Continuation from:-
Good Morning Chiang Mai
Kalare Night Bazaar

3rd March 2009
============

I had my phone alarm set really early the night before because we were suppose to go on a 2D1N hiking trip at Doi Inthanon (taken from chiangmaitic.com) the next day. Popped 2 Panadols before sleep to control my fever, i really did’t want to miss the hiking trip just because of a mild fever - i’m no party pooper alright?

But somehow my alarm didn’t go off. We woke up just half an hour before the departure time and to make things worst i was still feeling a little feverish. There’s no need to worry the boyfriend, it’s going to subside i repeated to myself whilst rushing out of the shower and mindlessly throwing things into my backpack.

Breakfast

We fled downstairs and looked out the glass door expecting our pick-up to be there but there was none. Phew! We made it before the departure time.

Relieved that we didn’t screw things up, we sat down at the indoor cafe for breakfast. It was pleasant that Sri-Pat serves English breakfast off the menu as opposed to buffet style breakfast that is normally provided by guest houses.

Red truck

I was looking forward to a few piece of toasts with butter, a scrambled egg and orange juice when the staff informed us that our pick-up had already arrived earlier this morning and since we were not at the lobby when they arrived, had left to pick other passengers instead . What a terrible start of the day!

The staff however was kind enough to prepare a quick breakfast for us minus the scrambled egg. I polished my plate as quick as i could and right when i placed the last small piece of toast in my mouth the red pick-up truck arrived at the doorstep.

The trucks or better known as songtaews are actually one of the public transport in Chiang Mai. Cruising the road in the 2 bench truck made me feel very much like a Singaporean mafia… well without the squating anyways. If you have watched the Singaporean movie “Liang Po Po” then you’ll know what i mean. Ha!

Riding the songtaew

There were 9 of us in the truck and what an odd group we made. There was a couple from Italy, another couple from Munich, Germany and 2 guys from nothern part of Germany, a lone ranger from America and us, 2 Asians among the whites. I guess most hikers whom actually hires tour agents are big groups of friends and most tourist travelling in 2 gets slotted into odd groups much like this one.

Not that i’m complaining, it’s just that it was an awfully quiet ride.

We were taken to the tourist police station where the tourist police with a weird accent (i swear he’s French) identified us through the copy of passports in his hands.

He gave us strict instructions should anyone meet with an emergency - you were to dial 1515 and i remember thinking how ridiculous that was because the communication line up on the hills will surely be very poor and i might as well roll down the hill because dialling 1515 won’t do any good. But of course i kept quiet and nodded furiously like a school kid and we were on our way again.

Elephant camp

After what have been like a 1 hour drive, we made a stop at a local market for supplies. The groccery shops and the nearby wet market were overflowing with tourists and hikers also making a pit-stop for replenishments and neccessities.

All of us clambered down from the truck and head towards the nearest shop. We grab a toilet roll and 2 bottled water while everyone else stocked up a few bottles of water each. As for the wet market, there were lots of stalls selling snacks and food but we stayed clear it after seeing all the flies buzzing around everywhere, hygiene isn’t the top priority here.

You know what, it really isn’t a good idea too bringing just one backpack on a hike no matter how short the hike is. The boyfriend and i were sharing this medium-size bag which obviously is a stupid move because the sun is showing no mercy, 2 bottles of water were barely sufficient for the two of us but that’s all that we could carry.

Elephants!

Another 1 hour or so uphill, took us to the elephant camp which i was really looking forward to since the start of the day… Ok, i admit the only reason i agreed on this trip to Chiang Mai was because of the elephant rides. So, according to me this is the highlight of the whole trip. LOL!

I love elephants, they are one of the most adorable thing in the animal planet and when we walked up to the main platform and saw up close those gentle giants chewing on sugar canes that was the best feeling in the world.

Adorable pair

All of us bought a bunch of bananas and climbed up onto the wooden platform ready for the 1 hour elephant ride accross the forested hills.

German couple

At first i was really enthusiastic and couldn’t wait till my turn. Unfortunately the American guy (let’s call him Rambo - the reason i will explain in the next post) and the 2 German guys won the race to the platform. I smirked and rubbed my hands in glee watching Rambo climb clumsily onto the elephant. I could surely do better that that.

Rambo with tattoo

But when i saw the huge elephant that the Germans were going to mount, my throat went dry and i half wanted to back-out. That has got to be the largest and tallest elephant on the camp! I swear!

On the platform

Fortunately our ride wasn’t as humongous. Ours was a younger elephant (i shall assume that it’s a she) but i was still rather nervous and had a startle when i placed my right foot on the bump of her back. She kind of sways her body as elephants usually do and her flapping ears kept distracting me, so it was quite difficult to stay balanced and not freak out.

