So many things have changed since I last wrote.... I've learned to make pad thai, chicken and cashew nuts and thai curry pastes from stratch. I also know how to eat sticky rice properly, tie my fishermans pants without them falling down or looking like a disaster when I walk (incredibly important) and have decided that I love Laos.
Lets go back to Chiang Mai. Following the trek I ahd a day long cooking course which I absolutely adored! Met 2 very cool girls from Vancouver and decided to hit the night market with them in the evening, ended up doing a ton of shopping, having a blast, finished off in a travellers bar with a rooftop terrace (incidentally full of cockroaches) til 3am at which point I felt it necessary to call those I love dearly (sorry mum) for a catch up. Waking up for my bus at 9am the next day wasn't easy. The journey was hell. Thank god for coca cola and paracetamol.... Met a bunch of people on the bus, got to Chiang Kong in the golden triangle, went for beers.....
The next day was the start of the 2 day long boat trip down the Mekong River.... luckily we met more people in the guesthouse that were taking the boat and had a blast. Its funny that the first few days I felt quite lonely being alone. Suddenly I was forced to socialise and realised I actually quite enjoyed my own company... managed to devour 2 trashy novels on the way to Luang Prabang in Laos and am now in need of more books to feed this newly rediscovered hobby of mine (reading in general I mean, not just trashy novels - suggestions welcome!)
Loved Luang Prabang, the city has so much charm, a great feel to the place... did the whole touristy things, kinda forgot what day it was, so missed out on the museum, everyone else left for the waterfall (which I also subsequently missed out on) BUT happened to bump into the Canadian girls from my cooking class in Chiang Mai so we met up in the evening and hung out... when someone else calls my name, the 2 guys from Quebec that kept me sane on the night train up to Chiang Mai a few weeks ago. Anyway, with even more company, night markets, food stalls and Beer Lao, I had an amazing time and didn't want to leave after only a day a half there....
I think the gods heard my call. My flight at 8am this morning was cancelled. I only found out when I got to the airport at 6.30am to check in.....! So went back into town, made it to the museum, hung out a bit more and am now back in Bangkok before leaving for Siem Reap at 7am tomorrow morning. Thank god my hotel tonight is decent!
Dreading the bus journey tomorrow, heard so many horror stories about it... wish me luck!
