I have a bit of time to spare as Ness has badly sunburnt herself, and so I can't really do anything today, so I thought I'd update on the places we've been to so far.
Chiang Mai
As I might have mentioned before, Chiang Mai was lovely. I think it must have once been the old capital of the north of Thailand, as it's layout is separated into the 'Old City' which is a square in the heart of Chaing Mai, with four gates leading out into the newer city parts. It was more laid back there compared to Bangkok, there is less harassment from tuk-tuk drivers and touts. We also managed to source some temples, unlike Bangkok, where rain, crap maps and aggressive tuk-tuk drivers left us disoriented, and generally losing the will to live.
We have been trying to take photos of the orange robed Buddhist monks that roam the streets of Chiang Mai, but to no avail. They are very stealthy and seemingly don't like having their pictures taken. As soon as they see someone reaching for their camera bag, they turn and walk in the opposite direction. Which is a shame really, as I saw a monk on a mobile phone walking past a Honda dealership and it would have made the best picture ever. But fear not, South East Asia is predominantly Buddhist and so I will get a picture of one of those elusive orange robed deities yet.
The main reason we had gone to Chiang Mai was that we had booked a 3 day Hill Tribe trek from Bangkok to the Pai area in the hills of Chiang Mai.
The trek itself was amazing, we got to see a lot of the countryside in the hills, including rainforests and giant bamboo plants lining the river. Also the hugest butterflies I have ever seen.
The first day of the trek was hiking up a steep hill in 30 degree glaring sunlight feeling like I was going to collapse at any second. I soon got used to it however, as there was a lot of trekking up steep hills over those 3 days. Ness and I can proudly say that we were both physically fitter than we had previously thought, as we were at the front of the trekking group pretty much the entire time, whilst the very nice but annoyingly gorgeous girls in our group were huffing and puffing about 56 million miles behind us. I have never felt so smug in my entire life.
Both nights were spent in different hill tribe villages. It was interesting to see some traditional Thai village life, but when you think about how many tourists must tramp through these same areas, it adds a sad edge to things, as you're not seeing anything original or unique at all. It seemed as if we were walking round a zoo at some points, and I felt quite sad for the villagers, who must get gawped at all the time by Westerners with cameras. I felt a tad guilty as I was one of those Westerners, although the lady I asked to photograph thought she looked hilarious when I showed her the picture on the camera screen.
It was still fun to stay in those villages though, they don't have much electricity so both nights were spent playing drinking games round a fire. I have never learnt so many new drinking games in my life, but I know never again to play them with Thai whisky.
The lowest point of my trek was when I was terrorized by a giant black beetle whilst in a bamboo shower hut. The hut itself didn't have a roof, and so the beetle clearly spotted me from whatever lair it had been hiding in, and immediately zoomed over to circle the top of my shower where the roof would have been. On a few occasions it would zoom off elsewhere, but my relief would be short lived, as it would always return to sit on the top of the door to the shower, and stare at me.
You may think I am exaggerating this story, but I swear on my own life THAT BEETLE WAS WATCHING ME. It most definitely had some sort of terror strategy planned, as it would fly round the shower, fly off elsewhere to lull me into a false sense of security, and then return to it's perch on the gate to stare at me some more.
This routine continued for at least 10 minutes, as I couldn't get the gate door of the shower open, and so I had to crouch, shouting obscenities at the beetle, for about 10 minutes until one of my trek group walked past and helped me open the door.
Sometime after I had recovered from my ordeal, I was pleased to hear that the bastard beetle had been killed by one of the villagers, and so thus ended it's reign of terror upon sweaty Westerners who only wanted an innocent shower.
Thinking back to that story now reminds me of the terror Ness and I also suffered at the hands (or trunk) of a psychotic elephant. There was an elephant trek at the end of our tour, which basically meant that everyone sat on some elephants and they walked in a line through the forest for a fair bit.
Ness and I had dubbed our elephant "Heffalump" (from Winnie the Pooh) and it was soon apparent that Heff had some Rage issues. (Or even Sanity issues).
I say he had Rage as he kept starting up with a growling noise, and then progressing to violently sucking up and blowing out air with his trunk, and manically swiping at passing trees/bushes. Whilst everyone else's elephant happily trotted along behind the trainers, Heff decided to do anything but. He veered down steep banks, ran in the reverse direction, went left when everyone else went right, and vice versa. Ness and I both feared for our lives atop that maniac beast. There was ultimate relief when the ride stopped and we could get as far from Rageful Heff as possible.
It was only later that one of the girls on the trek mentioned that they hadn't picked Heff to ride because he had "Crazy Eyes". Ness and I have both vowed never to sit on top of another elephant.
After Chiang Mai we went back to Bangkok, but that was far too boring to write about. We are in Ko Samui now, although I have only been here for a day or two, so I will update with that another time.
