Already 10 days in Thailand...Oh how time flys!
Trip Start
Feb 16, 2010
1
6
14
Trip End
Jun 04, 2010
Where I stayed
Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Friday, March 26, 2010
When I first got to Chiang Mai I spent most of my days and nights shopping at the local markets. These markets are CRAZY and take up multiple streets! You can find anything from deep fried crickets to colorful Hill Tribe textiles to beautiful detailed jewelry and so so much more! The markets are so big and I was so overwhelmed that I couldn't buy anything the first few days I went shopping! I am finding that people won't bargain as much here as they did in Bali. I also think that Bali is even cheaper than Thailand???
After spending too much time shopping I decided to take a Thai cooking class at The Thai Farm Cooking School. I learned how to cook Yellow Curry, Tofu Coconut Milk Soup, Papaya Salad, Pad Thai and Mango Sticky Rice! I had so much fun taking this class and also met some fun people. The class cost me 900 Baht (about $30) and was well worth it!
Then next day I left for a 3 day trek with a trekking group into the hills/jungle north of Chiang Mai. Our journey started in Chiang Mai shopping for groceries at the local market which is always an experience. We then took an hour or so ride to an amazing waterfall where we all swam and cooled off from the intense heat. Back on the road again for another hour or so to the trail head. BTW our transport is the back of a truck....not good for people who get car sick! We hiked about 5K to a small Hill Tribe village of the Karen Tribe! We arrived at night so had dinner and then hung out around the fire and sang songs. We slept on the floor (actually little pads) in bamboo huts. Then next day we hiked about 7K to an Elephant Camp. When we got there the elephants were cooling off in the water. We got to splash them with buckets of water. Then we rode them for about and hour. My elephant didn't want to behave and I don't blame the poor thing. She kept turning around and heading the wrong way. Then she sneezed on us and left us soaked with elephant snot! Since this wasn't enough she sucked in dirt from her trunk pointed it at us and blew dirt all over us. At least we made it safely! When we got to the next village we settled in, hung out and went to sleep. This night actually got really cold!!! The next day we took a bamboo raft down the river for 4 hours, drove back to Chiang Mai and zonked out!
Tomorrow I will take a 4 hour scooter ride north to Pai. Unfortunately the air quality is super bad right now with smoke from burning fields in Lao and Thailand. If it is worse up there I might head down south to the beaches.
I still miss you all and wish you were here. Lots of smokey kisses from Thailand!
Sallie
Comments
Sweet! Glad you got to go to the Farm cooking class and on a trek! Have so much fun! Miss you tons! XOXO
Wow! I love Chiang Mai! Many of the kids we worked with in the circus were Karen, too! Sounds so lovely, your adventures--wish i had more time there!