Ayutthaya > Chiang Mai

Blogging decreases when happy and busy but increases when you stay up too late, it’s 102 outside, and all you want to do is lay in the air-con.

I spent about 36 hours in Ayutthaya looking at temples, riding a bike on the left side of the road, eating pork noodle soup, watching Muay Thai (pic #1), and hangin out with British and Canadian English teachers. Ayutthaya reminded me a lot of the Caribbean islands - hot, chickens everywhere, and really nice people.

From Ayutthaya I took a 14 hour night train up to Chiang Mai (pic #2) which was great! I had the top bunk and basically slept for 10 hours then got up and watched the countryside roll by.

There is rice. Everywhere.

I heard great things about Chiang Mai from other travelers and decided to stay for 6 days. I have been here for 2 and already decided to stay for a full week, plus a 3 day trek through the mountains, plus a possible 3 day trip to Pai (a town about 3 hours away). Needless to say I like it here - the city is clean, the food is good, the travelers “get it” and it is beautiful in the countryside.

What have I been doing?

I met three other solo travelers when I arrived and had my first true backpacking SE Asia experience - 4 strangers headed to a seedy rooftop (pic #4) to drink countless beers, play drinking games, be accosted by a prostitute at the bar, listen to weird deep house music spun by an old Thai lady DJ, then drunk eat hot dogs from 7/11. I’m really doing it.

The next morning we did an all day Thai cooking class which involved going to the market to buy ingredients (pics #5-#7) then head out to a farm about 30 minutes outside of the city (pic #8). I can’t explain how great the food was - I made Pad Thai, Tom Yam soup, yellow curry, spring rolls, and banana coconut soup (last two pictures).

Last night I also met up with the two girls I met in Bangkok and we headed to a night bazaar where I of course bought more bracelets. It’s a disease.

I switch hostels tonight since the one I’m at now is all booked up - the new hostel is supposed to be great for solo travelers.

In the next few days I plan on renting a scooter and going to the zoo (shocking, I know). Apparently you can feed all of the animals there, including jaguars. I have dinner plans Thursday and Saturday with friends from Chicago and a new friend of a friend - I have a more structured social life in a random city in northern Thailand than I do back home.

I know I promised some deep postings about life on the road so I will get to those soon!