Northern Thailand

My original plan was to land in Bangkok and then head south to the beaches to relax after my trekking, but the train system of Thailand didn't apparently like this idea since all of the trains south were booked when I arrived in the station. I had made up my mind that I was taking an overnight train the night I arrived in Bangkok so my plans quickly changed and I headed north to Chiang Mai on a 2nd class overnight sleeper train....quite comfy actually, I got my own little bed for the night.

Chiang Mai is one of the larger cities in Thailand and is known for all of the temples that it has, which seem to be around every corner. The city has a lot to offer and a lot to do. Northern Thailand is littered with jungles, hills, and waterfalls everywhere. At first it seemed like my trip hadn't changed much, trekking agencies all over the place, but I took a break from all that and went temple touring. The old city of Chiang Mai is located within city walls surrounded by a moat. Its quite awesome. I felt like I needed to stretch my legs after the nights train ride so I rented a bicycle and pedaled around town all day seeing the various Wats that were centuries old and all ornately decorated. Along with the few dozen Wats that I visited during my trip I got to speak with a few monks about the Buddhism as well which was quite interesting. Seeing religious people like monks walking about in their orange robes performing day-to-day tasks is quite an interesting experience, something you certainly don't see in the States but is quite a common occurrence here.

After my temple touring I was a bit tired and relaxed for dinner and a drink at a local jazz club that was highly entertaining. Many of the performers were westerners in Thailand who I managed to meet up with afterwards to head to the night market, which is a festival of lights and overpriced souvenirs. My favorite part of the night market was seeing the colorful food stands scattered about with fresh fruits, fried insects, and delicious looking seafood.