Chiang Mai - day 2.

This morning after breakfast, I took the bicycle and I cycled to The Railway station and bought a ticket for Thursday to Bangkok. Leaving 8.50 am and arriving around 8 pm. 

After that I came back and I went around The old city by the bike. Its surrounded by a channel and some parts of The old wall still remains! 

Chiang Mai is located on the old silkway and a lots of trading passed thru here in the old days. The Golden triangle between Laos, Thailand and Burma, now Mayanmar, was ones a large exporter of narcotics, like opium etc.

I ended my cycle tour by the old Wat with the huge Stupa. After that I went to the Museum, and there was Music and dancing and a lot of women dressed in nice clothes.

After a break and a blueberry smothie I looked across the street and there was this important buildnings guarded by The statue of three Kings - an important place for the lokals. Further I passed the old prisson for women, today totally closed.

I returned the cycle and had a nice lunch at the Hotel. After that a rest.

In the evening I walked to the Market River Rest for a Rotary Meeting. I arrived early and ordered a Leo beer just to find out that Leo was a Tiger!

It was a nice Rotary Meeting with visiters from Scotland and Sweden. The Club is involved in a program to help children in a village and another supporting a doctors program in Mayanmar.

We exchanged banners and when the Meeting was over I walked back in the warm evening. Lots of places offered massage and on some roads there were hords of turists getting foot massage along the street.

At the railway station!

Part of the Wall ones surrounding the whole city.

The huge Stupa.

Wonderful details from the Wat.

Locally dresser women.

A woman outside the old prison for women.

Chiang Mai International RC

Evening plesures for many tourists. Along my trip, the Asian people have been domination, sometimes more then 80 % of all the tourists.

Chiang Mai day one!

I went up and had a nice breakfast at the hotel. I walked out to find my booking for the next days. It was hard to find as the small roads were not in a systematic order and it didn't matched the map. I found it just to find that the room they offered me wasn't the one I'd booked - at least according to my memory. So I told them to cancell my booking. On my way back I tried to find a new place but it was more booked then I thought! Back to my hotel I negotiated and finally I decided to stay the next three nights! 

I walked out to find out how to get to Bangkok and a flight was at a good price and the train should cost about a forth of that. Didn't make a dicission yet. 

The old town used to be surounded by a wall and from there I started to walk the walk described in Lonely Planet and again, I hadn't learned the street system so I missed in the beginning. I met a cpoule from Germany that I have met now in many places since Vientiane! We chated a little and I walked again. Most places they showed are Wats, i.e. Buddhist Pagodas. Though, I passed the police head quarter and there was this staue of a police man carrying a woman and a child looking. I havn't found out the story behind. While there I heard a crusch, and it was a tourist woman on a moto hitting another moto. It went well for them both!

I went back and I hired a bicycle at the hotel and cycled around and out to the train station. I also cycled to the most famous Pagoda. The new thin here was that they had statues, very alike reall people of old senior monks, almost a bit scary and a different cult that I didn't feel like the buddhism I learnt about! 

Back to the hotel for a beer and then a bite to eat. It was very good. 

The east port to the old town.

The Police head quarter.

The monks cult - very human statues.

  

One of the monks allmost an alive statue.

The railway station.

The oldest and nicest Pagoda!

Beatiful flowers outside a pagoda!

Another beatuiful detail from a Pagoda.

To the Thai border and Chiang Mai

After a nice dinner Yesterday with Kham, our host, and the three Germans, Patrik and Patrik and Thommy, with rice whiskey, buffalo meat, sticky rice and veggys, I went to bed. Today the alarm was on 5.20am and after a shower and packing my things I left my room, double-O-seven, and walked out in the dark morning and picked up my breakfast across the street! 

I met Kham and with help of the light in my mobile I slowly walked down the stony and hilly way to the boat. I started to eat my breakfast and soon all of us were on the boat and we left Pak Beng in the dark!

It was cold so a wrapped myself in blankets and layed down, which was nice. We had plenty of room on the boat and that was good. After a while the sun came up almost spiritually and it became warmer and warmer! 

Around 10 in the morning it was really warm and we reached our first destination, the local village for a visit. Kham told us about different minority people and then took us around in the village. A woman was grinding the rice, the roaster was sitting on a pin, which reminded me of my homestay! An older woman was sitting outside her house and the men were doing smith works the old way making long knifes! 

As it was Sunday the children were not in school but playing and shouting and having fun!

They were drying tobacco, they had live catfishes and live froggs, probably for dinner later! It was very nice following their doings this day! 

Back to the boat and we had a nice lunch like yesterday and then we came nearer the boarder, but the boat had to pass the border quite a bit to the landing point and then we had to take tuk tuk back for 20 minutes. Below are the boats at the landind point!

The Laos border went very smoothly and we had to take a bus across a new bridge to the Thai border. I got a new VISA lasting till the 1 of February, the day I leave Thailland!

When thru there was this lady asking if I wanted to go to Chiang Mai and , Yes of course! I had to wait half an hour and then we went away. My friends at the boat preferred to stay in Chiang Khong, the border villages! 

We were a Thai and an Australian couple and me in the minivan that took us to the centre of Chiang Mai and we arrived at 10.15 pm. As allways, its hard to find your bearings but I located a hotel and started walking. Most places were full and after a while I decided to spend one night at an expencive hotel, Vieng Mantra, for 600 SEK incl breakfast! It was very nice with an atrium with a pool! When I got into the room I went on internet and found another good located guest house for the next three days for totally 400 SEK! So, it was 4 nights for 250 SEK/night! OK!

