Day 5-8: Trip to Chang Mai

Hello All!

We have so much to share its hard to know where to begin Our journey to Chang Mai was quite the feat to say the least. It started off with a very helpful Thai directing us to what we thought was the appropriate bus to Lopburi (our half-way stop to Chang Mai). After two hours of travel we were quickly scooted off the bus and left standing on the street with our bags in tow knowing that something didn't feel right. The trip felt too short, so of-course we asked around. Very soon we realized that this was not Lopburi but Ratchaburi (we went south...not north). We asked a taxi driver to take us to the bus station ...."where you want to go?"...."Lopburi" we said...."this is Lopburi"....no...."can you please take us to the bus station"...."where you want to go?...."Lopburi".....ahhhh I unfortunately do not have a lot of patience for this, but apparently Diana did and so she proceeded to flip through our travel guide for the appropriate words to help get some answers. We didn't get any....lol just a big smile and a lot of 'yes nods' after a few minutes of Diana practicing her Thai I said "to Bangkok?" and he said...."right over there".... ha so 10 meters away was a bus heading back to bangkok to get us back on track.

After traveling 4hrs by bus to Bangkok we decided to try a train....hmmm not the best idea, hard seats, a ton of stops and not very scenic. We finally arrived in Lopburi at 930 at night where we were meeting up with a travel buddy who had been waiting for us to arrive all afternoon. The hostel we were planning on staying at turned out to be full and as we were leaving the man asked if we had a friend...."Yes I have a friend"...anyways, our new travel buddy had booked us a room, while he was staying down the street. It saved our butts after such a long day.

The following day was 10hrs on a bus....never again. (apparently the flight was 1hr from Bangkok and only $40). I was so hungry I ate meat on stick from a vendor at the bus station who kept answering me in Thai when I asked if it was chicken. It wasn't chicken! or pork or beef....it was nasty! I should have known better, no one else was buying the meat....lol. It didn't make me sick Lesson learned!

We decided to splurge a little and stay in a nicer place with hot water, toilet paper, a shower and a toilet with plumbing. Its crazy how much you can miss that stuff...who knew! Honestly though, all the places we've stayed in are very clean with well kept gardens and amazing staff. Some are just more simplistic than others and a cold shower on a hot day can be very refreshing. Everyday so far as been hot and sunny, and definately not as humid as I thought it would be. very compareable to the Okanagan.

Yesterday we went to an insect zoo. It sounds a lil weird but it was amazing. butterflies, beetles, dragon-flies and catapilars from around the world. They even had a butterfly farm and live beetles, scorpians and spiders. We had our own tour guide who would take the insects out of their cages and hold them so I could take better pictures. Shortly after we went to the snake farm...I protested...but eventually went and squealed the whole time during a snake show. Not fun in my opinion.

Through our travel guide a resturant called Huen Phen was recommended and we were told by the front desk that it was close enough to walk and the food is amazing. She asked..."where's the boy?....is he lazy?" ha the guy we had been traveling with had done his own thing for the day so he wasn't around to join us but it was commical to hear here refer to him as that so off we go on our trek to find this place for dinner. Its important for you to know that most of the streets do not have names or are rarely posted...so two hours later we find the place only to here they've shut down early for the evening. ha. of course. so back to the travel guide that recommends another amazing place called Huen Huay Kaew that over looks a waterfall. Trying to say Thai names and getting the accent right is another ordeal in itself. So after altering the word several time. The cab driver nods and takes off on a crazy maze through town. The cab is really a pickup truck that has benches in the back with a canopy....realively safe The driver points to the sign of the place and says the name. we nod and thank him. but you think we could find the place....no.... instead we end up walking right into this guy's back yard. We roll in and say "is this huen huay Kaew" ...to his reply...."no this is my home"....lol thank goodness I was wearing my Canada hoodie. They were just young guys so it wasn't a biggie. and honestly some restuarants look like homes....so hard to tell. Finally we make it, the views are amazing...and Diana's food is too spicy to handle. Her eyes were watering and nose was running, what a night!!!! Western food here we come!

So today....we went for an hour and a half pedicures and foot massages and layed by the pool! Great relaxing day. Tonight we're off to the night bazaar to do a little shopping. Tomorrow we're doing an elephant trek through the jungle where we get to play in the mud and then bathe them in the river afterwards. Should be fun.

I think I'm on Thai time now....life happens when it happens....feels good! I'll write after our second trek. (in 3 days)
xoxo