It is bloody hot here, BTW ;)
Chiang Mai
As I might have mentioned before, Chiang Mai was lovely. I think it must have once been the old capital of the north of Thailand, as it's layout is separated into the 'Old City' which is a square in the heart of Chaing Mai, with four gates leading out into the newer city parts. It was more laid back there compared to Bangkok, there is less harassment from tuk-tuk drivers and touts. We also managed to source some temples, unlike Bangkok, where rain, crap maps and aggressive tuk-tuk drivers left us disoriented, and generally losing the will to live.
We have been trying to take photos of the orange robed Buddhist monks that roam the streets of Chiang Mai, but to no avail. They are very stealthy and seemingly don't like having their pictures taken. As soon as they see someone reaching for their camera bag, they turn and walk in the opposite direction. Which is a shame really, as I saw a monk on a mobile phone walking past a Honda dealership and it would have made the best picture ever. But fear not, South East Asia is predominantly Buddhist and so I will get a picture of one of those elusive orange robed deities yet.
The main reason we had gone to Chiang Mai was that we had booked a 3 day Hill Tribe trek from Bangkok to the Pai area in the hills of Chiang Mai.
The trek itself was amazing, we got to see a lot of the countryside in the hills, including rainforests and giant bamboo plants lining the river. Also the hugest butterflies I have ever seen.
The first day of the trek was hiking up a steep hill in 30 degree glaring sunlight feeling like I was going to collapse at any second. I soon got used to it however, as there was a lot of trekking up steep hills over those 3 days. Ness and I can proudly say that we were both physically fitter than we had previously thought, as we were at the front of the trekking group pretty much the entire time, whilst the very nice but annoyingly gorgeous girls in our group were huffing and puffing about 56 million miles behind us. I have never felt so smug in my entire life.
Both nights were spent in different hill tribe villages. It was interesting to see some traditional Thai village life, but when you think about how many tourists must tramp through these same areas, it adds a sad edge to things, as you're not seeing anything original or unique at all. It seemed as if we were walking round a zoo at some points, and I felt quite sad for the villagers, who must get gawped at all the time by Westerners with cameras. I felt a tad guilty as I was one of those Westerners, although the lady I asked to photograph thought she looked hilarious when I showed her the picture on the camera screen.
It was still fun to stay in those villages though, they don't have much electricity so both nights were spent playing drinking games round a fire. I have never learnt so many new drinking games in my life, but I know never again to play them with Thai whisky.
The lowest point of my trek was when I was terrorized by a giant black beetle whilst in a bamboo shower hut. The hut itself didn't have a roof, and so the beetle clearly spotted me from whatever lair it had been hiding in, and immediately zoomed over to circle the top of my shower where the roof would have been. On a few occasions it would zoom off elsewhere, but my relief would be short lived, as it would always return to sit on the top of the door to the shower, and stare at me.
You may think I am exaggerating this story, but I swear on my own life THAT BEETLE WAS WATCHING ME. It most definitely had some sort of terror strategy planned, as it would fly round the shower, fly off elsewhere to lull me into a false sense of security, and then return to it's perch on the gate to stare at me some more.
This routine continued for at least 10 minutes, as I couldn't get the gate door of the shower open, and so I had to crouch, shouting obscenities at the beetle, for about 10 minutes until one of my trek group walked past and helped me open the door.
Sometime after I had recovered from my ordeal, I was pleased to hear that the bastard beetle had been killed by one of the villagers, and so thus ended it's reign of terror upon sweaty Westerners who only wanted an innocent shower.
Thinking back to that story now reminds me of the terror Ness and I also suffered at the hands (or trunk) of a psychotic elephant. There was an elephant trek at the end of our tour, which basically meant that everyone sat on some elephants and they walked in a line through the forest for a fair bit.
Ness and I had dubbed our elephant "Heffalump" (from Winnie the Pooh) and it was soon apparent that Heff had some Rage issues. (Or even Sanity issues).
I say he had Rage as he kept starting up with a growling noise, and then progressing to violently sucking up and blowing out air with his trunk, and manically swiping at passing trees/bushes. Whilst everyone else's elephant happily trotted along behind the trainers, Heff decided to do anything but. He veered down steep banks, ran in the reverse direction, went left when everyone else went right, and vice versa. Ness and I both feared for our lives atop that maniac beast. There was ultimate relief when the ride stopped and we could get as far from Rageful Heff as possible.
It was only later that one of the girls on the trek mentioned that they hadn't picked Heff to ride because he had "Crazy Eyes". Ness and I have both vowed never to sit on top of another elephant.
After Chiang Mai we went back to Bangkok, but that was far too boring to write about. We are in Ko Samui now, although I have only been here for a day or two, so I will update with that another time.
It is bloody hot here, BTW ;)
posted by Sarah at
7:54 am
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