Chiang Mai

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Well 36 hours later...24 of those spent on a train and I finally reach Chiang Mai. And oh what a journey....the first leg (Surat Thani - Bangkok) went off without much event for the simple reason that I had just come out of the national park and I was fit for not much else other than sleep.....and thats what I did....for 10 solid hours!
When i reached Bangkok I them booked my onward ticket to Chiang Mai. Unfortunaley the only seat available was in 1st class. Weighing up the pro's and con's of spending the extra money I evenually went for it as I would have spent the extra money on a nights accommodation in Bangkok waiting for another train the day afterward anyway. I suppose I should put first class in context. A 700km trip 1st class cost me 20 euro.

Turns out the only benefit of booking first class is that you don't have to walk the length of the train to get to your carraige. My seat was in fact the one nearest the entrance to the platform.....But thats where the 1st class service finished i'm afraid!

And well if you are the type of a person with a rose tinted view of life you could feel comforted in the fact that "You never sleep alone when travelling 1st Class on Thai Rail". Oh yes it wasn't long before I was introduced to Harry and Henry my cockroach sleeping buddies and their mates the "Family Tick" who were along for the ride also. Oh the fun we had as we played russian roulette with my sandal into the wee hours of the morning!

On a brighter note the carraige was also buzzing with a few groups of Ozzie tourists who between them had the place chatting away and having a beer or two from the off and we had gone 7 hours into the journey ever before I realised we had left the platform.

So anyway I got to Chiang Mai and I instantly liked the place. Its now that I am kicking myself that I spent so long in Bangkok. The only reason I was in Bangkok for so long was waiting for Visas and to be honest I could have done that up here no problems at all.

I have booked into a trip that heads into the Jungle for 3 days tomorrow spending 2 nights in remote villages with the Karen hilltribe. And this trip is meant to head deeper into the mountains than alot of the others so hopefully it will be a little less touristy than some of the trips I have heard about that leave Chiang Mai for the mountains......we will have to wait and see.

Until then...hope all are keeping well and talk to you later.

Over and out!

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