Usually I wait until after I have left a location to update my blog, at least that’s what I had proposed to do and did after Chiang Mai but as I write this I am still in Chiang Rai. Reason why I am writing this down now is because I need to correctly and unbiasedly describe my time here (so far).
My primary feeling is boredom, second is homesickness and the other is regret.
First day was a write off really. I was extremely hungover after my epic night in Chiang Mai the night before and also that because I didn’t arrive until late in the afternoon (4pm). But in saying that, I was still looking forward to the city I have heard so much good things about – mostly online – and making new friends but it hasn’t panned out like that.
I was staying in the Mercy hostel and it must be the most unsociable hostel I have ever stayed in and a complete contrast to Deejai’s in Chaing Mai. Very clean, very nice beds but no-one even says hello to each other. After been here and hour I knew this wasn’t going to be easy. I passed a few people in the entrance, attempted to make eye contact to give a cursory hello and may start a convo but no-one obliged. Okay, maybe I look rough today because I am hungover so I decided to right off the day and book a tour around the Chiang Rai province to see the sight and maybe then I’ll meet people. Tomorrow will be better.
it was better but just as anti-social. The tour I took had 5 Italian’s (1 couple in their early 30’s who didn’t speak English well and 3 over 60’s who were travelling together) and 2 other Chinese (a father and son) – my luck was out. No friends to be made here.
The tour was good in fairness. The highlight was the White Temple which is a spectacular design and I even got to see the artist who designed and built it in the flesh. Other highlights were the Golden Triangle (where Myanmar, Laos and Thailand meet) but other than that the other places were kind of boring. Tour guide was good and had decent English (a local Thai lad) so he was my main point of conversation for the day – which is not a good sign.
That night the United v Liverpool game was on and needed to find a bar to watch it in. I searched down the main “bar” street which was terrible. The strip contained brothel, massage parlours and dingy old bars playing 80’s music while dirty old men flirted with young Thai brassers. I eventually found the least dingy bar I could (still brassers and dirty old English men inside) but the owner at least turned on the commentary for me.
Last day here and my stomach is in bits and again there is no-one talking in the common room. What is this about?! There are at least 10 people here at 11am in the morning and they are all silent. What do I do for the day? So now I haven’t talked to anyone in person for over 3 days Im starting to feel really homesick. Lastly, why didn’t I just stay in Chiang Mai? I had a cool group, lots of activities and I could of followed them to Pai instead of here – regret.
GET ME OUT OF HERE!
Update – met some cool people just after I wrote this blog. Cool girls named Victoria from Canada and Sarah from Germany asked some people where they were from and I shouted across the room because I was so desperate for a convo. Sarah and I spent the rest of the day just pottering about Chiang Rai and actually had a decent day. We all went for dinner then and got talking to others in the hostel but was in bed by 11 as I was getting the dreaded slow boat to Luang Prabang the next morning at 6am.
