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The Trek Life in Chiang Mai

January 13th, 2006

Posted in Asia, Chiang Mai, Thailand |

smokin’ the local sh*t

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Chiang Mai, Thailand

I was able to make a 2 day visit up north to Chiang Mai. At first when I arrived I thought to myself “where are the elephants?”, the place looked just like another city. After walking around and figuring it out, I realized that Chiang Mai is just a place to sleep and most of the adventure is in the surrounding hills. But the city itself I found quite welcoming, relaxing, and really inexpensive compared to Bangkok and Koh Samui. Chiang Mai is probably the favorite of many farrangs traveling through Thailand. While in Chang Mai I actually witnessed more older Western men and their Thai lady loves’ . Aside from the sites to see and things to do in Thailand, I just find some things very interesting, but very cool & open.

Since time was short, I took the typical tourist routes; Doi Suthep, Bhumping Palace, elephants, bamboo rafting down a river, hill tribes, waterfalls, and then the famous Night Bazaar. Two days is good, but I don’t recommend it. If you’re visiting Chiang Mai I really recommend a 7 day trek to the Golden Triangle, camping out with some hill tribes, live the simple life, and really getting to know Northern Thailand. If you’re contemplating a guesthouse in Chiang Mai, the place I stayed, Baan Jong Come, was quite homely and very clean. I paid about 350 baht ($9 USD) per night for a standard room with a shower. l highly recommend keeping it real and checking into a guesthouse instead of another 5 star hotel.

Trip Wrap-Up

Incidental Money Spent
Trekking Tour 700B ($18)
Airfare 2000B ($50)
Incidental Food 600B ($15)

Highlights
Bamboo rafting
Elephant trekking
Hill Tribes

Reccomend
Trekking to Golden Triangle
Baan Jong Come Guesthouse

Photographs of Chiang Mai

Bangkok Airport early morningsAir Asia, a cheap way to get to Chiang Mai from Bangkok.. $25 USD each waymy first meal when in Chiang Mai, right on the street. Chicken Rice Soup.. $0.25USDthese tiny crabs are used to make Papaya Crab Saladthe back streets of Pratu Chiang Mai marketThe back streets of Pratu Chiang Mai marketa real meat marketPratu Chiang Mai gateOutside Chiang Mai’s MarketChiang Mai’s MarketKatam CornerNear Katam CornerTourist Trapyup, my tourist trap tour…silk weaving factoryhow silk is madesome fine silk ties I thought about buying, but I walked away….police’s motorcycles and the motorcycles in general in Chiang Mai are hipriding up to the windy roads in the bus up to the Doi Suthepthese roads are damn-windyflowers inside Bhuping Palaceflowers inside Bhuping PalaceBhuping Palace, where the Royal Family retreatsin the gardens outside Bhuping Palacekois in the pond outside Bhuping Palacethe watershow fountain in Bhuping PalaceBhuping PalaceBhuping Palaceat Buphing Palaceflowers inside Bhuping Palaceone of the log cabins at Bhuping Palaceinside Bhuping Palacemany tall bamboo trees in Northern Thailandbamboo trees in Bhuping Palacethe Royal Family retreats in Bhuping Palacelittle village girl in Ban Doi PuiBan Doi PuiBan Doi Puihow the hill tribes live… simplyone of Northern Thailand’s tradition hill tribe dressone of Northern Thailand’s tradition hill tribe dresstradition dress of the N. Thailand hill tribesthese clothes are supposedly the style of the Thailand’s hill tribesBan Doi PuiThe Landscape of The North.in Ban Doi Puihill tribes in Ban Doi Pui weaving awayin Ban Doi Puiin Ban Doi Puiyes, they have twa-lets… needs some tisha?Wat Phrathat Doi Suthepat Wat Phrathat Doi Suthepat Wat Phrathat Doi Suthepthe bells outside Wat Phrathat Dot SuthepWat Phrathat Doi SuthepWat Phrathat Doi Suthepthe stupa at Wat Phrathat Doi Suthepmonks leading the chants at Wat Phrathat Doi SuthepDoi SuthepWat Phrathat Doi SuthepWat Phrathat Doi SuthepWat Phrathat Doi SuthepChiang Mai’s Wat Phrathat Doi SuthepWat Phrathat Doi Suthepat Doi SuthepPrayingWat Phrathat Doi SuthepWat Phrathat Doi Suthepthe view of Chiang Mai from Doi SuthepDoi SuthepDoi SuthepDoi Suthepbuying stuff when the venders are about to close is the best time I bought this painting for 100 baht ($2.50 USD)the van ride into the hillsfun bridgesCrystal Clear WatersTime for the ElephantsElephant DungliciousThe Chiang Mai TrademarkThe CHiang Mai Trademark’s booooooty!Treking It OutLivin’ LargeThe Bridge The Elephants had to cross… :)Elephants Can SwimOuch…. how the elephants get trained… it torcha’Sexy Thingweaving a new scarf to sell… one of the only sources of income before scarves they made money from opiumshawls for sale…smokin’ the local sh*tDreamweaverPrice To Get HighThailand and their cockstrekking to a waterfallTo The Waterfall..Watch Your StepDirrty CrossingIngeniousWaterfallBambooPapaya TreeThe NorthDurian TreeHill Tribe LivingChicken LittlesThe fruit in thailand is super sweet and tastyBamboo RaftingLeigh, another austrailian in Thailand, guiding the raft down the river.on the raft with cuts on my feet from Koh Samui the brown water was probably the best thing for it..down the river there were rapids… this was not disneyland anymoreElephantsSteering away from the crocodilesDownstreamcroccidiles attack. 50 people dead. including myself… :)At one point during the rafting we had to get off at this dangerous fallBaan Jong Come a superb guesthouse I hightly recommendTha Phae GateNorthern Thailand has the influence of Myanmar as shown on this signcool decorative lightsThailands markets is like walking through a Pier1 Import clearance sale very cool things to buy in Thailand…Some of the typical things you can buy at the night bazaarColors

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This entry was posted on Friday, January 13th, 2006 at 1:02 pm and is filed under Asia, Chiang Mai, Thailand. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.


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