Once you got seated on the mounted bench, things didn’t get any better. You could easily fall down and break your bones albeit the chain that’s suppose to secure you to the chair. And when the elephant trainer called out for the elepahant to move ahead, it was alot of silent screaming for me. -_-”

Rough journey

It gets easier with time when you get used to the rythm of the elephant, but not before jumping the first time she goes uphill or when she comes to a narrow foot hold swaying her body dangerously trying to plough on, or everytime she goes downhill tilting you almost out of your seat.

Sometimes, they’ll get greedy and pull at roots and plants on their way making your seat rock a little and sometimes you’l get grazed here and there by thorny bushes. There’s dried elephant’s dung everywhere too!

Our elephant trainer

But it was all worth it.

After a while it doesn’t bother me as much and i had the time of my life, occasionally patting her and feeding the darling elephant bananas as encouragement for her to continue with the journey. Elephants are such afectionate creatures.

Elephant trail

The ride took us “through forested scenic walks, open areas with views of the surrounding hills as well as the fields of the hill tribes”, which is true to quote from the agent’s website but the scene was very different from the many pictures i’ve seen online yet not a negative one. The scenery wasn’t lush and green, it was almost like in the bush.

Forested scenery

Summer time meant that the sun was exceptionally piercing, drying up the surroundings. Everywhere you see are patches of brown within the greens. It was different but yet charming.

That’s us!

Our elephant trainer spoke a little English and kept us entertained with his stories. He had been a trainer for 40 years now. So that makes him like 50 assuming he started young, at 10. I couldn’t believe it. He doesn’t look a year older than older than 40 and he is very physically fit.

Look, here he is with his hand resting on Mr. Bf knee.

Rear end

He has a great sense of humour too.

Hahaha!

“OK”!

Scattered accross the landscap are wooden paltform where banana sellers coax visitors to purchase from them in case you ran out of bananas.

The elephants are really smart animals and they love their bananas. Sometimes they wouldn’t budge if you don’t hand then some and they’ll nudge you with their trunk to remind you. LOL.

Elephant asking for a treat

The elephant behind kept close to us because we kept accidentally dropped bananas on the ground. She was following out trail picking them up and gobbling them down happily. Good for her, not so good for us as we soon ran out of bananas to feed our elephant!

Banana seller

Before long we were heading back to the camp site again. We were on the ride for almost 1 hour and the elephants were getting tired as were we plus they needed to cool their body in the hot weather.

On the way back

Our elephant was very well behaved and leaded us back to the platform where we got off just as instructed by the trainer. But the Italian and German couples weren’t that lucky.

When the elephants caught sight of the big water tank full of water, they almost ran for it and sprayed their body with water to cool down. It was splendid albeit the 2 pairs getting wet!

Elephants ready to cool down

Mommy and baby enjoying the water

There was the mommy and baby pair enjoying the water too. How cute is that huh?

Wet elephant

With the elephant ride over, we drove out again until we met a small restaurant (more like a hut) in the middle of nowhere. Here we replenished our water supply again.

Lunch was provided but it was dull and bland, favorless fried-rice. But we chow down because you can’t pick or choose here and god knows when we’ll get too see another restaurant on our journey ahead.

Lunch… uhm not very nice

To be continued at:-
The Hike
A Day and Night in Karen Village
Heading Downhill

Note:
All photos are taken with my Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX8.

Here’s a sample of the stuff you can get from the Kalare Night Bazaar. Some of it you could get for a much cheaper price at Chatuchak Market but most of the crafts are not available in Bangkok.

Sarongs and other souvernirs

I bought a pack of each (wood chopsticks in woven pouch and hand crafted hair sticks) for friends so these 2 are the only remaining ones that i am keeping for myself. As for the sarongs, i bout 3 for about RM20 each. Not really cheap but i really sux at bargaining LOL.

Continuation from:-
Good Morning Chiang Mai

2nd March 2009
============

Chiang Mai might be a quiet and deserted town during the day but it certainly is alive at night. When evening approaches, the pedestrian walks at Moon Muang Road are taken over by vendors setting up tables and tents displaying their many trinkets for sale.

Chiang Mai night market

Also the very popular Kalare Night Bazaar at Chang Khlang Road, just mention the word Night Bazaar and the tuk-tuk driver will know what to do.

All along the streets you will see lines and lines of stalls with colorful merchandises of all sorts. Tourist which had decided to hide from the blistering sun in during the day, flock the night market for a bargain.

Unlike Bangkok where most of the stalls sells a more modern stuffs like graffiti T-shirts, mobile phone accessories, shoes and others, the night market in Chiang Mai mostly sells crafts like wood carvings, fashion accessories made from beads, silverware, lacquer ware, pashmina shawls and hand-crafts along with the usual T-shirts and junks.

