29/11/09 Luang Prabang to Chiang Mai

We woke up and packed our bags as we had a flight to Chiang Mai at 2pm. We had to check out of the hotel by 11am so popped out to see some of Luang Prabangs sights before leaving. We bought nice rolls for breakfast and looked around a temple and the museum which was the palace once. We went back to the hotel and the little girl there had taken a shine to Phil as they all do and she ran up the corridor with her arms open and grabbed him round the legs. He picked her up and gave her a hug and she kept making funny faces....cute. We got a tuk tuk for the short ride to the airport and we were pleased to see it arrive (Phil had been to check with the company a couple of times) . The airport is tiny with one gate and when we checked in our oversized bags noone even looked at the weight. Liz bypassed the metal detector as usual and had the worst search ever. The Laos security literally touched one hip and let her through!!! We waited at the single gate then walked across the tarmac to the small prop plane for the 1 hour flight to Thailand. We got food and drinks on board before the plane landed in Chiang Mai. We had both expected a small town in the mountains as it is the base for mountain trekking in North Thailand but it was really huge. When we left Luang Prabang the view from the plane was of a small town surrounded by fields, forest and mountian but when we got to Chiang Mai it was a sprawling modern town. The airport is a big international one and it was all a bit of a shock when we arrived after the peace of Laos. We collected oyur bags and went through pasport control. Phil got chatting to the customs man asking how to say hello in Thai and then had to have his bag searched..it doesn't always pay to be too friendly. Outside the airport we spotted some stone elephants that were wearing santa hats for the festive season !!! We sorted a taxi (first nice car we'd been in for ages) in the airport which dropped us off on a main road and pointed down what looked like a back alley to nowhere. We were going to check out Chiang Mai Inn recommended by Tom so Phil went off to see if he could find it. We felt like we'd been left in the middle of nowhere by the taxi but the hotel was down the alleyway afterall. The basic but ensuite room was only four pounds a night so we checked in and went to speak to the hotels tour operator Mr Whiskey to see about a trek. Mr Whiskey was a great salesman and recommended a three day trek off the beaten track to remote hill tribe villages South West of Chiang Mai away from other tour groups. We were joining a party of six and we were to meet later to meet the guide. We had put our dirty Laos trek clothes to be laundered overnight . we mwt Mr Ton our guide and the six others on the trek. There were four Swedish lads, Jesper, Anders, Martin and Tobias holidaying together , a german Marckus and Tiziano a melodramatic Italian and us.....should be good. Mr Ton wanted to start at 7 but Mr Whiskey assured us the washing would be ready for that time in the morning. After the meeting we went into the town. Chiang Mai is a big town with a large walled old town within it. Our hotel was just beyond the old town moat running around the old town walls. We had a very Thai meal of burger and chips which was actually really good and just what we needed after three days of sticky rice. We spent a bit of time trying to arrange some accomodation on Ko Phi Phi and Ko Phangan for the next part of the trip then went to see the Sunday night market. It is a huge craft market and we walked about for a bit. The stalls were closing down as it was late but Phil managed to get a couple of pairs of shorts before it shut. We went back to bed via the 7/11 store for water as we had a very early start the next day.