A farewell to Bangkok and welcome to Chiang Mai

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Greetings from Chiang Mai!

It has been several days since my last entry and as my previous blogs have proved so popular, here I am again updating you all with my latest exploits. To be fair, not a lot has happened these past few days but I'll try and make it as interesting as possible.

So ... when we last met I was still in Bangkok at the Majestic Deluxe hotel, a 5 star luxury hotel with the most amazing food. As has so far been the case, despite the luxury, I am having a lot of difficulty sleeping and not in a good way, despite Bangkok being the so-called sex capital of the World. Anyway, having managed to eventually fall asleep, I somehow slept through my alarm and wake up feeling like I've been sat on by a 30 foot Buddha. I can hardly move, but put hunger before pain and make my way down for breakfast.

As usual there is a sumptuous array of food on offer. Resisting greed and realising eating too much may not make me feel any better, I go for a light breakfast. Just a bowl of mixed fruit followed by some ham, smoked chicken, emmental cheese and toast. Having filled a hole but still feeling unwell, I go back to my room and stay in bed feeling sorry for myself. I do manage to doze off and don't surface until 14:00 ... guess my planned trip to the Grand Palace and various temples is not going to take place.

Not wanting to have a total waste of a day and feeling slightly better, I get my shit together and head out into the open air sauna known as Bangkok ... 34 degrees today and very humid. Head to my favourite Sky train station and head to Mo Chit which is at the end of the line ... simples. The reason for heading here is based upon the recommendation of a friend who said I should visit the market there and seek out a particular bar.

Chatuchak weekend market is apparently the largest market in Thailand with reportedly over 15,000 stalls and covering an area over 35 acres!!!! You name it, they sell it here and everyone comes here to buy it! The place is packed of course but I'm still able to move around and browse at the various handicrafts, clothes, foods, religious paraphernalia, etc that are being offered. It is an amazing sight to behold.

Now, smoking .... if, like me, you thought the Thais, like most Asians, smoke all the time, you'd be wrong! It is very rare to see anyone smoking on the street and fines are harsh for smoking in banned areas or for disposing of cigarette ends other than in the rarely seen bins. So, here we have the biggest market, quite possibly on Earth, and nowhere to smoke. If you want to smoke, you have to fight your way for miles through the crowds and have one outside by the road ... making sure to dispose of it correctly or risk having your passport confiscated until a fine of 2000 Baht (about £40) is forthcoming.

Back to the market ... after a good hour of browsing and resisting the temptation to buy wooden frogs or Arsenal T shirts, I stumble across the bar! Viva 8 is this establishments' name and it is a welcome sight. By now I have a raging thirst and 100 Baht later I am sinking a large bottle of Chang whilst watching the ever increasing numbers of happy shoppers. It is a great recommendation (thanks Victoria!) and the music is pumping ... good ol' house music. Two more Changs later I reluctantly make a move ... only because the Chang has worked its way through my system and also the nicotine craving is too much to bear!

Feeling revived (and relieved) I head back to the hotel.

By now it is about 20:00 and I'm hungry. McDonalds or hotel restaurant? After much deliberation and considering that this is my last night in Bangkok, I opt for the hotel restaurant and I am not disappointed. I help myself to some jumbo prawns, raw oysters, sushi, salad and smoked salmon. Very yummy and also rather healthy. I continue the healthy theme and have a large glass of red wine ... not sure what type it is but it is certainly not a locally produced wine and tastes rather nice. This is also washed down with gallons of water as I am sure I am by now very dehydrated (hence the severe muscle aches this morning).

Feeling righteous, I feel it only correct to reward myself with a Thai stir fry (I think this is going to be a repetitive statement during my time in Thailand!). There are all sorts of different ingredients, including fish, chicken and beef along with ginger, garlic, chillies and oyster sauce. I pass on the crab sticks though! I manage to eat most of the meal using chopsticks, but I am sure they have been modified to make it difficult for Westerners to use as I don't seem to be able to pick up much food despite being quite a chop stick aficionado back home. Needless to say, this meal takes ages and I eventually decide that a spoon is a far more efficient ... to hell with diplomatic relations!

I round off this now not so healthy meal off with small portions of tiramisu, lemon mousse, blueberry mousse and a rum ball. Totally amazing and I go back to my room grateful that I didn't go to McDonalds!

After another bad night of sleeping (at the least the Chinese Triads next door have moved on to their next deal so I have a peaceful if not restful night), I wander down for my last breakfast at the hotel and have my usual, i.e. fruit followed by cold meats and cheese accompanied by a banana and dragon fruit smoothie. I then sort out my paperwork for the trip to Chiang Mai and have another lie down as I don't need to check out until 12:00.

12:00 comes and I check-out ... no surprises with the bill, in fact slightly cheaper than I was expecting. My airport transfer is not for another 30 minutes so I relax in the lounge reading the local papers which are thankfully in English. Time goes by and my transfer does not appear ... 5 minutes late becomes 10 minutes late which becomes 15 minutes late. I still have plenty of time but decide to call the A2B resort number ... no reply so I call the emergency number - no reply. I speak to the concierge who also tries to call unsuccessfully. Just as I am about to get a street taxi, my transfer turns up full of apologies due to an accident on the way.

