Chiang Mai

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Chiang Mai is Thailand's second largest city, and is located close to the northern border. It's a great place. It serves as an excellent contrast to Bangkok, as the atmosphere is much more relaxed - you rarely have TukTuk drivers shouting at you, the markets are more craft-based as opposed to ripoff designer clothes, and all through the city center are these great, big, still bodies of water, which probably serve to cool the place off a bit.

We went off to the National Museum up there, and the highlight was definately this enormous Buddha head, maybe one and a half times my height. English translations were poor so the museum kinda lost points on that.

After a stressful tuktuk ride back from the museum, we decided it was high time for our first Thai massage. We'd read about this program with the woman's prison - inmates who are within six months of getting out can choose to attend a program which will train them in Thai massage, and set them up with a job provided they complete the program. It was three dollars an hour, so we figured we couldn't go wrong. We set off to the prison, and to our surprise, it was fully booked! (this in the low season). but they took us to the sister programme, which was a spa that took them in once they'd been release. I must say, they did a fantasitic job. I couldn't figure out how to get the pants on, and the massause (definately misspelling that one) showed me the right way. they lay us down in a nice room, and the massage began - starting with the feet, the legs. It felt amazing. The difference between thai massage and that in the west, is that much of thai massage is like having yoga performed on you. These girls will wrap you into positions you never thought you could achieve, or never considered that you might want to. They'll flip you over backwards, bend you this way and that, walk all over you, beat your thighs, invert your spine.. all in the name of good health, of course. And the funny thing is - it does feel great.

As great as the massage was - and it was great - the best part for me was when Adam's massause has him on his stomach, is strattling his bum and starts pulling his shoulders, and his entire back, up towards her. We can hear Adam's vertebrae popping, and he's making a great show of it, getting all of our massauses into near hysterics. It was great because you could tell they were trying to be professional, but this great big (six foot 1) blonde white guy is just hollering, it's hard not to laugh. Anyway, the massause keeps pulling, one of Adam's vertebrae's pops, and his head flies backwards, conking the poor girl in the nose! I'm sorry to laugh at someone elses pain, but that was just too funny. She was laughing as well, although the occasional examination of her nose was worrying. Anyway she got a tip as big as the original cost of the massage, so I think we're all ok. It was a hilarious moment though.

Because our TukTuk driver dropped us off whereever he felt like, we ended up at a night bazaar. The food was great, my favourite were this Indian crepes, topped with sugar and condensed milk, only fifteen cents each. You got to watch her making them, each one was pretty hard work! Imagine a guy throwing a pizza, but making it expand to like... 6 times the original size of the dough? Delicious anyway.

Later, went out to an overpriced bar called the riverside, not bad, just a couple coverbands. Good atmosphere, anyway.

Got up the next day, went to a temple called "Wat Phra Sing" which was pretty amazing. Great big buildings, huge monuments.. what's there not to like? But you'll really have to see the photos.

That night, we went for a cooking course. We lucked out, and we ended up with four hours of private lessons for like 20 bucks each, with this chef who was really quite amazing. We learned all the essential, quick Thai dishes like green curry, cashew chicken, Tom Yam soup, Pat Thai (which we cooked in like, 3 foot flames) and finished up with some delicious banana spring rolls. I liked to course so much, I decided to sign up for three more days with Thailands most acclaimed cooking school, Chaing Mai Thai Cooking school. It's owned and sometimes led by this guy Sompon, who is an International TV Chef who has worked many times with the BBC, amongst other programs. He was fantastic, and these three days were so much fun, and more than worth the 35$ a day I was paying. My favourite dishes were the Panaang curry (a curry made from a complex paste, which I made and bashed in a mortar myself) Chiang Mai noodles, Deep Fried fish, Coconut Chicken Soup, Black Rice Pudding, Cashew Chicken... with five dishes and a dessert every day.. the list really stretches. Anyway, I'll probably end up buying a Wok on my way back home!

I've just left Chiang Mai and I'm on my way South to get some sun! It's Adam's last week, so we'll have to party. Then, off to Cambodia! I'm having a great time here, and can't wait to go into more detail with you guys later!

Love!

T

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