Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
The night train to Chiang Mai was an experience in itself and something we both had on our lists to do. You see films where they have a sleeping berth on the train and this was exactly how we imagined! Our own little space was like something from the transformers movie going from a seated area to a table to eat off to bunk beds with compartments opening to reveal shelves, lights and more. We'd eaten in anticipation of the 14hr journey ahead but opted to order a breakfast for the morning which we believed to be a ham n cheese sandwich (french fried) with fruits, orange juice and coffee. After a long night sleeping for what seemed an eternity only waking to gaze at the ever changing landscape, we had arrived at 7am and breakfast was served. Only in Thailand would you receive ham and cheese sandwiches accompanied with FRENCH FRIES - cold may I add - with 3 slices of apple and the drinks!!
Apart from that the journey was ok apart from using the toilet which wasn't that bad for me as I'm a man but not been a conventional toilet and instead the traditional Asian style (porcelain hole) this was problematic for Laurah and every other female on board lol - standing using the toilet while moving!!
Anyhow we reached Chiang Mai and we were pleased to find our minibus to transport us to our accommodation along with a few others. Arriving at the BMP (Backpackers Meeting Place) we were happy to receive a warm welcome and notice we had a swimming pool which is unusual for a hostel. We were exhausted so spent a large part of the day sleeping then just left the room to eat at the in house restaurant and listened to the live band playing a medley of Bob Marley and various other well known chilled songs.
The next day was New Years Eve and waking early we stomped into the town centre where we rented bicycles and rode round looking at temples then looking for Laurahs trekking shoes which we needed as we were going on the jungle trek on the 2nd and New Year's Day is a national holiday.
We got back to the BMP after finally finding a suitable pair of trainers and got ready to hit the town.
We bustled through the packed streets enjoying what foods were on offer at a number of stalls before stumbling across a rooftop reggae bar (didn't actually play any reggae) which turned out to be the best place to be as you can see from the videos uploaded. We got talking to 2 guys from London and spent most of the night exchanging life stories and having a great time. Laurah wasn't too well so didn't really drink but I went at it like a trooper drinking 3 buckets of cocktails...lets just say I don't remember leaving the bar or getting home!! I do remember bringin in the new year which was amazing! Fireworks lit up the sky along with hundreds of lanterns and the music got a whole lot better after this place. Spoke to people from all over the world and we both had prob one of best New Years experiences of our lives.
The next day was funny as we were supposed to return the bikes at 8am and I didn't rise til 11:45am. Still absolutely drunk we rode into town n got them back and fled before the old woman could even question about our late return lol. Eating and sleeping most of the day both feeling rough, Laurah genuinely ill and mine self inflicted we had to go to a meeting at 6pm about the next days trek. Barely making it through the talk we returned to our room where unfortunately I spent a while throwing my guts up and Laurah tried not to :-(
THE JUNGLE
Still hungover for the 2nd day we barely made our bus at 9am. Greeted by an elderly French couple, a teenage couple from Norway, two lads from Bedford and a middle-aged man from Canary Islands we jumped on sunglasses on not feelin sociable at all. We were heading to a market to pick up any last supplies needed and the 45min journey was rough as hell with us both jollying each other on to hang in there with the occasional smile or nod. Luckily, the half hour stop and quick refreshments (along with anti-sickness and diarrhoea tablets) perked us up and we began to feel like we could actually enjoy the day ahead. We joined the conversations now and we were now a group who would tackle the obstacles of the next three days as a solid unit. Arriving at our starting point we all quickly applied heaps of suncream and mosquito spray (we purchased the most expensive and potent one from the market pharmacy) before descending into the unknown. Our tour guide who we only know as only Mr Sun during daylight hours and Mr Moon by nightfall was truly a big part of making this trek as good as it was.
It was clear from the start that the elderly French couple were seasoned pros in the trekking world putting all us youngsters to shame as they clambered up hill after hill leaving us lagging behind.
