The beginning of the week flew past. Only having to teach on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday I found myself quite relaxed and enjoying the teaching more. This week I decided to tell the time and teach how to discuss school routines which went down a treat (I even played 'what's the time Miss Patel' which took a while to catch on but we eventually got there in the end!)
We were also treated on Tuesday night at PaTung's house again and this time we had the opportunity to make coconut chicken curry (my favourite dish here). She had brought all the ingredients already so all Roseanne and I had to do was chop and throw things into the pot. 15 minutes later we were eating it accompanied by fried fish, pork and potato curry, red onion and cucumber salad. Again these were made by PaTung's uncle who we were privileged enough to meet.
With my stomach full and emotions high about going to Chiang Mai, Wednesday couldn't come fast enough.
We met with Amelia, Callum, Mark and Ed at Tha Ruea bus station and coordinated well with Charlotte and Olivia to get on the same one as us from Tha Ma Ka. The journey to Bangkok was filled with conversation and excitement about what we would be getting up to up north. But first challenge... Get to Bangkok and get to the train station to catch the sleeper train!
Simple. After catching a cab and Ed demanding we use the meter we reached the train station (after crossing Bangkok and realising we still had all this to explore... I mean how big is it?) but learnt the train was full!
Uhoh!
We were then taken to a room upstairs by an agent in the promise we would be able to catch a VIP bus. 1200TB later and a short minibus ride across town we walked onto a double decked coach with neon lights and reclining sleeper seats. Myself and Olivia made ourselves comfortable and tried to nod off till we reached Chiang Mai (not much of a sleeper but apparently I was knock out according to Charlotte who later told me she accidentally pulled my hair when she was getting her bag down from above me... and I didn't even flinch!)
Oh ey Chiang Mai:
Upon reaching Chiang Mai way early in the morning... kinda sunrise but just past it... We caught a tuk tuk to our home for the next six days, The Living Place. A nice little hostel which has the most amazing owners and ideal for backpackers wanting to meet other backpackers. After freshening up and dying on the comfy pillowed floor setup, we made our way to a little cafe for English breaky then headed into the old city to explore.
Temples galore:
So not having actually been inside any temples, as of yet, I actually visited three temples in one day (probably more than I have in one year at home...) The temples here are stunning from the outside but even more spectacular in the inside. Beautiful bright gold and yellows gleam through and reflect the light making it unrealistically amazing. The tranquility and respect observed in temples is very important here so shoulders and knees need to be covered as a mark of respect. What I also didn't realise is the importance of Ganesh (elephant god) here... (learn something new everyday) think I'm now all templed out, for now!
(Decided to take my camera for the first time and captured some amazing moments... see below, but read the rest first).
Tiger Time:
The best part of the trip was going to the Tiger Kingdom and getting up close and personal...
(I won't say much - for a change- but instead will let the pictures speak for itself)
After an amazing jam packed day (having arrived so early) we rushed to get ready to go into the town centre to celebrate the King's Birthday (the only reason why we had a public holiday on a Thursday. Cheekily we all asked for the Friday and the following Monday off from school as the Tuesday was also a bank holiday... the thinking behind this was that people who were flying home straight after the teaching wouldn't really get to see anything).
Tangled:
Walking towards the old city we noticed in the square people lighting lanterns so we thought why not. When in Chiang Mai... Light a lantern? (don't think it quite goes but oh well). Roseanne, Olivia, Callum and myself lit one and had to hold it until the smoke filled the lantern (moments before that Amelia's and Charlotte's lantern nearly didn't reach the sky and hit the tree. Luckily it fought it's way up into the night sky and floated away). Honestly it felt like the scene from the film Tangled... it was truly Disney-rific! All we needed was a cute animated thief to make our night but alas, none were to be found.
The Kings birthday is truly celebrated in style and encourages everyone to get involved. We lit candles to mark his birthday too then headed off to a bar to grab some food (obviously... didn't have the most filling-est meal at dinner but had an awesome mango and sticky rice dessert.... Mmm. But I divert from the fact we ordered chips and nommed the free popcorn at the bar- I say we because it was me and Olivia).
After enjoying a delicious Singapore Sling... we then ended the night with a traditional McD's chicken burger. Now that hit the spot!
Bring on day two in Chiang Mai... Tubing anyone?
