Having been for 10 days in the South of Thailand, I have to say that the North is far more interesting! Probably this time of the year the South loses the charm and its Thai personality to embrace (wrongly) the Western influence in everything: food is less authentic, beaches are dirty - except some tiny, unknown and expensive paradises - everything costs more, it's impossible to find a decent place and make a bargain at the same time and you find burgers, pasta and pizza everywhere!
Don't get me wrong, it's fun, lots of fun if it's what you are looking for, but a bunch of 20 years old that come here to get pissed with buckets are just not my cup of tea!
So, in memory of the fabolous old days in Chang Mai, here it is a slideshow of what the north has to offer.
I started with the recommended walking tour from the Lonely Planet guide and I had to stop twice for a foot massage, a bit for pure leisure, a bit because the I walked kilometres with my flip flops and I needed a "help"!
I saw the main Wats (temples)...
I went to visit the women's prisons area where, soon to get freed women earn some money for when they'll get out, by doing massages! It was interesting, I was curious to know why the woman that massaged me, was there, but apparently she couldn't understand what I was asking for. The less educated people, only know how to say "massage", "sexy man", "cheap" and "beautiful"...I guess it's enough to get the Thai charm with Western men ;-)
Yes, it's pretty disgusting to see many Western old, fat belly men walking around hand in hand with young pretty Thai girls...
Anyway, back to the prison experience, it was nice and they were all wearing blue shirts and pants like the Bridget Jones movie, featured in the part when she ends up in a Thai prison! The same!
I took a couple of tuk tuk as I was too tired and felt I got lost, I freed a family of birds from a cage as a sign of good luck...yes, they can invent anything to get money out of tourists, but it seemed a good cause :)
I then went to the Writers bar, it's a bar on the way to the walking tour and, as being recommended by the guide, lots of travellers stop there to write postcards, memories and wondering around to search for interesting people :)
This bar is just on the way to the Sunday Walking street, an endless road with Thais selling any kinds of artcrafts, street food, fish in bottles, fried insects, handmade bags, jewerly and local traditional performance to entertain and create amazing vibes with your walk...
The long road, ends with one of the most amazing temples in Chang Mai...I got there just at the sunset and the view was absolutely spectacular!
In my days in Chang Mai (additional to the Trekking and the visit to Pai) I also went to visit the Doi Suthep, an amazing Wat at the top of a mountain, which also offers an amazing view of the city; a local tribe village and I did the river cruise that shows an interesting part of the city, very poor and very charming at the same time.
Everywhere in Chang Mai (but in all Thailand, I have to say) you'll see the King featured everywhere, Thais stop for a few minutes at 6pm and at 8am when the Royal anthem get played and everyone, no matter what you are doing, has to stop in the honour of the King. No one can spare a bad talk about the King, if you are caught up talking badly about him, you can go to prison! I met an English couple in the boat while I was river cruising and we were talking about how unbelievable is that a nation is so devoted to a King and at the same time live in poverty...and they said: "you have a king too in Italy, Berlusconi"! Funny!
Food?? Never disappointed...amazing everywhere I've been! In fact, I'd like to attend a cooking course before I leave!
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