By the 1st rest-point we had already been subjected to Mr Suns canny sense of humour and had figured we were going to be kept on our toes. He had told us, while passing a drum of burning shrubbery, that it was opium and if we had wanted to inhale it would make the trek a whole lot easier! After a minute of deliberating whether or not this was true and his adamance, we all began covering our mouths and noses trying not to breath it in. The next 20mins trekking we all complained of dizzy heads and the nasty taste in the back of our throats only to be ridiculed when we stopped as the burning plants was nothing more than the fallen palm tree leaves and other vegetation loool.
The following 10mins he babbled on about what we were seeing and about his extensive knowledge of the jungle before dropping his smashing line.. "Ask me anything about the jungle, I know everything! And if I don't know I'll lie to you anyway!!" He really did make the extensive amount of trekking that day bearable with his crazy humour which didn't seem forced but just natural. Continuously telling the 3 single males not to worry as he had ladyboys lined up for the night lol.
Lunch that day was probably one of the best fried rices we'd eaten so far. He'd picked it up from the market and each portion was individually wrapped in a banana leaf, still warm a few hours later.
An hour later we came to the waterfall we had all desperately been dying to reach. It looked amazing and we all rushed to change into our swimwear and jump in to cool off. Surprisingly, the water was FREEZING even though the sun was beaming down and the air was as humid as could be. The water flowing clearly ran from the top of the mountains and had a crispness and rejuvenating feel I'd yet to feel. There are photos taken by the Norwegian couple on their waterproof camera but they can be seen on our Facebook page as we don't have them ourselves to put on the blog.
Passing massive ants, monstrous spiders and other jungle beasts we finally arrived at the small village we would be staying in that night. By small I mean there were two families and a big hut with 6 sleepin bags with mosquito nets up for us and presumably all who do the tour.
We had an hour before it would be dark and Mr Sun explained it would be wise to get a shower now as the water was cold but would be a lot colder later, plus it's hard to shower by candlelight lol
The French couple went first followed by us then the middle-aged man. The rest seemed to think the swim in the waterfall was as good as washing and declined.
The people who lived there were clearly used to having foreigners spend a night and had a ice chest filled with Chang Beers, Coca-Cola, Sprite and Water all for sale as a way of making a few extra pennies. The meal prepared for us was scrumptious. We had 3 dishes on the table and it was a help yourself style banquet consisting of chicken green curry, fried cucumber with egg and a curried vegetable dish. Strange as it sounds the fried cucumber and egg was delicious and funny cos we were all kinda like WTF when he told us the menu....don't judge til you try is the motto of that story. The village people were overly accommodating constantly bringin out more and more rice and topping up the dishes until we'd all filled like never before..I started to think of the children's story Hansel and Gretel and wonder if there was a hidden agenda behind feeding us up! Lol
But it was there natural generosity and wanting to please. Which they most certainly did. After a beer or two one of the males from the village came and sat with us and we spent about an hour conversing about life in the jungle, how they survive, what they eat, how they hunt, his views on city-life and life itself. We all felt humbled at that point and hung on to his every word. It was clear everyone was comparing there life, what was important to them, their views of the world quietly to themselves. It was almost like speaking to an distant ancient relative and hearing how we lived before electricity, before technology ruled and everyone was materially motivated. It's a moment we will have in our hearts for many years to come and a reminder of what really is of value to us in the world we live in today.
The rest of the evening we all sat around a fire they'd made drinking and talking and reflecting on the days antics. Mr Moon (his crazier alter ego) was now drinking with us along with two tiger males from the village singin songs only he could write the words to. Half Bob Marley song half a ladyboy song (video uploaded).
As the drink flowed and everyone got more merry we had a bit of a heart to heart with Mr Moon as he warmed to us all and spoke of his life growing up in the jungle and now working and living mainly in a city. One of his stories had us all feeling for him as it showed that its a worldwide thing that no matter how good, honest and genuine you are there's always someone who will exploit that for there own gains.
