So anyway, I was too tired to finish the last entry. I’ll give you a description of Chiang Mai. Basically it scares me about what Bangkok will be like. Chiang Mai is densely populated, especially where we are staying in the heart of the place. Tuk Tuks, motorbikes and people swarm the streets and it is very hazardous. Having been in the place a few days now I think i’m sortv’e getting used to it, but it is a major culture shock, and to think that Bangkok is worse! I can’t remember if I said this last time, but our room is pretty basic, one small room and ensuite with decayed roof. Its liveable, i’m sure theres worse. This is probably considered mid market (the brighton snob in me). We had some funny experiences with Tuk Tuk drivers and people trying to send us to imperial fashion house, a guy who makes suits for cheap cheap, so we were told. We finally went to Warorot Market which is like the famed Night market but cheaper apparently. It was very average and full of crap, we will go to the night market tommorow hopefully.
When I left off the last post we had heard some really bad news that a typhoon or something was to pass through the southern cluster of islands (Ko Phang Nang, Ko Samui, Ko Tao). Devastating! Anyway, we have just got back from a 2 day trek in Northern Thailand which has zonked us a bit because it was a lot of walking. I forget which province we were in but basically we had a 2 hour drive out of Chiang Mai. We then went to a local market to source the ingredients for the food for the next 2 days. So here we are in this big pickup truck and we drive straight through a market (picture Victoria Market but half the aisle width) and so our car is pissing out all this smoky exhaust onto the bare produce and vegetables. We then park and are greeted by these fancifully coloured old ladies who are selling their handicrafts and who ask us to buy them constantly, like every second, about 1000 times in total while we are at the market, some rank bottle bag and hat. I was considering purchasing it on the 999th sales pitch but was pissed off by the 1000th. We were told that we had to buy some gifts for the hill tribe children who we would meet that night, it was suggested we get notepads and pencils, Fi and I chose tennis balls and chupa chups (playing with tennis balls on a hillside, pretty stupid in retrospect). We then drove another hour or 2 to get to the elephant rides. We were first couple off the rank (2 germans, 2 swiss, 2 canadians, 2 dutch, they were all half decent at english, hey(candian joke) and were all pretty young) and we got a pregnant elephant. Elephant riding isn’t all its cracked up to be. The poor pregnant elephant was bloody slow and kept getting whipped by the guide to move which was horrible, but it was cool watching it rip down bamboo trees with its trunk. After this we had another couple of hours of trekking including a few very steep mountain climbs which eventually led us to the Lahuna hill tribe who grow opium in vast quantities (medicinal use only i was assured from our guide Jungle Jim). The tribe who is among 6 of the biggest in Thailand supposedly had no electricity and meant we had to have cold showers and use candles. The question of why they had satellite dishes stowed away in more remote parts however remain unanswered. A couple of tribesman even had mobile phones. The place was full of dogs, roosters and pigs. We had cold showers and almost suffered from severe smoke inhalation from the indoor fire with no chimney. It proceeded to piss down rain at this stage so activities around the hillside were rendered useless. However the tribesman did explout their children, forcing them to dance in front of us. We were then asked to perform for them, at which point the europeans began singing christmas carols (highly offensive to their religion i’m sure) which was both entertaining and fucked up. We were served traditional chicken curry (i got one chilli and almost died, took me 5 minutes to recover) and rice (straight from the rice cooker!). Fi and I drank a couple of Chang Beers and passed out on the bed (have heard rumours that they lace the beer with amphetamines).
We had an awesome sleep, until 3 am, at this point roosters began to do their thing every minute until we left the place at 10:30. Why rooster, why? Because of the shitload of rain that night, the trek downhill towards the river could only be described as treacherous. My skate shoes have little grip and I basically slid down the mountain (highlight of the trip so far). The group had broken up because some were doing a 3 day trek, so it was just us and the Swiss. Our guide was all of 10 years old and could barely speak Thai let alone English. After the trek we white water rafted which was a lot of fun, although the swiss wouldnt move a muscle which left me and Fiona (Captain of Boats 1999) to do all the work. This was followed by a 15 minute bamboo boat ride down the river, a flat coupling of bamboo trees which was totally dodgy but fun.
Upon arrival at the river bank, the welcome group didn’t know who we were so we had to walk a further 20 minutes back up the river to get our bags and ride home. We met up with an Australian, Canadian and Brit who had been waiting there for 2 hours after their 3 day trek and were pissed off with the Thai tourist industry, we got on well. We’ve just got back then from our trek, the Khawrong cermony is still in full force, the streets are closed in the old city for market stalls and fireworks and crackers are going off repeatedly and here Fi and I am on a computer. You can only have so much of Thai celebrations, theyre great but repetitive (sorry for being so cynical but this place is totally different from first perceptions).
We are in a bit of a quandry over where to go next. We can only get out of here on Tuesday because everyone has booked flights to get out of the festival. A typhooon continues to hover over the main islands. It looks like we are headed to Krabi province, home of Phi Phi (where they made the Beach movie) and near Phuket, because the weather is still good there. We might go to Ko Chang because we have heard it is hot and less touristy, located in between the south islands and bangkok. The thyphoon in our desired destination and festival in Chiang Mai have screwed us, none of our fault of course.
So for a couple of days in Chiang Mai we are hoping to go to a Thai Cooking school, Fi wants to learn to make Pad Thai and I want to do some vegetable carving so I can do all those cool little shapes (because I cook all the time). Also want to see some Thai boxing, get several massages (i forgot to mention that the hilltribes gave us massages and then asked for money, wierd shit) and take a river cruise and some other things i forget.
Hope everyone is well back in Australia. I’m already a bit homesick because I get treated so well at home but am having a great experience even if the place pisses me off sometimes. Hopefully the islands will bring good weather and good fun. I’ve uploaded some pictures (update: havent done this yet, but when i have more time, will send them to you) which will hopefully find their way above this posting. Love Campbell.