Shops at Kalare Bazaar

Kalare Night Bazaar is a permanent bazaar very near to the night market. The blocks of street scattered with stalls at the night market will eventually lead to the shopping centre where the bazaar is held.

Here are more variety of stunning crafts and souvenirs for selection. The complex is packed with fashion boutiques, art galleries, textile shops, restaurants and a open beer garden for cultural performance.

Kalare Night Bazaar

While the splendid displays of craftsmanship egged us on to every single stalls, the price of the merchandises here pales in comparison to Bangkok. Most of the things here are over-priced, some stuffs i already bought for a much cheaper price at Chatuchak Market in Bangkok.

Although the prices are not fixed, most probably they had jacked it up so be prepared to practice some negotiation skills. It’s not easy since you don’t know the worth. The trick is to offer the maximum you would pay for the item, don’t worry too much about getting ripped off and enjoy yourself.

Clock wise from top-left: Sila-aat Restaurant, steam fish with lemon, fried kangkung, cockels

Although there are a handful of restaurants just nearby mostly offering Thai seafood, there is a food centre within the bazaar itself should shoppers feel the need to rest their feet and to have a meal. It’s very convenient and there are international food available besides Thai seafood but i have to say that the food was only mediocre.

Chiang Mai night market

Also within the main strip, there are numerous massage parlor offering head massages, shoulder massages and foot massages for a reasonably cheap price.

For 150Baht per pax we had our aching feet massaged for one whole hour. Our masseurs were very professional and friendly, applying just the right pressure at the right point. Even Mr. Bf who is normally extremely ticklish seemed to have enjoyed it immensely.

His friendly masseur who had went up Mount Kinabalu before

I was surprised at how good it felt after the massage. My feet didn’t ache anymore but felt really light when we walked back to the main road.

My quiet lady masseur

With our hungry pangs satisfied, shopaholic fever quenched and our aching feet feeling as light as feathers, we hail a taxi back to Sri-Pat anticipating our hiking adventure on the next day.

To be continued at:-
Elephant Riding
The Hike
A Day and Night in Karen Village
Heading Downhill

Note:
All photos are taken with my Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX8.

Continuation from:-
Siam Square and Hua Lamphong Railway Station

2nd March 2009
============

As promised i knocked lightly on the compartment above my sleeping bunk careful not to wake up everyone else on the train. It should be almost dawn, at about 5 in the morning as my eyes fluttered open at the hint of twilight illuminating the horizon.

I moved over to make space on my narrow bed as Mr. Bf clambered down from his top bunk. Together we lied on my bed watching the captivating landscape outside the window, a sense of calmness and peacefulness came over me as i’ve never experienced living in bustling Kuala Lumpur.

Sunrise already

It’s very romantic staying overnight on a train and waking up at the break of dawn. Staring out the dusty window watching the scenery unfold, the misty and dewy surrounding awakening to the glistening sun. The trees and bushes, the hills and the mountains, golden reflecting the sun.

Railway track

I’ve never waken up so early since school days when we had to be in assembly at 7am and i stay half an hour drive away from school so i had to wake up before 6 in the morning. But instead of feeling dread like what i always felt during school years, it was a wonderful feeling being up so early to find myself half-way to Chiang Mai.

I felt surprisingly refreshed and high spirited. The sun felt really good showering it’s glow through the windows the warmth bathing my skin. The beautiful scenery outside had a rather positive effect on me, i was convinced that it will be a glorious day ahead.

Through the window

As soon as it’s 8am, the staff paroled the train coaches ready to help those who were already awake heave the upper bunk back into it’s covered compartment and fold up the lower bunk into seats before setting the breakfast table (a slab of wood conveniently slotted into the wall when needed).

We were lucky because sitting opposite to us was a quiet yet wonderfully polite European who was contented spending time to himself always with the Che Guevara book in his hands. Not so lucky was the people seated on the next compartment, sat right opposite a bunch of noisy and demanding tourists who got awfully drunk at midnight causing disturbance in the entire coach. One of them almost came into my sleeping bunk. Pulled hard at my curtains and startled me while i was about to doze off!

Good morning!

I was already in a bit of bother when that bunch made a scene out of a tiny matter at dinner last night.

The staff had apparently made a mistake by serving them the wrong set of dinner which could easily be resolved. Instead, loudly they made rude suggestions to the poor lady before she went back to the kitchen to change the order. When she got back with the correct dishes, the boorish group had the poor lady stand there to be lectured and then made her run though all the ingredients on the plate.

