From Samui to Chiang Mai

Saturday - 31 May 08

Well here we are in Chiang Mai otherwise known as Changers! What a place, its awsome, besides Koh Samui and Jomtien Beach this is another place I could happily plant my butt in retirement.

I was awake very early this morning sitting on the balcony of our luxurious room in Cliff View Resort enjoying the beautiful view, soaking it up and sadly thinking about this being our last day here and in Samui for some time. So far this has been the best part of our trip but still look forward to the rest of it, all of 6 weeks, in eagerness and anticipation.

We had our last breakfast at the resort and said our goodbyes to all the wonderful staff. Our driver picked us up early to take us to Samui Airport and I gotta say you could have a holiday there, just at the airport. Its the best domestic airport I have ever been in and the western countries could learn a thing or two about customer service and friendliness. We checked in no trouble and went to the outdoor departure lounge and you really need to see it to believe it, I will upload the photos on to the blog in the next couple of days, its awsome. They provide free internet at the internet kiosk and free drinks and cakes and nibblies at the courtesy counter, outdoor kids play gym and comfortable lounges and cane settings to sit on while you watch the big screen TV's and its all open air. Its more like a VIP lounge than a waiting area.

Our Bangkok Airways flight was due to depart at 1.35pm but as there were only 19 passangers and all had checked in the flight left 15 mins earlier, how good is that! It was a plane with propellers and Bangkok Airways being the boutique airline of Thailand the service as usual was impeccible and so was the food they served. It was a good, comfortable flight and the two hours and 20 mins went so quick.

We arrived in Chiang Mai at 3.55pm in the arvo and right in the middle of a storm and heavy rain which wasn't too bad except our backpacks got a bit wet when they unloaded it from the plane to the baggage collection. We collected our wet luggage and headed to the tourist information counter to find out about a hotel for the night and a taxi to the city and hotel. After much conversation, contemplation and haggling we took 2 nights in a guesthouse for 600baht per night to give us time to look around for something else seeing as we are going to be here for a couple of weeks and with the rain and wet luggage we didn't want to have to trapse the streets late in the afternoon looking. We found a really nice, funny, english speaking taxi driver to take us to the guesthouse and he was a real laugh, and cheap. We checked in at the guesthouse and the people were really unfriendly and ignorant, gave us our key and a young man carried our backpacks up 3 flights of stairs and into our room. We got into the room and what could I say but here we go again! The room was a shithole. No fridge, no towels, the air con barely worked and the bathroom looked like it had been bombed in the second world war. So Rick and I dropped our bags on the chairs and decided to go for a walk around to have a look at other guesthouses and accommodation places. The shithole was in the old city and was surrounded by alley ways of girlie bars and pickup pubs, not our kind of area.

We walked for a while and ended up down in the area of the Kalare night bazaar and where all the outdoor food courts, restaurants and markets are. Its a wicked area and so we went from one hotel and guesthouse to the other until it was dark finding out the price and looking at the rooms until we found one that suited us and was value for money. Its a lovely little boutique hotel called 'The Night Bazaar Place' and the room is big, modern, spotlessly clean, air con, cable tv, fridge a really nice bathroom and has free Wi Fi internet in the lounge area of the lobby. Its great and the best part is 'Stay 4 nights only Pay for 3' and its only 700 baht a night. Its right in the middle of the best shopping and food area. Sweet! Better than a shithole for 600 baht with nothing.

Well by the time we finished organising our new digs for tomorrow we were hot, tired and hungry so called into Burger King to grab some chow before we made our big long walk back to the shithole. It was quite a good walk except we got lost and it ended up we were walking around in circles but eventually found the shithole. We had to ask reception for towels as they had forgot to leave towels in the room when they attempted at some time to clean the freakin room. I jumped in the shower quickly although I was a bit worried what I might catch from having a shower in such a crappy room. Rick and I made the best of what we could and watched the AFL on Australia channel. Kangaroos and Brisbane Lions.

Looking forward to getting out of this forking hole tomorrow. Anyway besides all that Chiang Mai is great and can't wait to do some exploring and SHOPPING!!!!!!!!!!!!! He Ha!



Until tomorrow. Stay tuned the best is yet to come