos speak for themselves on that one! Probably the strangest thing about the whole experience was that dotted around the grounds were speakers playing weird, and at some points eerie ‘atmospheric' music that sounded like ‘Panpipe Moods’ Thai Style. The general consensus was that we should leave, not a moment too soon in my opinion, and we made our way back down to earth, warmer weather and the hustle and bustle of the city.
As we spent less time than expected at the palace, we decided that on the way back we would stop off at
Chiang Mai zoo. I think that because we were in Asia I was expecting to see all kinds of weird and wonderful creatures not normally found in zoos back home, however it was pretty much exactly the same. Also, as we arrived quite late, all of the animals had already retreated to their pens to sleep. Another thing was that every time I go to the zoo, I really look forward to it, and then when I arrive I look at the animals and can’t help but think that they would be much happier roaming free. I always end up leaving the zoo wanting to let them all loose! I think that due to my recent time spent so close to nature at the Gibbon Experience, this feeling was amplified somewhat. All in all not the greatest of days out, however enjoyable nonetheless.
I’m not sure if I mentioned this in any past blogs, but back in Cambodia after a messy night that ended in James sleeping on a half flooded bathroom floor, with his head hanging in a toilet bowl, he picked up a little friend. This friend was in the form of a tiny worm that took
up residence in the sole of his foot. It began with just an itch and a slight irritation, however as the little chap made himself at home you could see squiggly trails under the skin that changed from day to day where he had been moving around. After speaking to a girl who had apparently had the same thing, he was told that it was a dog worm, it’s nothing to worry about and that it would go in a few weeks. Around 2 ½ months later James, with everyone else’s full support decided that it was time to seek a professional opinion. Rich also had an ailment that needed attending to in the form of an infected elbow that had inflamed into a big lump that, if am honest, looked ridiculous and utterly hilarious!! We arrived at Chiang Mai hospital and were amazed at how modern, clean and efficient it was (not to mention how fit the nurses were!). It honestly put the NHS to shame. Without an appointment, they were both in and out within 45 minutes in which time Richard had been examined, lanced and bandaged, and James had been seen by a specialist dermatologist, given an
accurate diagnosis and written a prescription.
It turned out that James’ little Cambodian stowaway was actually a Hookworm. Now it was all a big joke before, however after looking them up on the internet they are actually pretty nasty little bastards! They start off in your foot, then gradually work their way up your leg, then eventually into your lung where they can be potentially fatal! In the end he was prescribed some kind of antibiotic that he had to take daily for a week.
Upon leaving we were all expecting a huge bill for the two of them, however for all of the above attention they were only charged about 700 baht each. That’s about 15 quid! Bargain eh?!
It was beginning to dawn on us that our time in South East Asia was rapidly dwindling, therefore we decided that we’d seen all we needed to see in Chiang Mai and made arrangements for a mini bus to Pai where we had heard that Deano had ended up.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.105s; Tpl: 0.017s; cc: 9; qc: 56; dbt: 0.0712s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb
Manda
non-member comment
Hiya
Looks fantastic, i want to go there now!!!!, Heard uve now ended up in Australia?? Hope its not been too much of a shock to the system. hope ur well. xx