Chiang Rai (13th November 2011)

This morning I’m heading up to Chiang Rai about a three hour bus journey from here.

I’m hoping for some better trekking options that doesn’t involve elephants and water rafting! I have nothing against elephants although from what people seem to be saying they’re all chained up and to each other and I don’t see the difference between that and viewing them in a zoo. I know sometimes I sound like a real ’tree hugger’ but I’m not really I just do have a real problem with the way some animals are treated at home and abroad and I don’t think I need to add to the desire for it.

Anyway, I decided to get up early, for me, but clearly not for the rest of Thailand and by the time I made it to the bus station at 9.30am the next bus to Chiang Rai wasn’t until 12.00. Ever so slightly irritating - but if I had of been a ‘romantic’ couple the next bus wasn’t until 12.15! So quids in I say!!! Mmm! A whole 15 mins!

Three hours on a bus seems like nothing on paper but when you’re actually on the bus it really is no fun, I fancied the top deck but for some reason me and a handful of others had to make do with the bottom deck. To be totally fair it wasn’t that bad but anything longer I might have had to think again.

The bus was supposed to arrive in Chiang Rai town centre but it didn’t look too much like the centre of town to me when we got there I asked a guy who pointed me in the direction of a Sang-thaw, a tiny tiny minibus type vehicle that can take as many people as it can hold on to! It was already jam packed with local people so having no idea of anything better I joined them for the pricey sum of 10 bht.

Thankfully after a 10 minute ride we arrived in what was obviously the centre of Chiang Rai. So with backpack on I made my way out to hostel land! I tried a couple of places, one full and one ok and then as I was looking at a sign for a homestay a young woman approached me and asked if I was looking for somewhere to stay, her house was the sign I was looking at. It was beautiful, Kim you would have loved it, it was very French Chic, Joyce’s boyfriend is French so I guess there’s influences from him but she says the decoration is down to her, it’s just really cute and cosy and friendly, I love it. There’s no a/c, no breakfast included and it’s a shared bathroom, but it’s £4.00 a night and it’s great!

I really fancied doing some trekking while I was here and so set about trying to sort that out!