We sat up til around 00:30 staring into the midnite sky in awe at how clear the skies were and the vast number of stars visible. For how much Lauarah tells me about Mauritius and the night sky there, I was pleased that even she was taken back by the views. It did really seen like the whole universe was on show for us with barely any dark areas just twinkling stars.
Waking early the next morning was something hard to describe. Me and a few others were up and witnessed the sunrise which was breathtaking, not just the view but just to wake up surrounded by nature felt weirdly natural and comforting. If made it extra calming the middle-aged guy, called Owen was praying to the sun as it rose with tears in his eyes.
All the males were up by 08:00 but we let the girls sleep until 09:00 when breakfast was served.
Unlimited toast, butter, jam and scrambled eggs all washed down with a hot coffee and slices of fresh pineapple. They'd really pushed the boat out to make us feel welcome, plus we'd need the energy.
- I forgot to mention the animals living in the village. They had pigs, chickens, c*** and dogs. There were 4 puppies also and they all took a shining to me especially the little black runt of the litter. He'd come running from nowhere when I called and spent majority of the previous night in my arms around the fire (pics uploaded)
Anyhow the first 10mins of trekking wasn't too bad as it was mainly downhill but as soon as we hit the first hill the pain I'd felt the previous day at the top of my leg was back but 10x worse. Laurah stayed at the back of the group with me the majority of the day as we were sometimes a good 5mins behind those in the front and that's with them goin extra slow. Everyone was sympathetic as it was clear I was in agony and felt I had ruined everyone's trip as the guide had to take the easiest route (which still involved climbing and steep mountains).
Once we made it to the second waterfall everyone got in except me as I didn't want the muscle to get cold. - for all the talk about getting washed at the waterfall, only the Norwegian girl out of the four youngsters bothered...and that was only washing her hair (don't know how that constitutes as washing yourself!)
The second village was down by the river flowing from the same waterfall we had no long been at. It wasn't even a village really but a few huts and a massive table to eat at. We set up in ours tucking the mosquito net under our mattress and bedding as there were holes all over the hut allowing any kind of beasties entry.
Owen, gave me a massage using old ancient American Indian techniques which he'd studied (spent 10+ yrs in Mexico studying with migrated Indians). The whole experience was strange as he was able to draw heat from places from my body directly onto the sore muscle. All I can say is it worked and maybe I'll have to look into the ancient techniques one day when I get settled.
The food prepared was beautiful again. Can't remember what it was now but we all ate again until there was no room left in our bellies. With everyone tired we only stayed up til about 9:30pm before retiring to our hut. We were all feelin exposed sat out in the open near the fire at the river with nothin but darkness surrounding us. The multiple jungle creatures we'd been told about in the area possibly watching or stalking we were scared to stay out longer. Goin to the toilet was even scarier as it was set back from the huts right near all the trees and you could hear things movin and only armed with a torch felt very vulnerable.
Laurah managed to sleep well but then she had me to protect her - I however didn't sleep well clutching onto our knife and torch the whole night jumping up every time I heard anythin move outside the hut!!
No surprise I was up at dawn a good 40mins before the sun rose but it was nice sat at the side of the river in the most tranquil place I've ever been.
After a breakfast of boiled eggs, toast and fruit we only had a short walk to the point we were picked up by the bus and driven to the rafting.
Big bamboo trees tied together like they have in Jamaica and taken in groups of three down a river path down a few rapids but very peaceful at the same time.
Once we reached the elephants we were taken off and put into groups of two to climb aboard the giant animals and taken on a short trek. This we didn't enjoy as the guys controlling the elephants were mean to them hitting them with sticks with metal hooks on the end and dragging their mouths if they stopped. The girls were nearly in tears when we crossed a river as the elephant behind ours was a female with her baby chained to her and her got tangled and nearly drowned. This ruined what had been a good three days and the hour long journey back to the hostel was made in silence with everyone disgusted at what we'd witnessed.
Tiger Kingdom
As we had one day left in Chiang Mai before departing for Pai we decided to go to Tiger Kingdom as we'd seen a lot of pics from people who'd stayed at BMP and also read some good reviews online.
