Day 11: Chiang Mai

Highlights

-amazing ruins at Ayutthaya
-overnight train ride to Chiang Mai
-tour of local industries
-FROG!

Helpful Hints

-if you're going to be in an air conditioned area (ie. a train) for a long time, bring WARM clothing
-Ayutthaya is a must see for Thailand newbies

We are now up north in Chiang Mai, near the border with Burma. Don't worry, we're not that close. Yesterday was mostly a travelling day. We took a short train ride to the former Thailand capital/kingdom of Ayutthaya. There we met a very friendly Tuktuk driver (aren't they all so friendly) that drove us around to all the major sites and explained a little about each one. Luke and I took a lot of pictures. The day was pretty hot but fortunately we were able to leave our big packs at the train station locked up.

We sat around for the evening, played some hacky sack, and caught a 9:00 pm train out of Ayutthaya to Chiang Mai. It was a second class sleeper car so we had our bunks, a thin blanket, and a pillow. It also had AC...too much AC. We all woke up several times during the night just shivering. But it was all worth it. Chiang Mai is amazing. Lots of great things to check out, and not nearly as congested as Bangkok.

We went on a complimentary tour from our hotel today. (Complimentary because they show you how a lot of the cottage industries work, and then usher you into the gift shop to buy something.) The coolest by far was the Umbrella shop. They used the bark of the Sa tree, soaked it, boiled it, and pounded it until it became a mash. That was put in water and then transferred onto screens to make paper. They use the paper for the umbrellas. All the umbrellas are handpainted, and while they were painting them, they offered to paint on our own clothing. Luke and I quickly accepted. We now both have awesome hand made paintings of dragons on our shorts. It is amazing, and fits in with the oringinal colours of my shorts. I hope it doesn't come off next time I'm in the water. I think Mom and Mrs. Crutchfield should be expecting some Mothers day presents out of that trip.

After that tour we went back to the hostel, and then went to a meeting for the trek we are doing tomorrow. Sounds like its going to be a blast. After that, met up with a spaniard that came to dinner with us. Awesome guy, and pretty amusing with the locals. Had a good dinner, with some good beer. Luke and Nevin had some of the usual favorites but I had to try something new...frog. And not just the legs...the whole thing. It came all barbecued in a bowl with green peppers. It was a lot like trying to pick apart small chicken wings although the ribcage was a bit unnerving.

Anyways, thats about it for now, so wish us luck on our trek, and leave comments, they're always fun to read, especially when they talk about how awesome the Oil is. Only two more games until we're in the finals!

Talk to you soon.