The drive to the airport is quick, the driver using the toll road rather than the previous driver using the toll free roads and thus avoiding the busy city traffic. At the airport, the queue for check-in is somewhat disappointing; there must be about 100 people in front of me waiting to check into their Bangkok Airways flight. However, I catch the eye of what I assume is a supervisor and he waves me over to the baggage drop counter which is free ... result! Check in and then go through security checks which are alarmingly rather slapdash, but it gets through into the departure area in no time at all.

As this is a domestic flight, the departure lounge is fairly basic with very little in the way of shops or food places and what is on offer is expensive, i.e. no cheaper than UK airport prices (Hush Puppies £40 ... maybe that is cheap; not knowing as having not yet treated myself to such luxury). Being spoilt for choice between Burger King, McDonalds, Subway or Krispy Kreme, I succumb to my junk food craving and have a McDonalds chicken sandwich meal. I think I've been spoilt with the fine food I've been having of late and leave most of it. Find my gate and relax in the lounge watching promotional videos, the most interesting one being about a Thai speciality for entertaining young children - using a banana rib, i.e. the main stem of the banana tree, as a hobby horse ... apparently it encourages exercise! Haven't they heard of kiss chase or hop scotch?!!!

Whilst waiting for the call to board, I actually see my suitcase being loaded onto the plane which is very reassuring.

The flight is on time and about 3/4 full. I have a window seat right over the wing and no one sits next to me. Bangkok airport is both large and busy and whilst taxiing to the runway, I count a plane taking off every 2 minutes. Also, looking towards the runway being used for the landings, due to the bushes, the airplane tailfins look like a steady parade of giant sharks. Surrounding the runways are a series of canals and lakes upon which white herons are gathered ..presumably they are unaware of the danger from the sharks?

Take-off is smooth and we rise up through cotton wool clouds which are soon replaced by grey eruptions of evil looking storm clouds which cause a bit of turbulence. Looking down, you can see how flat this part of Thailand is and also how much flooding has occurred recently ... or are they paddy fields?!!! The flight crew are very attentative and, I must say, rather attractive! Despite the flight being only an hour, we still get a snack which consists of a cold, mild chicken curry pasty and some fruit. We also get served fruit juice and tea/coffee. I don't think the turbulence is too bad but they suspend the tea and coffee service due to 'weather conditions' and the seat belt sign stays illuminated for the rest of the flight.

As we come into Chiang Mai, I notice this is a far more mountainous and green region of Thailand. This is going to be my home for the next 29 days and I can not wait. Once landed go straight to luggage collection (no need for passport control as this is an internal flight) and I am delighted that my suitcase is 6th on the belt!

Feeling very smug I go into arrivals eager to find my driver ... he isn't there. I wait 10-15 minutes during which time all the other passengers collect their luggage and make their way to their onward transfers ... so much for picking up my suitcase early! As there is still no sign of the driver I make my way to International Arrivals in case he has gone there but no joy here either. I go back to Domestic Arrivals and almost bump into my driver who is just milling around in the airport ... apparently he didn't know which arrival gate I would be at and was relying on me finding him!!!

Anyway, I have my transfer and off we set for my first night in Chiang Mai, in a hotel called the Ayatana Hotel and Spa which is about a 20 minute drive away. I can not help but notice as we drive around the outskirts of Chaing Mai that it is very different from what I saw in Bangkok. This looks much more 'real' and Bohemian ... somewhere I will no doubt enjoy.

The hotel is in a remote location and in total contrast to the hotel in Bangkok. Rustic is the word I would use. I am greeted at reception by two very obvious gay young men, one of whom is a cross-dresser (I only say that as rather than a ladyboy, he made no effort to hide his maleness, e.g. moustache!). Anyway, they tell me I have been upgraded and take me to a suite overlooking the pool. It is a lovely room, though basic with no mod cons apart from a TV. Big bed with canopy (actually I think it is a mosquito net but I prefer canopy!) and huge wet room.

Unfortunately the restaurant is closed and the hotel is miles from any other civilisation so I spend the rest of the evening relaxing in my room and going outside for the occasional smoke.

You won't be surprised to read that I didn't sleep well that night and I wake up sooo tired. Being close to a National Park, there were all sorts of animal noises in the night ... nothing scary but strange noises. Or were the noises coming from reception?!!

Anyway ... make my way to breakfast at 08:00 where I have an omelette together with a boiled sausage, some wet ham and a few pieces of toast. This is washed down with a cup of cold coffee and warm orange juice but overall, it is appreciated!

I can not check into my new place until 14:00 today so I have a lot of time to kill. As the hotel is miles away from anywhere and it is so damn hot I just chill out reading in the shade of reception with my two new friends. I order a taxi and after a 10 minute ride I meet my host, 'Apple' and her boyfriend who take me to my home for the next 28 days.

