We arrrived to Chiang Mai trail station in the morning, still a bit in shock from the ride. Immidiately we where attacked by guesthouses and jeep tracks dealers, that even managed to recognize us as Israelians.
After we waved them away and had our morning teethbrush in the toilet, we decided to go by foot to the city center (some 2 kilometres away). It was raining a bit, and we were worrying about getting wet, but as we started walking we encoutered a local market where we all got rain coats (shihmiyot) that served us well many times since. By the way - a tropical rainy weather is not a bad thing, you just go and getting wet by the small warm drops, and it's actually pleasent in a way.
Chiang May is a city with some ~70000 population, really reminds old Tel Aviv or Holon industril area in a way.
We ate our briekfast in a place locals do eat, but forgot to ask not to make it spicy, still the food was very tasty. In that point, in a quiet local restaurant, filled with Thai people doing their breakfast before a work day, I believe I first fully realized that I'm in total different country..
After we reached the old city, we headed to the first tour agency to make the visa to Laos. The woman in the agency, talking lousy english, took our passports, gave us a map and recomended of a nearby guesthouse near the river named Ben. As we got there, we put there our stuff and gone hanging around in the old city.
There are many sellers on the street shouting to you "Hallo" and "Where are you from". And the tuktuks drivers, snicking from behind and shouting "tuk tuk?" at you from every corner. For our pride, in a few days we lost our "really fresh farangs" look, and now we get much less shouts from the sellers.
Now a great invention in Chiang May are tourist semaphores. Basicly, all over thailand, if a man needs to cross a road, it is his solely problem. now in Chiang may there are actually traffic lights for walkes, you may approach one, push a buton, and in a few seconds you got a green light that COUNTS DOWN. You have some 15 seconds to run accross. for the cars your green light is recomendation only - they try to be more carefull not to drive over you, but it doesnt interrupt them to through on their red light. Complete the picture with sound effects of some old computer game the traffic light is making, and you get a totally bizzare experience.
We saw so many Wats (Thai temples), so we actually got kind of bored of them. You see, they all look preetty impressive on photos, but actually they are made of plastic and glass and gold color. In no way I decrease of the value of budhism, but the Wats are some toyish, you feel in a lego land of some sort. Still, it was really interesting, seeing all the monks and the believers. The oldest Wat is actually wery impressive, and the atmosphere of a slow warm rain drops falling on the stone floor, washing the budha golden statues and stone creatures was really peacefull and inspirative.
In the way we passed through a school during a lunch time. the little kids are so funny! They wear a cute uniform, and the things they eat! Noodle soup from a plastic bag, sausage and ketchup in a bag without a bread.. Misha photoabused them several times, so now we have some great pictures. ["Olya, pose like I'm shooting you" while actually shooting the children].
Somewhen in 4 o'clock we realized that the tourist agent didn't take our photos for the visa, so we hurried to get there before she closes. also we where half a hour early, the office was already closed. So we got back to Ben, got organized and gone to sea the famous
night bazzare.
Well actually, there is not much to see. Imagine yourself a walking pass in Eilat, but bigger and in thai. Many tourists, western pubs and restaurants, everything is very expensive and repeating.. pretty much boring. After a lot of searching and bargaining we baught some shirts and pens, at their normal price as we found out later. On our way we noticed that people in many places carrying bags with sand. We understood that it is a precaution for a flood, but everyone where so calm. When we asked local people, they said that there where 2 floods this year, and this going to be a third one, so everyone will be very well prepared.
In the middle, the slow rain become a showering, we got tyred, found some local bar, drank some beer and gone to sleep.
