Chiang Mai - Day 5!!!!!

Wednesday - 4 June 08

Hi Dudes, we are into day 5 in Changers and I tell you I would be more than happy to spend the next 5 years here, it is so good!

Today was another great day, we had our freebie breakfast of toast and coffee in the hotel communal dining area so a saving was had. We dropped our laundry off at a little place just at the back of the hotel, we didn't have that much but as we don't have a balcony and we get a storm or at least rain every arvo it is not too easy to dry clothes unless its just undies.

Well we walked, yes again and we are getting good at it, down to the boat landing to catch our boat tour up and down the Mae Ping river and as usual nothing leaves on time here, we were due to leave at 10am but it ended up being 10.15 but that ok its a bit like Perth, no one seems in a hurry to do anything except W.A. (Wait Awhile). There was only Rick and I and a Malaysian gentleman and his teenage son on the long boat tour along the river. The tour was only 2 hours but it was really interesting as you see the riverside and its inhabitants in a whole different way. Because it is the moonsoon season the river was quite brown and murky but it didn't change the scenery at all. We stopped off at the farmers place and our boat driver walked us through the gardens showing us all the different herbs they grow and what they are used for and the little waterway with catfish in it which go crazy when you throw the foodfish in to them, yes FoodFish they say everything back the front here. We were then served, in their little restaurant fresh Pineapple and Watermelon and cold Lemongrass tea which was so nice and refreshing, I will have to get some. He showed us photos of when the river flooded and the place was under water up to the roof and the cookery school where they hold a cook off every sunday, all day. It was a really good tour and not too long either. We talk to the gentleman and his son for quite a while and they were really nice and funny, he was more western than Malaysian probably because he spent most of his life working and living in London. It was a top tour.

We got back from our tour around 12.30 by the time we walked back to the hotel from the boat landing. Then off to Burger King for a quick chicken & chips as most of the food courts don't serve food until nightime and we couldn't be bothered walking the streets trying to decided what to have and then looking for somewhere to have it. Then it was time for a nanny nap while Rick watched his Bloomberg.

Tonight we went out and picked up our laundry and then headed off to the food court right next door to have dinner and as usual over indulged but the food is so yummy here and cheap we just can't help ourselves. We then decided we had better walk some of it off or we will be too uncomfortable to sleep so we did the night bazaar markets directly across the road from our hotel. I managed to squeeze some money out of Rick to buy myself some fat tops that are long enough to cover my butt. 2 nice 'hippy' tops = 650 baht about $20 Aus, that sent us a bit over our daily budget we have allowed ourselves so tomorrow I will have to sacrafice some food to make up for it, but hey I reckon I can do that.

We found a travel agent that does 'visa run' organised tours to Chiang Rai/Mae Sai across the border to Myanmar and straight back with a 30 day visa stamp so we will be booking that for 20 June to get our extra 30 days we need to finish the trip. We will also get to do all the tourist spots in the Chiang Rai area like the Hilltribe village, Waterfalls and all the other good places you just have to see up that way. It will be a long day but it works out much cheaper to do that to get the extra 30 days than to extend through the immigration department. It cost $10 USD for the 30 day visa doing the visa run into Myanmar and back as opposed to 1900 baht at the immigration department.

Anyway its now 10.30pm Thai time and its time to rest and relax. I am doing 2 posts tonight as the 2nd one will be more photos, so have a look. Until tomorrow. Kob Ka!