The house is situated close to the old city down a quiet cul-de-sac but close to shops and restaurants. The house and all the rooms are huge. The living room has seating for 8 people and the dining room has a dining table for 6. The kitchen is also large but very basic ... microwave, hot plate and kettle. Plus some plates, pots and pans and cutlery although no knives for some reason? Upstairs are two large double bedrooms, one with a balcony, and a bathroom.

Apple and her boyfriend (I wish I could remember his name) are very friendly and tell me all about the house and local surroundings. Apple is from Thailand but the boyfriend, let's call him John, is from Sri Lanka but has lived in many different places, including Essex! So, have a good chat with them before they set off to leave me to my own devices. Unpack all my stuff at last ... no more living out of a suitcase for the next 28 days. Not sure which bedroom I will use, probably both!

Freshen up and make the 10 minute walk to the Tesco Lotus store which sells the basics ... and I mean basics (no fresh food, e.g. fruit and veg). So get bread, milk, ham, marge, juice, noodles, eggs, tuna, beer and fags ... all the essentials. Total price about £14 but they won't serve me the beer as they are not allowed to sell beer from 15:00 until 17:00.

Back at the house I make myself a ham sandwich and then go exploring.

On my travels I come across a place called the Writers Club and bar which I had read about previously. In need of further sustenance, I decide to give it a try and I am not disappointed. I have Chicken Pad Thai which costs 60 Baht and a litre of Chang beer for 80 Baht ... a total of about £2.80!!! The food is delicious and the small restaurant has a nice atmosphere, despite the mosquitoes feasting on my ankles! When I pay I feel embarrassed leaving a 30p tip! Seems so strange that the restaurants are cheaper than the supermarkets!!!

From there I wander around the old city, finding lots of interesting looking restaurants and I stumble across the famous Night Bazaar. There are a variety of stalls, much like that of Chatuchak, lining several roads where haggling seems to be the norm. I will definitely return one evening soon and purchase some sexy trousers! I try to find the main bar area but without success and end up getting lost ... not a great idea when a. I don't speak the language, b. I have no map, c. I have no charged phone and d. I don't know where I live!!!!

Anyway, I don't feel at all uncomfortable and carry on my wanderings taking in all the sights and sounds. Inevitably I come across a few Go Go bars but don't feel brave enough yet to go inside and also encounter a few ladies of the night but there is no hassle. All in all my walk has taken about 4 hours and I am exhausted. Later that night I notice I have a friend in the house ... a little lizard which scuttles around the walls. I am happy.

So, my first night in the house and I sleep like a baby!!!! Hooray, after 7 night of severe lack of sleep I finally have at least 7 hours of sleep! Still feeling tired I make myself some breakfast but am disappointed that the Laos coffee that Sri Lankan John had given me is filter coffee so I just have orange juice.

Fall asleep again (this is becoming a habit), I wake up at 11:00. So much sleep.

Get my shit together once more and venture out at 12:00, the phrase 'Mad dogs and Englishmen ...' springs to mind but I am covered in Factor 30 sun cream so all is good. I have decided to find the local fruit and vegetable market and after about 30 minutes I find what I am looking for. Not only is fruit and veg for sale but meat as well and it is interesting watching them prepare the foods. Unfortunately it is mainly for wholesale and what I could buy would be too heavy to bring back. Having noticed the extremely cheap prices, I now realise how the restaurants can sell their food so cheaply ... the supermarkets clearly whack on a huge percentage.

I wander along by the river and come across the Chinese quarter which, to be honest, doesn't seem any different from the rest of Chiang Mai except signs are in Chinese rather than Thai. It is a hive of activity and quite noisy. Finding myself back in the area of the Night Bazaar, I remember spotting a pub I thought I'd try out and, sure enough, I success locate this watering hole, the Red Lion.

The pint of Thatchers cider is very much appreciated and as I'm sat down I order a chicken and ginger stir fry with jasmine rice. This is rather more expensive than last nights' meal and also not as good but still good value at about £6, half of which is the cost of the cider that I was in need of!

Refreshed, I manage to locate the main drinking area which I make a mental of for another day. Head back towards the house and whilst I have vowed not to do anything too touristy for the first couple of days, I come across the most beautiful temple. Unfortunately, as I am only wearing shorts (and T shirt!), I am not able to go inside but just the outside is worthy of a few photos and a wander around. This Buddhist temple is called Wat Chedi Luang which was built over 600 years ago and the site also consists of several other religious buildings. Lots of dragons, elephants and, of course, Buddha are depicted in various statues and sculptures in various ornate materials. It is a very serene setting, added to by the presence of several Buddhist monks going about their daily business. Once I have purchased some suitable trousers, I'll definitely be back.

Once more I head back the house, already getting my bearings and managing to make it without getting lost. I go en route the Tesco Lotus where I get 12 bottles of water for little more than £1. Back at the house, I am pleased to see my friendly lizard is still around.

In the evening, I just relax with a bit of TV, some Skyping and, of course, catching up with my blog!!! Time for bed 😊

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