Back in Chiang Mai

Elephant feeding.

Right, doing the travelling thing in earnest now, and where better than Chiang Mai, a real hub for people travelling around Southeast Asia, and somewhere I liked a lot last visit.  This time rather than flying, I take the night train from Bangkok, it is rather fun... After I've eaten a tasty dinner, the staff come around and fold my seat and the one opposite into a bed for me, very much like in a campervan, while a second bunk folds out above.  It is perfectly comfortable, and after a few cans of Chang I drop off.

Dawn in the mountains.

At 8am the train gets to Chiang Mai, it's a short walk into town, and after a quick coffee I head to a tour office.  No hotel for me today, rather I want to do a longer version of a trip I did last time I was here.  Sure enough they book me onto a two day trek, once again with elephant riding - this time we are an odd numbered group so I have to ride on the beast's neck which is, interesting.  Speaking of the group, turns out they're all French except me, so I spend the day dusting off my French.  It is still just about there...  After fun with the pachyderms and lunch we hike up, and up, eventually reaching a hill tribe village at over a thousand metres, this is home for the night.  Rather cool too, we have a dormitory cabin on stilts, with mattresses and mosquito nets.  And after a fine green curry dinner our hosts light up a camp fire... which attracts the English speakers from downhill.  We sit shirtless around the fire and a Canadian guy plays the guitar and sings - very badly.  Well it is the authentic travelling experience I suppose.

King and Queen pagodas.

Next morning we head downhill through fantastic surroundings and eventually reach a familiar waterfall, then down the river to catch a raft over the white waters, and then back to town.  I find a hotel and have a relaxing bath, listening to the sound of monks chanting at the temple next door.  Next day I take a rest from trekking, pretty much, with a bus trip to Doi Inthanon, Thailand's highest mountain - nice to cross off another of those, my count now stands at three.  American style, there is a road almost to the top, nice though, there is even a peat bog up there.  We also check out the King and Queen Pagodas, a fantastic array of gardens and Buddhist architecture, all above two thousand metres.  Then an excellent and huge lunch and a couple of awesome waterfalls before heading home.  Last day here, has to be more trekking then... Well, the other one day option I find is not too different to what I did before, still fun though.  I ride on an elephant's neck again, this time through a river, swim under another waterfall, and float along on a bamboo raft, is most cool.

Wachirathan waterfall.

Photos to go with this post can be found here.