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We flew into Bangkok from Penang; this time we weren't staying. We were taking a train to northern Thailand. The sleepers were all booked up and so a reclining seat in a fan carriage on the 22:50 train was all that was left. The train would get into Chiang Mai at 13:30 the next day. We still had 5 hours to kill before the train so we headed into the Bridge restaurant at the Amari hotel opposite the railway station and airport. We sat in the air con ordering a stream of dishes and drinks to avoid being thrown out. At 8pm is was time for the place to close, so we reluctantly headed for the 27 degree heat on the platform. The train ride was shocking! Lights on all night, window and shutter boards were down leaving the night air to blow into the carriage. This meant swarming flies. Nice comfy reclining seats but not for sleeping. We dozed on and off throughout the night, waking to brush the dead flies off. That's what you get for less than £7.50 each. The morning views were lovely - we watched the sunrise over the misty mountains and paddy fields. Lots of travellers have mentioned Chiang Mai and have said how great it is. We were expecting a small town in the jungle hills ... not quite. A large city with a population of 1 million and a nightlife like Malia (well, not so rowdy). We walked from the station laden with luggage to Zzzz House. £10.38 per night including breakfast for a small, well equipped air con room. The guesthouse owner was Boyd, an amazing character. He sang all day and was the happiest, albeit dizziest, guy ever. He arranged everything for everyone, food, taxis, bike hire, tours, personal tours. No hard sell either just a conversation about what you were doing that day. We hired a scooter and headed out of the sprawling metropolis. It took about an hour of driving to get out of the city and into the hills near Mae Raem. It was wonderfully cool in the hills. We passed a couple of Elephant reserves and Paul spotted an elephant in the river. We climbed down the bank to watch an elephant with his mahout getting a bath. It was great to be so close but so safe (we were on the opposite bank). No chains on the elephant, which was good! We visited various view points across the expansive hills and valleys beyond. We called in at a tribal village, there were tens of cars, minivans and coaches there. This was home to the Burmese Karen tribe, otherwise known as long neck (the women wear rings around their necks). At 500 baht each we decided to go no further (£10 each). We have since heard that with no documentation, the Burmese refugees have to stay on the compound and it is not clear how much of the admission fees they receive. We would see more of this tribe nearer the Burmese border. The next day we headed west to Doi Suthep national park. At the first viewpoint, Paul chatted to the hill tribe women selling their trinkets and took some photos. We then visited Wat Phra That a real blinged up temple (50 baht entrance fee). Gold everywhere. It was so busy though, the place was swarming with western tourists. Lots of photo opps for Paul here, he even managed to avoid getting a single person in the shots. We headed further up the hill, past the palace which looked a bit pre-fab and tacky. It was more stunning views before arriving at a H'Moung village. We had visited H'Moungs in northern Vietnam. They had Very similar traditional costumes. We walked past the stalls and Paul had a go at the crossbow shooting (10 baht for 3 goes) See video, brilliant shot! We also visited their opium garden and waterfall for 10 baht (20p). That evening was our 10th anniversary, well 10 years since we met. We went all out and treated ourselves to a meal at the best place in Chiang Mai, David's kitchen. It took 35 minutes to drive there through the crazy traffic. The owner arrived at the same time and introduced himself. Very posh english accent, "David Gordon, pleasure to meet you!" David was born in Liverpool, however, he gave us a tour of the grounds which he leases from a Chiang Mai Princess. He is quite a character and has done two stints as a Buddhist monk. His head chef is a saucier and trained and worked at the Mandarin Oriental, Singapore. We had a great night, the pianist did a Beatles medley and the Thai head waiter talked excitedly about LFC. Foie gras, smoked duck salad for starters then lamb shank and boeuf bourguignon, sticky toffee pudding to finish. Great night! On the following day we headed to Huey Tueng Tao, which is a lake north of Chiang Mai. Weekdays it is empty and we relaxed in a little thatched hut on the shore and had a high MSG feast - delicious, chicken cashew and stir fried mixed veg. Lazy, admin day on Saturday, before our six hour bus ride to Mae Hong Son - further north near the Burmese (Myanmar) border. Thanks for following. Keep the messages coming!
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