‘What’s this slab of thing on my plate?!”
“Fish sir”
“It doesn’t look like fish to me!”
“It’s fish sir” “What type of fish?!”
“As in the menu you ordered sir”
“Fine! What’s this then?!”
“Vegetable sir”

On and on until they were satisfied in making the poor lady feel utterly embarrassed.

I’ve never seen such bad-mannered people before. Being European doesn’t means they are a class above anyone. And it was such an annoyance being seated so near to that bunch and that they kept on staring and sneering at the both of us obviously because we were Asians while they were being overly chummy with every other white tourist on the train. Hmmmpf!

Coral bracelet from Bangkok

Fortunately, that ill-mannered crowd weren’t morning persons, by the time they got up we had already enjoyed our morning coffee and were in a glorious spirit. Not even the sight of the surly man from the same bunch walking up and down the aisle brushing his teeth and taking the time to sneer at the 2 of us could dampen our mood.

Stretches of vegetation

Excitedly we looked out the window trying to spot something spectacular or at least peculiar.

And look what’s that patch right next to the railway track. It’s a long stretch of vegetation. LOL. It is normal for people to grow vegetables right there at the track?

Vegetables next to the railway

But i should have known… really no surprise actually.

First, lets have a look at the toilet in the train. It’s a squat toilet which was exceptionally clean and stench-free but with just a hole on the bottom. There are 2 toilet on each side (left and right) at the end of each coach.

So you could imagine what a turn off it is when you have got to do your business in the narrow cubicle, balancing yourself against the rocking motion of the train while trying hard not to imagine the waste being carried by the wind before spattering to the ground then flattened by the train’s wheels.

Yup, it’s no surprise there. It’s the ultimate site for vegetation.

Train toilet

How ever much i love riding the train i was glad when the train move to a screeching halt at the station. 12 hours of being idle was taking its toll on my muscles. I desperately needed to stretch.

Horde of people got down with us at the Chiang Mai station in a rush to the gate where more than a handful of hotel pick-ups were waiting with names written in big letters on cardboards. As it is our guest house did not have pick-up services, we conveniently hailed a tuk-tuk that promised to take us to our destination for a fair price.

Beautiful day outside Sri-Pat Guest House

Within less than 10 minutes were in front Sri-Pat Guest House at Soi 7, with me extremely pleased to see it. I knew i had made the right choice when i caught glimpse of the front porch.

Sri Pat Guest House

The porch was stylishly done, very charming with red glossed finished bricks.

Charming porch

Once i entered into the guest house i was even more convinced that we were in for a good stay. The interior so nicely done and tastefully furnished and we received a warm welcomed by the staff at the reception who were nothing but polite and friendly.

Restaurant/cafe within the guest house

Room 305 were ours. As soon as we closed the door we plonked onto the bed glad that we could lie down for a bit at last.

Room 305

The room was cozy and airy. I absolutely love the bathroom because of the green celadon tiles covering the floor. In fact, the hallways and landings were all done in the lovely celadon tiles making it look very dreamy when the sun shines into the windows.

By the veranda

Alas, the air-con broke down so we had to call the front-desk for help. The repair man came in a jiffy but couldn’t get it fixed in that short time. We had to move to the next room (304) but that’s ok. The staff were  extremely apologetic. The new room was exactly the same as the this one anyway.

Hawkers

We settled down then ventured out to the streets under the baking sun to look for food. We haven’t had anything since coffee at breakfast and i desperately needed to get medicine for my fever.

Street

It’s a very quiet town out here. Maybe it’s the hot weather (it’s summer now), there’s not many people around the streets except near the hawker stalls right across the alley from our guest house. Mostly buying cold drinks and fruits to relief the hot spell.

Nevertheless, the streets were bustling with vehicles but i don’t think there would ever be traffic jams out here. LOL. It’s not a very populated area and the town is mostly haunted by tourist as a resting point to other places around Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. The locals seemed quite use to tourists wondering around taking pictures of them.

It’s quite a change from the busy Bangkok we just left behind the day before. Though i have to say i love the traffic lights here. Just press the pedestrian button and the light changes immediately. No waiting game like what we have to do back at home.

Across the river

We didn’t venture far because it’s utterly hot and my skin was burning. I looked like a blushing tomato on the street. Nevertheless, we need to find a decent place to placid our hunger but there’s nothing much around the street.

Just when we were about to give up, among the shabby looking shops we saw Ratana’s Kitchen.

Ratana’s Kitchen

And here we had the most delicious mango sticky rest ever. The best i ever had!

Clock wise from top left: Mango sticky rice, fried vege with pork, seafood tom yam

To be continued at:-
Kalare Night Bazaar
Elephant Riding
The Hike
A Day and Night in Karen Village
Heading Downhill

Note:
All photos are taken with my Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX8.