Although Tigers are our favourite animals we had been reluctant to visit them at any of the other establishments we had come across this far in Thailand. The main reason was reports of them been drugged in some cases. Other places they were on small chains to short cement blocks. Even at Tiger Temple in Bangkok where they are reared by monks, they're over fed so they are too lethargic to even bother with humans.
Tiger kingdom was different in that the cats were raised in captivity (not the best but beats been poached in wild) and were familiar with human contact from birth. Not only that but they had been taught a way if communicating with the handlers which was incredible to watch making funny noises. From wht we saw 90% of the handlers had a real nice bond with the tigers and the tigers adored them showing so much emotion to them (even the adults were like cats at home rubbing their heads into them n licking them).
A couple of the younger handlers or who hasn't been there long clearly were slightly intimidated and had yet to make that bond and although not in an aggressive way would use the small stick too often to usher the tigers away or to get them to lay down....Again i have to state they werent hitting or striking the tigers but the more experienced only used the sticks as a way of creating a barrier between the tigers and the customers if they got excited and tried to play with us but used their speech or hands to get the tigers to do certain commands.
There are a few pics and a video uploaded to show how close we actually were with cats of all sizes as on the whole they went about there business unless they were sat down and we could get a pic with them. We took a few with tge big cats actually sleeping as we didnt want the handlers to wake them which was something else we werent pleased was happening. I suppose they have a working day as the park open for set hours but we were of the thinking that they're naturally, wild animals so if they want to sleep don't force them to wake so we can satisfy our own egos and get a pic!...that and they are also predatorial by nature and a grumpy cat might lash out lol!! On the whole it was one of the best days of our lives!!!
Pai
The following day we were taken to the beautiful town of Pai for two nights as pre-arranged in Bangkok. It was a two hour journey on a mini-bus and it lies in a valley so you have to climb windy roads up then down a mountain. You go so high you actually have your ears pop plus the driver is on a strict schedule so drives like a lunatic overtaking on blind corners with only a small barrier stopping you from falling to a certain death! Laurahs travel sickness was in full effect and I couldn't blame her.
We'd got talking to a group of three Israelis on the way and once we arrived they decided to follow us to our accommodation as they hadn't arranged any.
Pai was truly stunning and I think we fell in love with the place! If I were to live anywhere in Thailand it would be there and Laurah feels the same. It's all spread out, little gatherings of small villages scattered around a valley (you need a scooter to get around) and a main centre full of chilled bars (mainly reggae) and shops selling beautiful food at cheap prices. The people there were mainly of a hippy nature, lots with dreads lol and the Thai people on the whole were so genuine and not hard selling.
The first night we just feasted on loads of street food on the main walking street then chilled at The Irie Bar listening to some serious dub style reggae beats and conversing with our new buddies. It was there Laurah shared the news that the two young Israelis weren't a couple and the girl was Lesbian and had a thing for her. I naturally found this highly amusing at the time as a lot of things made sense now. I genuinely had thought it was just a girly bond and she was just a naturally touchy, feely kinda person hahaha
The next day they woke us asking what the plans were. We enjoyed their company but felt that they should do whatever they wanted and not what we wanted to do all the time which was harder to get through than said. We ended spending the majority of the day in their company on scooters searching for the waterfall then the hot springs. We eventually parted ways when we decided the price was too high to enter the hot springs (knowing there was another at a 1/5 of the price).
We ate cake and had a coffee at the best coffee shop ever on the top of a hill called Coffee In Love. The views were spectacular looking over the entire valley. We departed from their and went only a short distance to a viewpoint where they had multicoloured individual hanging baskets you could sit in and take in the sunset. We stayed there enjoying a cold beer until it was actually cold and we needed to head back. - the nights in Pai got very nippy and we both had on clothes we'd travelled from England in on (along with my wooly hat lol).
We decided not to go out with the others and walked around that evening taking in everything there was to take in. We had a venison burger which was sublime and sat in the same bar from the previous night reasoning with the Thai owner about his life and how he'd love to see the world, especially Jamaica and Ethiopia.