The sunset from the minivan when we left the border!!!

Good night - I'm a bit tired now!

A day on the Mekong river

ÅThis morning I had the alarm on 5am and I went up, had a shower, did some packing and went out on the street! There came the very nice couple from Australia and in the dawn the monks where coming colecting alms from the people. Some local people trying to make money of this where selling ready packages to give to the monks! I had been walking with the monks in Wat Pa Nanachat so I just looked and took some photos.

The bare foot monks collecting alms from the local people! 

I went back and packed my last things and was ready to go. When I came out on the street again the minibus came and picked me up for the boat! It was really luxurary - we where only 4 people on the bost, 3 German and I and the crue was 4. It was a cold morning so I took some blankets around me and lay down. But soon the sun come and it was nice. 

We got breakfast - one croisont and one chocko croisont!

The bost.

Our Captain!

The sun coming up over the hills!

We stopped at a nice cave. We saw people living along the river! We met other boats - it was anice relaxing trip! They grew a lot of peanuts on the sandy shores!

Those women were diging gold! 

Finally, at 4pm we reach our destination, Pak Beng, and I and the guide walked to find a place for me to stay. First place was full, but I ended up staying at the same place as him. 100 Kip = 100 SEK for the night! OK!

Tonight we are having a dinner together and tomorrow we leave early, 6.10 am.

Pak Beng from the river.

Last day in Luang Prabang!

I was told that the old name for Laos, Langsang meant - Land of a million elephants - now there is some 200.000 left! 

Today has been a slow day as I moved to another, much nice but cheaper Guest House in the middle of old town. Checking out, walking with both back packs, waiting for the room to be ready took the most of the morning. I had my feet done, while waiting, and a banana shake! 

This Guest House has good WIFI, which makes it much easier to do the blog! 

After a lunch and a Lao black beer at the main street I walked around and took some photos. I walked down by the river and its been a beautiful day. I saw this fisherman in his boat, I saw the hills on the opposite side of the river and another pay bridge of bamboo! I walked and saw how they are drying herbs in the sun on the street and some nice views from my favourite Pagoda.

I saw a sign saying storytelling and that was tonight at 5 so I went and listening to this man telling stories, at the same time a man was playing this very nice instrument. Very nice stories about Laos in the passed and he said this about the million elephants - the same had BK, the trekking guide, said the other day! 

Back at the guest house and there was 2 Swedish young girls and we talked a little about our trips!

I went out for a simple dinner and now its soon time for bed. I hope to see the alms rond tomorrow early, when the monks are passing outside on the street in the dawn. After that I'll be picked up for a two day boat ride, first day to Pak Beng and the second day to the border at Hwai Xai. In the evening I'll take the bus from there to Chiang Mai in northern Thailand!

So, it could be that you won't hear from me until in Thailand! 

My new Guest House! 20 USD instead of 30 per night and much nicer!

The woman drying sausages on the street and then grilling them! I don't think she uses the face mask because of the smell!:-)) Many people actually uses it to avoid inhaling the pollluted air from vehicles!

Nice foot path between the streets!

The fisher man!

Drying herbs on the street!

Storytelling the Lao way!

Luang Prabang - an escape a couple of months in the winter!

My body recovered well during the night and this morning I started walking around the city. I started with a museum showing minority people and there way of living - interesting, especially after the visits in the villages! 

I realized to my happiness that my boat are leaving on Saturday, so I'll be in Thailand on Monday and I'll get three days in Chiang Mai before going back to Bangkok to meet a friend for some days. After that, my plan is to go further south to a beach for the last days before going back home! 

Luang Prabang is a cosy city, perfect for an escape during the winter. Very nice city with small cafés, restaurants and shops and I think it shouldn't be expencive to rent a flat or house for some months! I walked around the centre and took some photos of those nice buildings. I stoped by the river for a banana shake and had a nice chat with a couple from Belfast. In the evening I went to a populare restaurant and I had a nice meal and another chat with a couple from Holland! 

Tomoorow, I'll change Guest House to a nice but cheaper one close to the river for the boat ride on Saturday morning!

The main street! 

Beautiful wall paintings on a Padoga!

Crossing the bamboo bridge after the three monks!

My restaurant for the evening! You could participate in a cooking course here! The food was delicious!

The main course - fish in bamboo leaves with vegetables, sticky rice and a Lao black beer!

Trekking day 2 in the beautiful hills of northern Laos!

I didn't sleep that well with all the noice around and it was only bambu walls! We got up at 7.30 and it was stil cold so thinking about a shower was only a thought! PK fixed a nice omelette with coffee for breakfast in the kitchen! 

The whole familly had breakfast in the living room!

A stop,where PK told us about what we see, fruits and stories about the villages!

We stoped at other villages along the path! Today it was only 630 m up and down!

The views where really nice and we passed several villages and met local people walking ! Sabadi = hello! 

This woman was carrying fire woods in one of the villages!

In the end of the trail we came to the river and we took a boat upstream to a nice area with elephant riding and a nice waterfall, where we had lunch! 

Thanks to: from left, Marchello from Sao Paolo, BK our very nice guide, David and Sindy from the US and Tam and Nick from Melborne! I very much appreciated your company on this walk! 

We walked totally 35 km and the first day 730 m hight level and thevsecond 630 m.

I feel it in my whole body, but it was worth every step!