Thailand Part 2 - More than just 'Neo-Syden'...

For more pictures click album 1 and album 2

I've been really busy lately, that's why the cyber-version of Torstein's world has been so stagnant. However, the real world has not been stagnant at all. Over the next few weeks I hope to show you the rest of the amazing Asian adventure. Here comes the second, and final, part of our Thai experience...

Before I continue the story in north Thailand, I have to tell you a funny story from Bangkok. Five years ago me and my buddy Per were in Bangkok where we bought some tailor-made suits. I remember that they took a picture of us, posing in our new outfits, but I never thought I would see that picture again... Now, five years later, I walk into the same tailor shop. I talk to one of the guys there asking about prices etc. I told him that I had been a costumer back in the old days, and suddenly he asks if I bought a winter coat last time I was here, which I did. 'Yes'. The next thing that happens is that he pulls me over to one side of the shop and points to a big picture of Per and I! "This picture has been good business for us" he said smiling and certain that I would continue to be a costumer of his...

Then and now, five years later!

Since we were going back to Bangkok again after touring around Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia, we decided to stay for just one night before getting on the road again, or rather on the rail this time. We took the night train to Chiang Mai, the biggest city in the northern part of Thailand. As Lonely Planet so eloquently puts it, Chiang Mai (CM) is a 'cool place to kick back and soak up the Thai-ness that may been missed on the beaches of the south coast'. The city and the region as a whole has a unique cultural heritage, which is displayed nicely through the 300+ temples in CM. We arrived CM at the same time as the sun. The cool air reminded us that the northern hemisphere is still lulled in winter, and it was an indicator on what we were to expect for the next couple of weeks. It was a bit hard to get used to wearing shoes, socks, trousers and sweaters again. During daytime, however, it got nice and warm. On the first day in CM we walked around the old city admiring a few of its many temples, with all its glitter and gold and the peaceful monks dressed in orange.

Later that day we went to the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre where elephants are given medical treatment and young elephants are being trained to do all kinds of crazy things. The elephants can for instance make paintings of trees and flowers, play soccer, play harmonica, throw darts at balloons, and swing their trunk like a fan (!)... On the second day we went on a full day tour with elephant riding, trekking through the jungle to a waterfall (the waterfall wasn't very impressive. Keep in mind that Norway has some spectacular waterfalls...), white water rafting (not too exciting rapids, but nice scenery), and bamboo floating (useless way of transporting tourists down the river). Perhaps I don't sound too enthusiastic about the tour, but it was good overall, although our guide was pretty annoying, running around with a megaphone in the jungle (!). That night we went to the huge night bazaar, and later to a Lady Boy bar from where we were watching live Thai boxing, a very interesting combination...

Two days packed with fun were over and the next morning we headed off to Chiang Kong, a small town situated on the bank of the Mekong River. Our hostel was overlooking the river and Laos on the other side. As we were sitting at the restaurant talking to our new friends suddenly the whole sky was lit by a huge firework sent off from the Lao side. And, two hours later it started again. This time even bigger. We don't know why, but we figured out that it was all arranged to welcome us to Laos the next day. Was this how Laos would be; fireworks every night, to honour us? Well, not exactly... See what happened in Laos in the next post. Coming to a computer near you!