Hey all!
Sorry for the delay in writing, I have been up to my ears in busy and slightly annoying fun.
So, after a very long plane trip from Vancouver to Beijing, which was pretty crappy (I am way too tall for the silly seating schemes in those planes, but I managed to snag a few hours sleep thanks to some Chinese beer), I arrived in Thailand at midnight to a stifling 40 celsius. IN pants. AND a sweater. AND a hat. After locating my bag, I found my tour guide, Ing (born in Chiangmai), who found me and took me to the hotel where the other three girls from the tour were staying. My roommate, Bryony (who is from London), was out cold so Ing suggested we hit up a beer down in the main open area of the cafe in our hotel. No sooner had we finished the first beer did my tour guide from the second part of the tour show up with his mother, who he was showing around Thailand. They invited us to join them for a few beers, so off we went in the direction of Khao San Road to locate a street vendor for awesome noodle like dishes and meat on a stick. Beers consumed, we moved on to the next bar when the current location closed (after all it was two or so am). Ing called it a night around four, so Devin, his mother, and I went for some Thai massage. Good lord they are my new obsession, and I will definitely be needing many after all the shitty sleeping I've been doing. Getting back to the hotel room around six, I decided it was time to try and catch some sleep until our group were to meet at around 12 the next day.
Two hours later, I was up. Bry and I went down to have breakfast and wait for the group. Rebecca and Karly (cousins from Saskatchewan) joined us shortly after and when Ing arrived we made our way to the Bangkok train station to catch the train to Chiangmai. OK awesome!, I thought, I love train rides! Especially night trains!!! Hell. NO! The train ride north is about 18 hours. We left at noon, and got in at six am. The first few hours were fantastic: country side, villages, giant buddhas, mountians, food being offered, cool water, and beer. The last bit of the trip consistd of ridiculous heat (no ac) and later on bugs from HELL! But on the brightside of it all, Ing is the bloody best person to ever be your Thai tour guide: an ecstatic foodie who is absolutely stoked to show everyone awesome new foods (yeah mom, you would be in heaven) and his home. He managed to get us dinner, which he ordered (cashew chicken and egg omelettes anyone?), as the sun set. Shortly after food, the beds got pulled down and we all tried to sleep in the wicked heat, bugs, and overly rickety train.
6 am came way too fast and we were all exhausted (minus me, who mananged to be stoked up on either jet lag, or excitement) and took a cab (which looks like a prison truck) to our hotel, Chinda House. They gave us a back up room to sleep in till 1030, when our rooms would be ready and we could relocate. I had a much needed, way overdue shower, and tried to sleep again. Sleep eluded me and I was up and raring to go for our day of tigers, monkeys, and crocodiles, sushi, and a night market. Ing rented a truck and the four of us piled into the back of the truck for a ride out. This, as dodgy as I thought it was at first, was a blast and I am told I must be prepared to do many more of them (when we go up to Pai, we will get mattresses, pillows, wine, and a tan). Anywho, Tiger Kingdom was definitely load of fun, and I got to cuddle with small adorable tiger cubs (who were most certainly not drugged, as one of them was convinced he would pounce on and devour me). We made our way up in tiger sizes, and finally got to the "big cat" who was playing around in a tiger pool as the keepers played with giant kitty toys. It was a ridiculously epic way to spend however many hours, until the heat got to us and we were ready to go. We stopped at a monkey show and watched a monkey do some tricks, which was cute and all, and followed it up with a guy sticking his head in a crocodiles mouth. Horrifying, tourist kitch in a way, it was fun and we were invited to sit on the giant croc. Sure, why not. Crocodile accomplished, we drove back to the hotel and got ready for dinner and Ing's favourite sushi place. Full on delish and fresh food, we made our way to the Saturday Night market, which is all outside, and again stupidly hot, to browse amazing wares and such. Ten pm hit fast, and we decided to call it a night, as this morning we had Thai cooking at nine.
Sorry mom and dad, but this blew New Orleans out of the water. I had the chance to make sweet and sour soup, red thai curry, banana spring rolls, and cashew chicken. I succeeded in not chopping off any digits (and not dying in kitchen heat) and had some of the best Thai food yet. And yes, I have a recipe book now. With that concluded, we made our way back to the hotel for an avocado shake (new addiction) at the Hungry Tiger and waited for Ing to come back and pick us up for a jaunt to the mall. It was weird being in Thailand and feeling like I was shopping at Chinook or WestEd. But luckily for me, there was a market in the bottom, full of food and awesome spices (you should see how bloody fresh and delish EVERYTHING looks here, I have definitely been spending my money on food), and Ing would run off and come back with plates of different things for us all to try.
Stuffed, and tired, I just arrived back at the hotel. It's pouring out, and I hope it stops, because apparently the Sunday Night market is where it's at!!! Tomorrow, we leave here at around 9 to go out to the jungles for our overnight jungle trek to a village. I had my hiking shoes packed for this trek, thinking Ill have to carry everything up a mountain, but we just pack an over night back, and sit on an elephant :D!!! Once in the village we will have local food, and I don't know what else, but I am sure it will be just wonderful and I am way too excited. Back on Tues around 5 my time (15 hours ahead of Cowtown) and the following day we leave for Pai in the back of the truck.
So stoked. I love my life.
Til later, and love to you all
Jen
