11 December 2006

Arrived 8:30-am on overnight sleeper, a great way to travel though as mostly dark could not see any of the countryside. Leisurely day in Chaing Mai arranging onward journey to Vietnam and then exploring the busy market area and main shopping street. Visited a beautiful temple undergoing repairs where we were rather shocked at the local ploy of putting small birds in a bamboo cage and getting tourist to pay to release them. Received our first Buddhist blessing and wristband. Finding the Ping river we rested at the Riverside Restaurant for lunch then walked back through even more market stalls to the hotel for a well deserved swim. In the evening we went to the Thai Extravaganza a really well run tourist experience where you sit in a large theatre and have dinner whilst the girls and boys dance to traditional music - very colourful and beautiful young girls. As you leave there are fireworks and the lighting of large lanterns that rise up many hundreds of feet into the night sky. Early night.

12 December 2006

Early start and off for an hours drive into the country to the elephant camp for a ride around the jungle that we are pleased to say was only an hour as the hard seats and rocking motion take a bit of getting used too. Then off to the river and onto the bamboo rafts for a ride down stream through pretty scary rapids - very exhillerating whilst in the most tranquil of settings away from all traces of the modern world. Lunch then onto the Koran hill tribe a jet black haired people from Burma living in a small community where the women weave beautiful scarves. A young girl had made simple bracelets from seeds and her smile melt our hearts to buy them - (wrist band 2). Back into the forest to the Mawlawm Waterfall that was not very high but had a massive flow of water in to a pool where some brave travellers were swimming. A short trek followed the river to another village of people originating from China where Ann tried their crossbow to score a bulls eye on the make shift target of a sack of rice marked with a black pen. Back to Chaing Mai and dinner at the Brasserie a highly recommended eaterie & music bar on the river - I chose the spicey Thai crispy duck and have suffered some what! Move to the Riverside where music was better and then took tuk tuk back to hotel for a restless night visiting the loo.

13 December 2006

A well deserved layin aqnd leisurely breakfast before setting off to Wat Doi Suthep the north's most important temple - by 10am you couldn't move for the Thai tourists visiting the temple even though there were some 306 steps up to it. Sadly the low cloud and mist obscured the normally spectacular views over Chaing Mai. The second stage of the days tour was the obligitory visit to the local handicraft district- gem stones, Ann found some very sparkly earrings that solved the Christmas present, lacquer factory was fascinating to learn how they apply 7 coats of the substance taken from a tree to create the high gloss finish. The best craft was the umbrella site where the ladies split the bamboo to create the mechasnism and an spritely 78 year old with far better eye sight than us assembled the umbrllas ready for covering in handmade paper before decorating. Ann had here floater hat customised with a beautiful hand painted buttefly before a very simple lunch 60 baht -80p. Skipping the silver and wood carving, we asked our guide to find the Great Barrington Ceramic Museum where we met Richard Bennet a 74 year old American who has study pottery in Japan for most of his life copying the ancient glazes and working with Hamuda and Bernard Leach to name but a few of the worlds great potters. He has potteries in the USA and Ireland and has just create his new pottery in Chaing Mai that houses a fabulous collection of his work plus his private collection dating back to the 10th Century. We spent over an hour and half with him sharing his vast knowledge on the subject.

Back at the hotel we had our first sunbathe and swim before meeting up with Dawn & Parrish a couple from Brum that have been travelling for 10 months and heard many wonderful tales of their experiences and tips for good restaurants & hotels. Dinner was close by in a tiny little back street cafe serving simple Thai food that with 3 large Chang came to the princely sum of 287 baht approx 4 pounds.  Early night as we have a very early start.

14 December 2006

Off tyo the Golden Triangle we drove for an hour to the hot springs at Mae Che Dee a small settlementon top a volcano where the dig down 10 metres to expose the hot rocks that produce the steam. Back on the road via Chaing Rai to Chaing Saen for yet anothe very old relic of a temple before taking the long boat across the Mekong river to Laos for a tourist visit and the chance to taste some of the many types of Whisky, my choice had a Tiger Penis in it as it is supposed to increase ones virilty. There were many other varieties with snakes, scorpion etc - Ann chose the banana flavour! On the trip we met Terry, Jane & Teressa from Australia who had been cycling in Cambodia for Oxfam before coming to Thailand - great company.

Back in the boat for a trip around the Golden Triangle, a sand spit in the middle of the river where Thailand, Burma and Laos meet and has been the centre of drug trafficing known as black gold hence the name G T. Lunch followed where we had the chance to buy yet more gem stones before heading for the boorder town of Tha Torn to look over into Burma. Then to the hill tribe village of the long neck and long eared women where  we bought  some hand woven scarves. Beautiful girls with very litle future, one does feel that these women are being exploited by some sinister group of tourist specialists. Back on the road for a long journey back to Chaing Mai and dinner with the girls at Little Tibet a great restaurant very reasonable.

A tuk tuk to the night market where we bought a Yao priest ceremonial robe and a Trourag (north African) piece of jewellery that did not make for a very cheap evening but will bring many years of pleasure. Weary we hit the sack.

15th December 2006

With not particularly good planning we hit the road again to head off on a 3 day trip to Laung Prabang in Laos, the first day was spent mainly in a mini bus covering much of the same route of the previous day until we bore right for Chaing Khong and asrrived on the banks iof the Mekong at about 4pm for an overnight stay. Discovered the Teepee Bar where we drank expensive beer and watched Pink Floyd concert DVD's until the early hours.