Maths: E-
Despite previously claiming to loathe long-distance travel of as much as seven hours' duration, I decided to break the eleven hour journey from Bangkok to Chiang Mai only at Ayutthaya, a one and a half hour train ride from Bangkok.
Ayutthaya
Ayutthaya - the island - was very sparse. One street provided a backpackers' haven. Much of the island was taken up by the historical park - green expanses filled with the ruins of the former capital and its multitude of temples. Parts, I would classify as wilds - untamed tangles, some swampy. Cows roamed laneways, dogs roamed the streets, zippy mosquitos roamed the air. It was a rideable city. I liked it.
Chiang Mai
I stayed in a guesthouse in the small moat-surrounded old city. There are still segments of brick city wall on its periphery, but they appear to be newish - there's just a little too much design in their ruin. Indeed, the old town itself feels over-neat. Trees in yards overhang whitewashed walls and spiked fences, brick pavers surface streets, and the few crumbling brick temples and stupas around have been incorporated into newer temples. It's a city of bars and travel agents.
Chiang Mai Muay Thai
When one sees that there's a championship Muay Thai tournament on, starting at 9pm, in a ring surrounded by bars, one doesn't necessarily expect that the majority of it will be 10 year olds pummelling the hell out of each other. The first match was the 28 kg class; there were a few 36 kg matches, and one 56 kg match, which may have been the only match with participants older than 18. That 56 kg match was the only match with much technique, and even that was limited to a few instances of grabbing one leg and sweeping the other. There were no elbows, but maybe they're not allowed in the junior division. Most fights were won on points - the two exceptions were own-goals. In one, the fighter ran into a fist. In the other, a fall did something bad to a shoulder. It was very disappointing. I didn't stay to the end.
Chiang Rai
I decided against doing a hill tribe trek from Chiang Mai. This was on the theory that the areas around Chiang Rai would be less touristed than those around Chiang Mai. My theory proved sound: a couple of hours after booking my three-day hill tribe trek, it was cancelled due to lack of participants - for some reason people don't want to hike during Thailand's rainy season. So instead, I was to travel to Laos the next morning (5am wakeup) with Alfonso, a social researcher from Madrid. The next morning I had to inform Alfonso that I wouldn't be accompanying him as my dinner of tofu and vegetables had poisoned me and a vomitous two day boat ride didn't seem like a great idea. The silver lining was that I didn't have a vomitous three-day trek...
Chiang Khong
So I slept for another five hours or so before I had to either check out or stay another day. I decided to check out, on the principle that hostellers shouldn't profit by poisoning their clientele. I then slept for another few hours on their couch outside before taking the three hour busride to the border town of Chiang Khong on the Mae Khong (Mekong). Tomorrow morning I leave for Laos.
