On my first visit to Chiang Mai less than a week ago, I didn't really feel for the place, maybe I was tired, maybe my accommodation wasn't the best, maybe I had just got the grumps. This time I stayed somewhere better, but it was a little out of town. After a full on day bus trip I arrived quite tired, went out for a meal and had an early night. This meant I had a full day and the most of the next before catching the night train to Bangkok.
I had a great wander around the night market, loads to see, do and spend if that's what your into. I had some nice food and picked up a few souvenirs.
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| Chiang Mai Night Market Food Street |
The main temple in the old city was closed to visitors to get inside due to a visit by someone significantly more important than me. The upside to this was that around the temple was loads of free food and water. The down side to this is it made me ill, good for fast weight loss but bad for a pending overnight train.
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| Chiang Mai Temple |
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| Free food - Rice from Myanmar |
Still fragile and not wanting to move more than 20 running paces from the nearest toilet I spent my last morning by the pool. There were 3 English girls and myself, one of them noticed a rat the size of a cat running from the kitchen, perhaps it was breakfast at my hotel not the free food that did me in. The girls all jumped up onto sunbeds and the rat merrily ran out of sight blissfully unaware of the chaotic scenes he had left behind.
Chiang Mai never really hit the spot for me, I liked it but liked other places a lot more. I was never 100% when there either time which may had something to do with it. Other travelers I've spoken to rave about the place.
When I was in employment and on holiday I have taken many overnight trains in Asia, but usually gone first class where you get a cabin to yourself or only have to share with one other random. This time I don't have the luxury of a decent income and got a 2nd class ticket. What a result that was, it was such a laugh and got to meet other travelers. First up were two former army officers from Korea and then we were joined by another Korean a girl who was studying in Thailand. We all shared plenty of travel stories before crashing for the night.
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| Train crew get pre-journey instructions |
Managing to get an early check-in I had a sleep before hitting the streets of Bangkok. I was staying quite far out of town but by a Sky-Train in great new and cheap accommodation.
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| Bangkok |
Bangkok has many forms of transport an underground (MRT) a Sky-Train (BTS) canal boats, buses and tuktuks, however they are not connected too well. You can by a day ticket for the BTS but that ticket isn't valid on other forms of transport. I wanted to experience the backpacker hub of Khao San Road to get there I had to take a Sky-Train, the underground then a boat and a 10 minute walk all of which took well over an hour. The boat was great it was a tourist boat, therefore a rip off 80p but showed you the sights and gave commentary along the 30 minute trip and was great value even if it was 4 times the price of the local boat.
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| Bangkok Palace from the river |
Khao San was like most backpacker haunts, bars, restaurants tat stalls, hawkers selling everything from fake passports/driving licenses to ornaments that make frog noises, tattoo and massage parlours. Still not feeling 100% I'd had enough of this scene and left after average food and an overpriced beer. It was great to people watch though.
A good nights sleep and feeling loads better I hit the city, taking in Chinatown where a golden Buddha is on display that was found after a crane dropped a large piece of plaster revealing the Buddha. A walk through the park was nice and peaceful and took me through to the central area of Bangkok. I came across the Eriwin Shrine which has recently been the target of a bomb attack.
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| Eriwin Shrine |
With it being Christmas there was loads going on around here. Stages were erected for live bands for a Chang, Singha and Heineken beer parks. A Disney themed park and Christmas stuff at the other end was all nice to wander though and contemplate the last 11 weeks of this trip.
I went looking for food back in town and whilst on my way to a food court I found everything I needed to buy when not looking, who needs 12,000 stalls!
Feeling much better i fancied a few Sunday night beers. I'd only had one beer in the last 3 days and needed to end my trip in style. I headed back to the area where the beer sponsored bands were playing. Alighting the train I got talking to a couple of Thai football fans and found out that this night was the Mekong Club Championship Final between a team from Thailand and one from Cambodia.
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| Got my hands on the cup |
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| Football fans selfie |
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| Burirham United - Champions |
I rushed to the ground got a ticket and a picture with the trophy and just made kick off, all within 10 minutes. Nice to get some football in, a decent atmosphere and game, but I was both hungry and thirsty come the final whistle.
So my final day of my trip was here and I'd saved the biggest attractions for this day. First up the Golden Mount which is a Golden Stupor on a hill which gave great panoramic views of the city. To get there I caught a canal boat which raced along through the canals briefly stopping to let locals hop off. It was great value and fun at 16p a trip.
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| Golden Mount - Bangkok |
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| Bangkok skyline |
I then went the Royal Palace bought my ticket (£9.50) got a few photos then got refused entry to the main palace due to having shorts on. To be fair I got a full refund so what I saw, I saw for free.
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| Royal Palace |
Instead I popped next door to Wat Pho which has a huge (absolutely massive) lying down Buddha, the temples around it were great too. I loved my hour I spent here.
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| Reclining Buddha - Wat Pho |
Needing a few extra bits for Christmas shopping, I came across a posh Thai food store (similar to M&S) and bought a variety of chocolates, sweets and some indeterminate items.
My last night I headed back to the center where the bands were playing and even though it was a Monday all venues were full of locals and foreigners. I was bracing myself for expensive beers but in my amazement it was the cheapest beers I found in Thailand. I visited all of the venues (some more than once) and headed back.
My free night in Istanbul didn't materialise. Despite Turkish Airlines assuring me I had a transit hotel for my return journey, the same transfer desk (could have been the same person) said no. He sent me to the hotel desk which required me to go through passport control. I got turned away as I didn't have a visa. So after voicing my frustration back at the transfer desk I bedded down for a long (15.5 hours) lonely and hard night in the near deserted airport. Not a great way to close my trip, but I suppose incompetence and poor customer service is a gentle reintroduction to the Western world.
I will miss the smiles from almost everyone I met in Asia. It won't be long before I'm back.
