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After a day in KL, we arrived in Chiangmai. We experienced some culture shock. Few people speak good English and most of those who do work in the tourist industry and are trying to get ur money. But soon u get used to the hustle and enjoy the cheap food and bustling street markets. As soon as we arrived at our hotel and dropped off our luggage, we were off to the Wats. They are really beautiful creations and places of worship, but eventually you realize that there is one on each block and they all look the same. So, eventually we got tired and went to a coffee shop. The coffee shops in thailand are really nice!
That evening, we went to the Night Safari. Their tours take you to see animals that roam in the wild, with only the dangerous animals (puma, lion, tiger, etc.) kept behind a moat.
Later, we took me to the hospital here to get a look at the bumps on her arm. We were fortunately surprised by the service. It took them around 20 minutes to get her to a doctor and then 10 more minutes to get her prescription (allergy medicine).
Red Taxis, Wats, and Thai Signs
This summarizes most of Chiang MaiIn total it was $20. In US, we probably would have had to wait up to an hour and paid more than $100.
Day 2 in Chiangmai, we went to another Wat only to find that it looked the same as the ones we went to the day before. We gave up on the Wats and went to Tiger Kingdom. Tiger Kingdom is advertised everywhere here, but we were apprehensive because we have heard of stories of people getting mauled by the tigers. But when we got there, we took the plunge and got the package that got us 15 minutes with a baby tiger and 15 minutes with a big tiger. They were half asleep, so we were not that scared of them. In fact, we kind of wished they would be more active, especially the baby tiger.
Afterwards, we went to the Night Bazaar where we practiced our bargaining skills. Michael is an awful bargainer, so I had to teach him a few tricks. In the end, I just ended up bargaining for the both of us. We probably got awful deals anyway, but in a place like this, it is hard to say. Just have
to be happy with what you get.
... now michaels going to finish this entry...
The next morning, we headed to Bangkok, where there is an actual transportation system (taxis)! We probably got ripped off so many times in Chiangmai due to the red taxis (pick up trucks with seats in the back) that made up their own prices. You need to ignore the hundreds of locals who try to talk to you, since they are all touts trying to get you to take their taxi, boat ride, or gem shop... After trekking through 100 F heat, we finally found our hotel. After dropping off our stuff, we were off again! First we went to Khao San Rd, where all the backpackers live. And we saw so many of them! Luckily, we blend in well (not)
The grand palace is huge, but it shows that the rip-off scheme extends to the government too! The locals get in for free, but the tourists have to pay $10 to get in (so expensive in Thailand! that is 10 fish ball soups). It is really nice, but looks the same as the Wats in Chiang Mai (that were free). We
walked over to Wat Pho, where there was another special entrance for foreigners. Then the rain started, so we are back at our hotel. We are going to look for some good market food tonight, and we will post another entry with more pics soon!
Cheers from Bangkok
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jim
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tigers!
I can't believe you guys got so close to those tigers. holy....