Chaing Mai & preperation for the jungle

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This should be short...

Chaing Mai is really nice. Only came here to do trekking, but city is really nice. Not as busy as Bangkok and not as quiet as Ayutthaya, it's just right (spoken like a true Goldilocks). Overnight train was ace, as anticipated, although took nearly 15 hours. Was somebody from 'Garden View' hotel waiting for us and took us straight there. Not as good as Eve. Not as clean and a shower that shoots out 2 random sprays of water like venom from a snake (also over toilet - as usual).

Headed straight into town in serach of a rucksack for trekking. Love my little string bag...but just don't think that will cut it in the jungle! Couldn't find any cheap enough so decided to wait for Night Bizarre - supposed to be a really good market. Went for some food on way back in a really typical touristy bar. Nice though. Run by an american guy and had a good assortment of food. Deb got a toastie (ha), I stuck to Thai food and Iris got a crab curry. Turned out to be a whole crab covered in veg and curry sauce. I tried a bit, was o.k., but far too much hard work for me...even a lion doesn't have to work that hard catching and eating his dinner!

Had a meeting that night to tell us what we needed to pack for jungle = not much! Headed for Night Market then in search of appropriate bag and sensible T shirts - don't think the silk vest would fair well in the jungle! Market was ace...never seen anything so big in all my life! I love to shop...me and shopping go together, but the market even overfaced me! Was at least 1 mile long down the road, full of stalls crammed together; 1 mile back down the other side of the road and also massive side sections. Only managed 1 side of the road and 1 side section and that took us 2 hours! Practised the bartering skills and definately got better...being less nice and v.firm is definately the trick...bit like teaching really! Managed to get a rucksack - lady wanted 650bht, but we managed to get all 3 rucksacks for 500bht (1 pound60 each). Didn't get a T-shirt though, just got so sick of looking at so many Tshirts that ended up being last thing I wanted to buy -Borrowed one from Iris instead.

In desperate need of refreshment after market so headed for American bar (Gekko Garden) again. Got 3 big bottles of beer for 110bht (65p) each and got a knickerbocker glory too - a good dessert never fails to lift my mood! Got lost on way home then (beers fault) and had to pack for jungle when finally got in. Straight to sleep though (beers fault again - thank you beer 😊

Well done me...this is short!

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Photos

Iris and the Crab
Ha...sounds like a Disney film.