The following morning we caught the bus back to Chiang Mai this time been dropped at the bus station so we could continue to the city of Sukothai (we'd rang Bangkok and had our schedule changed) as we'd heard it was the home of the ancient ruins in Thailand and you could cycle around viewing them. On the way back to Chiang Mai we got talking to an older Australian couple who had done loads of travelling around Asia and had bags of advice for us as they heard our plans (we were aware their views maybe different to ours though). They did seen fine all be it until when telling us how China wouldn't be a problem for people of colour she slipped up referring to a black Canadian girl as 'the negro' like it was the politically correct term! Her husband quickly corrected her after our faces dropped. We didn't fly off the handle but approached it differently explaining when they asked why we don't go to Australia to work and earn some more money for our travels by telling her how Australia has many race related problems and the people are ignorant to racism...there were another 6 people on the bus sothey felt shamed and rightly so as everyone knew what we were getting at.
Whilst waiting for our bus we ate at a local Thai cafe which turned out to make the best papaya salad we've tasted since been out here but Laurah had the pleasure of consuming that as I had to meet a rep to pick up our tickets then we rushed to make the coach.
Sukothai
The bus journey to Sukothai was awful. The roads seemed uneven and it was similar to been on a roller coaster for the whole 6hrs it took to get there. At one point the bus was stormed by military guards who searched one part o the bus and a monk (I believe they had suspicions there were Burmese people been smuggled).
Anyhow we found it odd they searched the monk as all the people of Thailand seem to revere them even the adolescent monks often bowing and asking them for a blessing. This monk had tattoos on his arm, had scars on his head that must of been from some kind of fight and didn't look at all peaceful. When we reached Sukothai I was appalled that when Laurah walked past him he bent up his neck to try and look down the aisle at her behind! I was in a bad mood as when trying to get our bags from the undercarriage impatient Thais were trying to put their bags in the bus which led me to yank our bags out and knocking over the monks sacred offering bowl. He hit the roof cussing me out (in Thai). As he was a monk and we had just pulled into a busy bus station I felt embarrassed and apologised thinking a riot could possibly ensue as I know how revered monks are but he took it to the next level. Still cussing after I'd graciously apologised then lighting up a cigarette in frustration. By now my blood was boiling and we exchanged some very serious looks as I walked off under no illusion at this point that he was a real monk. The next 40mins or so I was blowing steam calling him a fake monk and asking what kind of kno like behaviour is that to Laurah whilst she teased that we were now cursed and laughing at the shame I must of felt. Funnily enough we both started to believe maybe we were cursed soon after as we walked around in search of our hostel and on the way every dog (there's loads everywhere in Thailand) tried to attack us! I was literally swinging the picture we'd bought rolled up around to fend them off and cussing at top of my voice. Think been in the jungle, plus still enraged from the fraudster monk helped me not back down lol
We eventually found the hotel Nd decided to venture out to find food borrowing a few bicycles. After 15mins we were back as riding along the river there were an abundance of dogs scattered all over and each one was trying to bite at our legs as we rode past - it actually creeped us both out as we told each other it was like something out of a horror film and we took the hint and decided we weren't gonna be the dumb fools who don't taking the warning signs.
Rising early the next morning we rode the bikes to the bus stop to the national historical park. Once there we hired two bicycles and paid our entrance fees and began at one end working our way around to the other. It was really nice there and we appreciated all the work that went into building the megalithic structures in a time where there wasn't any cranes or machinery people would need to recreate the same things.
Been on the bike and not drinking enough water I started to get some serious headaches the n Laurah too so we decided to head back suspecting it was heatstroke as we'd been under the blazing sun all day.
We were asleep for a good few hours upon our return and feeling I'll so stayed in only leaving the room to go downstairs and get food.
We decided we'd get a 1st class coach back to Bangkok (1st class over here isn't real 1st class, what we'd call normal class) to prevent such a bumpy ride and it was a better journey.
- comments