Chiang Mai

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My trip to Chiang Mai began with the night train from Bangkok. I think it was here that I caught the bed bugs. I now have a hot itchy rash up both my legs but it's getting better. I ventured into the buffet car with a couple of Dutch guys for a beer but made my excuses to get to bed when the karaoke started with, 'It's raining men' (being screamed by middle aged, drunk Dutch women). Instead of being woken up at 8am with a full fry up as promised, we were hurriedly awoken at 5.30 am (no fry up) because we had to get off the train and get a bus for the remainder of the journey as there was too much rain on the track. The 60 year old German I then sat next too then revealed he was actually a bit of an international playboy having fathered children in Germany, Scotland, USA and Thailand. I politely refused his lift offer when we arrived in Chiang Mai.

My first day in Chiang Mai was lovely. It is so quaint and peaceful in comparison with Bangkok. The city is enclosed within a square of four walls that are then surrounded by a moat, making it very easy to navigate. It is also very easy to walk much of the old city in one day.

Day 2 started with a pick up truck collecting me from my hotel (we were a group of 7 Canadians/Germans/British) as we headed off to the north and into the jungle. After a lunch was a four hour walk to our first village (a Chinese refugee camp from 1949). The 'shower' that awaited us actually turned out to be a dip in the nearby river. I think it was clean. The evening was spent listening to tales of hermits, 'water elephants' and 'Nagar the snake' by the locals who were very generous with their homegrown and Chang beer.

Day 3 was again more trekking and later after lunch, bamboo rafting which was very peaceful. In the afternoon, we visited the 'Long-neck' tribe, refugees from Burma who wear gold rings around their neck stretching them to over 30cm. We were then invited to stay in their old village later that night.

Day 4 was a final trek to a waterfall where we all went swimming and finally white water rafting after lunch. Although I didn't fall into the river, I did spend most of the time on the raft floor as the rapids bumped me off my seat. I couldn't stop laughing all the way down and know that Dad would love to try this! We then drove back to Chiang Mai in the afternoon.

I've met some really great people on this trip and so before I fly to Phuket tomorrow, we have made plans to celebrate getting out of the jungle with a beer or two tonight in the city's roof top bar. I'm really looking forward to the South now and becoming a beach bum!

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