11 November 2012
We have 8 days left on our visa. We reluctantly leave Chiang Mai and head to Lampang for a couple of days, not really sure what there is to do there, but a friend recommended we go there.
We get the 9.30am train, which costs 50p each for the 3 hour journey. Apparently, the locals travel for free on it. Matt finds this out from some old chap (with very good English!). The scenery is worth every Bart! The train chugs slowly up the mountains, so you get to see the farm workers in the fields cutting their crops, by hand, with their pointy hats on to keep the sun off them, and the children playing in the rivers, seemingly, without a care in the world.
We are staying at the Riverside Guest House. Its a very nice wooden place run by a Belgium lady, who has been in Thailand for 30 years. After a walk around the town, we realize that there really isn't a lot to do here. The night market is on though, so thats always good for some different foods.
We decide to hire a scooter and go to find the worlds first 'Elephant Hospital', its about an hours drive away. It is a totally charitable hospital, set up about 20 years age, (not to be confused with the Elephant Conservation Centre, which is a few 100 metres down the road). It was one of the least touristy places we have been. In fact we only saw 4 other people the whole time we were there, and we there for a good hour or more. There are 5 resident elephants, 2 of which, have had to have part of their front leg amputated, due to them stepping onto land mines on the Burma/Thai border. The one was very young still. Both have had artificial limbs made for them, a first apparently. They also had 7 other patients in, at the time we were there too. The unfortunate thing about the place is, because it is not a tourist attraction, it is purely a functioning hospital, there was no-one who could speak very much English and we had so many questions to ask. Nevermind, we bought a teeshirt and left a donation!
We stop at the busiest restaurant in town for supper. It is manic. Customers (mainly locals) are coming and going like you wouldn't believe. (We reckon they could probably seat 120!). We stand and watch the kitchen staff, about 10 in total. One main man shouting out the orders, and making sure the waiters are taking the correct food to the right table, but they don't just serve 1 table a time! I was fascinating to watch, (especially if you have been in the food trade).
13th. The local bus to Chiang Rai leaves at 11.30am. Before we leave the guest house, we get chatting to an aAmericanlady, Mary Bartnowski, who is a professional photographer. Shes now making her living, travel writing for an on-line magazine called Vagabond. She was a very interesting lady to chat to and we swapped lots of information with each other. Who-ever would have thought, we would be giving travel tips?! In the words of Matt:- "This is what traveling is about, it's not just the places, it's the people, who make the places. Sharing your time and thoughts with people, is one of llife'sgreat pleasures, we should make more of an effort to communicate. So put down your Ipod or phone and talk to the person next to you!" (Finish reading the blog first though. - I think he may have had to much Thai beer, when he wrote that!!)
Again, there isn't lots to do here in Chiang Rai, unless you want to do a trek to the hill tribes or kayaking (no thanks!). We hire a couple of bicycles for the day, and have a good explore. The clock tower is a fascinating thing, - it's a very ornate gold clock, which is lit up at night, then at 7, 8, & 9p.m. they do this light and music show that lasts for 10 minutes, it's really good (well, I thought it was, Matt thought it was very gimmicky). The last night we were there, the police had stopped the traffic, because some dignitary was there, watching it!
We get up early, to catch the 8am bus to the Laos border. 65 Bart for the 2 hour journey. The ferry across the Mekong River takes about 5 minutes, if that. It costs 40 Bart.
Thai high-lights:- Snorkelling/freediving on Koh Tao and the marine national park, cooking and massage courses in Chiang Mai, the scenery, and the people we have met. Oh, and not forgetting the lady-boy caberet!!
We are now entering our 12 country in just over 9 months.
Thanks for reading!
