In Transit – Chiang Mai, Thailand
We arrived in Chiang Mai at around 7:30. The ride took about 10 hours and was much more comfortable than our previous bus experiences. We liked it so much that Jackie and I decided to purchase our VIP return tickets before leaving the bus station. After a little confusion we purchased tickets for the same bus that we arrived on.
Once we were done taking care of our tickets we called Lisa Johnson and arranged a place to meet. We hailed a song tao (pickup truck taxi) and headed for the Chiang Mai Gate Hotel (a place near Lisa’s residence).
Fifteen minutes later we found Lisa and walked to Tiger Travel Agency (Lisa’s recommendation). There we met Tiger who helped us book a two-day trekking adventure and assisted with other travel arrangements.
When we finished we headed to Lisa’s place (the school where she works). We were all surprised by how nice it was. Lisa has an awesome room, complete with hot shower and a normal toilet. We utilized her facilities and made a plan for the day. Before setting out Spizz and I took a short nap while Jackie cut Lisa’s hair.
At 11:45 we consumed lunch at the school (for free). When we were finished we headed out to see some sights. Lisa helped us catch a song tao headed for the north gate (Chiang Puak). From there we headed to Doi Suthep (the most famous wat in northern Thailand).
It was a long, twisting road up the mountain (almost 30-minutes). During the ride each of us fell asleep at some point. When we finally arrived the number of people visiting the temple surprised us. After a quick bathroom stop we started climbing the stairs (more than 300) to the wat.
We explored Doi Suthep and marveled at the views of the city for almost 2 hours. I, personally, enjoyed the view much more than the temple. I have seen so many temples in the last month that they are starting to look the same. Still, there were some beautiful structures and carvings.
Once we finished walking around we headed down the steps and took a quick look in the shops at the base of the wat. When everyone was done shopping (about 15:30) we headed for the road and jumped in a song tao. It was a terrible journey. The truck was loaded with 12 people (max number is usually 8)! Making matters worse, there was a lot of traffic and we were forced to breathe exhaust.
By the time we reached Thapae Gate (east gate) we were all feeling slightly carsick. Instead of seeing more sights we headed for the nearest restaurant for some food. After a sandwich and some ice cream we were feeling rejuvenated.
At about 17:15 we walked down Thapae Road and headed for the Night Bazaar. Along the way we stopped at a few shops but refrained from buying anything. By the time we reached the famous bazaar we were ready to do some shopping! I finally got my “flowy” outfit (pictures to come). Eventually we split up and made a plan to reconvene later.
We met back up at 20:00 and headed for John’s Place (a local bar) to meet back up with Lisa. Along the way we ran into a cart selling all kinds of fried bugs. Spizz and I were about to purchase some (in honor of Stu) when they lady strolled away with her cart. Taking it as a sign we continued on our way.
While waiting for Lisa we ate dinner. When she arrived the four of us hung out for a while before catching a song tao back to the school. Totally exhausted, we all passed out as soon as we got situated in our rooms (girls in one room, boys in the other).
1 comment:
HA! You were going to buy fried BUGS in honor of me? Is that a fat joke?
Thanks for thinking of me, but am I THAT weird? Well, I probably would have thought it was pretty awesome and probably would have bought one, you know me all too well.
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