maggies_lens

Right, been slack :) So yes, am back in BKK now and really wishing I were back in CM but making peace with it. Yesterday was exhausting. We went on a bus tour of Ayatthaya. A very historis part of Thailand not far from BKK. It was a bit exhausting, to be honest. We had to meet the bus early, and then we were in a very large group, so it wasn't as intimate as all the other stuff we'd done. It also felt very rushed. We couldn't linger in any of the places we wanted to i.e the Grand Summer Palace, the ruins of the ancient Wats. We did get to scoot around the Grand Summer Palace grounds tho. Marion has owie legs at the moment and we wanted to see as much as we could in our limited time so I splashed out INSANELY and hired a little golf cart thingy ($10 for an hour Australian). That was WICKED fun :D

( pics from the Grand Summer Palace Grounds )

After that we set off for about an hour to the ruins that broke my heart. Over the 2nd world war and over wars these temples were destroyed, they are now World Heritage listed so that no one can ever cover up the sheer destruction the stupidity of war creates. This is Wat Pra Raturana, the site of the famous Buddha Head in a Tree that all the tourists come to shoot.

( Wat Pra Raturana shots )

We had a bit of a kip in the arvo, the headed out to Cabbages and Condoms for a really good but rather expensive dinner. C&C was created to help raise funds to provide villagers education and practical help with family planning and also to help them seek alternatives to growing drugs to make a livelihood. It started as a small back room eatery, it is now HUGE.

Today Marion wasn't feeling all that well so C and I disappeared. We went to this MASSIVE tech mall. 6 levels of gadgets and everything a tech geek could want i.e Craig heaven :D I didn't mind wandering around. Got myself a water proof cheapy watch. We then had lunch where I foolishly thought that because I could eat a small amount of mild green chillies, I could eat a fork full of them.

I can't.

Craig got video. I will post it when he puts it online.

Gotta dash now; dinner time :)

We had SO much fun yesterday! Craig and Marion hired a couple of scooters and we had a BALL. I'm too hesitant to deal with Thailand traffic so I pillioned behind Craig. That's what yesterday's clip was about. We had to change scooters shortly after we started as ours was too weak to handle us both. The helmets were not exactly the standard I'm used to, and we rode in just light pants and t-shirts which I'd NEVER do in Melbourne. We could actually talk to each other rather than yell too which was awesome. We had far, far too much fun. Went up to see a huge Wat, then coasted down the entire 7k's back down the hill with the engine off as we had almost no fuel. Evil, evil fun!!! We then went to a shop that sells handmade Hill Tribe stuff, all proceeds going back to the Tribes, gives them alternatives to growing opium and logging. SO many beautiful things there! OMG! I restricted myself to a Hmong bag and a note book, and got a book about Thai stamps for dad who loves stamps :) Then we eventually found a celedon pottery place which was AWESOME. I could have spent vast fortunes in there very easily but I just don't have the room in my bag. I did get a couple small cute things. Today is our last day in Chiang Mai, we leave at lunch time. I SO don't want to.


Our little noble steed!!!!

( fun around Chiang Mai )

Ok, better get going. Power is getting cut off here shortly. And have to pack. I'm going to really miss Chiang Mai.

After that epic train ride I think we all just wanted a quiet day, so that's what we had. Also, C and I got upset tummies yesterday morning so neither or us were in a mood to go explore terribly much. We walked up the street just out of our Soi to the pharmacy tio get supplies like Deet etc when my stomach cramped up violently. Dashed across traffic (ped crossings and obeying traffic lights seem to be optional extras in Thailand!) to the McD's and spoke to god for a bit. Felt FABULOUS after that :D M's legs started to swell up a bit tho so after C and I had checked out a little of the old wall that used to surround the city, we headed back. Stopped at a book shop and I got a copy of 'The Life of Pi' since EVERYONE is telling me to read it. Also did a little shopping, go some presents for a few ppl back at home and also got M her 'tacky-gift' gift. We're doing a thing here where we get each other something terribly tacky to take back :D I drew Marion, Craig got me, Marion got Craig. This should be exciting :D Spent a rather lovely afternoon just hanging out, chilling out. M got a txt saying she'd won an interview she was desperately wanting so we all cheered and went a little HAPPY for her :) She has to go to it the day we get back!!!! Thankfully we're back early morning and this will be at 6pm. I'm keeping EVERYTHING crossed for her.
I really like Chiang Mai so far. It's far more relaxed than BKK and more ppl smile at you. It's also cleaner and not anywhere near as hectic. Less food stalls but then again we HAVE found the most important thing you poss can in Thailand; THE BANANA GUY! They cook roti right there for you on like an inverted hot plate. Then they spread raw egg over the top, slice up a banana over that, then pour condensed milk over the whole thing. Then they flip another roti over THAT and cook it for about 1 min. HOLY SENSORY OVERLOAD, BATMAN! You have NEVER tasted anything like it! The bananas here are super sweet and just PERFECT! We loooove it. I think we're pigging out on it again tonight :D
Anyway, some photo's of the local area under the cut and, if I have time, some random shots from Craig :)


Craig trying to get a fix on us with his Tracker. We're down a soi off a soi. It's like a rabbit warren! If you didn't know where this place was, you'd NEVER find it :) We LOVE it. (Soi - like a laneway that runs off a main street. Some are quite big, others you would prob not be able to get the average family sedan down).

( Chiang Mai )