That sweet sweet Chang (Mai)

Last few days in Bangkok were thoroughly enjoyed by the both of us – setting out on a fastidious search to find the ideal temple (situated somewhere between being cheap/pretty and not too strict on having to wear trousers – Buddhism Lite). The lucky equilibrium was Wat Arun, at a well priced 50 bhat and speckled with dashes of ornamental colouring with towering Stupa’s- a cracking shout all things considered, as it was also over the river from the more busy and overwhelming golden palace which meant less sweaty tourists interrupting my search for Nirvana

Post enlightenment; we decided it was time to sort out our ‘train tickets’ for Chiang Mai – I use inverted commas as they were all sadly sold out for the day we intended on leaving, feeling a bit downtrodden about this we waited a few hours to decide if it was worth waiting another night in a hostel and going on the train the next day, eventually we decided not to and instead get the bus the next morning; thankfully in our brief moment of consideration all the bus tickets had sold out too. It turns out that the Thai people are all smiles to your face, but turn your back and they’re keyboard warriors snapping up train tickets like it’s Glastonbury. Instead we set out immediately to find a travel agent in the hope they could sell us the very same thing we had just missed out on for double the price, as sometimes they have some leftover for those on the slightly less organised on the spectrum. Intro Star travel – after half an hour of her phoning up to see if the booking office had any seats left on the ‘special government trains’ which were sadly unavailable, she retorted by offering us two bus tickets for 8am at the eye watering price of 1200 baht / £32. Thus commenced the haggling process, or as Finlay would call it, the instant agreement process, As he ‘didn’t realise it was the sort of establishment where one can change the price’ – a fact he later regretted when my steely gaze knocked off 100 baht at the cost of the lady calling me ‘ugly boy’. Wallet now empty we headed home in search of some food a Chang and some more cash, unfortunately the nearby ATM’s had other ideas as they were ‘hungry’ and ‘ate’ Finlay’s debit card like pac-man when he got the pin wrong three times. Which he insisted for quite some time was a ‘technical glitch’ until we checked his banking app and he realised he had forgotten that he changed it. Entertaining stuff…

Supper was perhaps the highlight of the day – with my 40baht dirty noodles still being the dish of the trip so far, zesty. spicy and greasy in all the right places – washed down with a game changing 60 baht Chang

Following the kind lady’s promises of ‘5* new bus from Sweden with good WiFi big meals and a loo’ we were only slightly pleased to find that the bus was a) 2 hours late and b) had literally none of the above – however the seats we were given made up somewhat for her scathing lies – front seat on the top deck, lanky limbs no longer folded in like an ikea flat pack, we set of for the north in good spirits. (below is Bangkok sunrise the morning before the bus and a breakfast that looked as if a Thai man may have enjoyed cooking it perhaps too much)

12 hours later we made it to Chang Mai – pleased that the whole ordeal was over and ready to wash our hands with all things scammy, smoggy and superfluous to the budget. We quickly checked into our hostel and demolished a ‘khao soy’ – crispy curry noodles, a local speciality. We were equally delighted as intrigued upon finding out we were to be sharing a room with 6 German girls, thankfully our own age. A few beers were shared whilst trying to sus out who the snorers were going to be, Finlay and I respectively backing a different horse. Thankfully no mans land was not crossed and all peace treaties remained intact, a fun evening followed by a good sleep, hard to complain really.

This morning was spent hiking to Wat Pha Lat – a Buddhist temple and meditation retreat practically untouched by tourism, nestled high in the Mountains of Chiang Mai, it truly felt like something out of the last air bender as we snaked around the Monks path chasing lizards and listening to the distant murmuring of Tuk Tuks, all the time cooled by sprawling banana leafs bigger then us and undergrowth of a beautiful noxious green shade

Currently sitting back at hostel after catching a slightly odd songthaew/big red Uber pool that anyone can get on and be dropped off anywhere for 30 bhat. Looking forward to the upcoming week and seeing more rural Thailand as we loop around the north of the country – more posts coming soonish