We were also treated on Tuesday night at PaTung's house again and this time we had the opportunity to make coconut chicken curry (my favourite dish here). She had brought all the ingredients already so all Roseanne and I had to do was chop and throw things into the pot. 15 minutes later we were eating it accompanied by fried fish, pork and potato curry, red onion and cucumber salad. Again these were made by PaTung's uncle who we were privileged enough to meet.
With my stomach full and emotions high about going to Chiang Mai, Wednesday couldn't come fast enough.
We met with Amelia, Callum, Mark and Ed at Tha Ruea bus station and coordinated well with Charlotte and Olivia to get on the same one as us from Tha Ma Ka. The journey to Bangkok was filled with conversation and excitement about what we would be getting up to up north. But first challenge... Get to Bangkok and get to the train station to catch the sleeper train!
Simple. After catching a cab and Ed demanding we use the meter we reached the train station (after crossing Bangkok and realising we still had all this to explore... I mean how big is it?) but learnt the train was full!
Uhoh!
We were then taken to a room upstairs by an agent in the promise we would be able to catch a VIP bus. 1200TB later and a short minibus ride across town we walked onto a double decked coach with neon lights and reclining sleeper seats. Myself and Olivia made ourselves comfortable and tried to nod off till we reached Chiang Mai (not much of a sleeper but apparently I was knock out according to Charlotte who later told me she accidentally pulled my hair when she was getting her bag down from above me... and I didn't even flinch!)
Oh ey Chiang Mai:
Upon reaching Chiang Mai way early in the morning... kinda sunrise but just past it... We caught a tuk tuk to our home for the next six days, The Living Place. A nice little hostel which has the most amazing owners and ideal for backpackers wanting to meet other backpackers. After freshening up and dying on the comfy pillowed floor setup, we made our way to a little cafe for English breaky then headed into the old city to explore.
Temples galore:
So not having actually been inside any temples, as of yet, I actually visited three temples in one day (probably more than I have in one year at home...) The temples here are stunning from the outside but even more spectacular in the inside. Beautiful bright gold and yellows gleam through and reflect the light making it unrealistically amazing. The tranquility and respect observed in temples is very important here so shoulders and knees need to be covered as a mark of respect. What I also didn't realise is the importance of Ganesh (elephant god) here... (learn something new everyday) think I'm now all templed out, for now!
(Decided to take my camera for the first time and captured some amazing moments... see below, but read the rest first).
Tiger Time:
The best part of the trip was going to the Tiger Kingdom and getting up close and personal...
(I won't say much - for a change- but instead will let the pictures speak for itself)
After an amazing jam packed day (having arrived so early) we rushed to get ready to go into the town centre to celebrate the King's Birthday (the only reason why we had a public holiday on a Thursday. Cheekily we all asked for the Friday and the following Monday off from school as the Tuesday was also a bank holiday... the thinking behind this was that people who were flying home straight after the teaching wouldn't really get to see anything).
Tangled:
Walking towards the old city we noticed in the square people lighting lanterns so we thought why not. When in Chiang Mai... Light a lantern? (don't think it quite goes but oh well). Roseanne, Olivia, Callum and myself lit one and had to hold it until the smoke filled the lantern (moments before that Amelia's and Charlotte's lantern nearly didn't reach the sky and hit the tree. Luckily it fought it's way up into the night sky and floated away). Honestly it felt like the scene from the film Tangled... it was truly Disney-rific! All we needed was a cute animated thief to make our night but alas, none were to be found.
The Kings birthday is truly celebrated in style and encourages everyone to get involved. We lit candles to mark his birthday too then headed off to a bar to grab some food (obviously... didn't have the most filling-est meal at dinner but had an awesome mango and sticky rice dessert.... Mmm. But I divert from the fact we ordered chips and nommed the free popcorn at the bar- I say we because it was me and Olivia).
After enjoying a delicious Singapore Sling... we then ended the night with a traditional McD's chicken burger. Now that hit the spot!
Bring on day two in Chiang Mai... Tubing anyone?
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| My P6 class tending to the garden |
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| Cooking at PaTung's house... hmm I wonder what it could be? |
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| Mmmm the end result. Coconut chicken curry |
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| Had to capture this... there's no place like home! Starbucks Coffee. |
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| The LoveTEFL team in Chiang Mai temple visiting! |
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| Stunning temple |
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| Temple with Chinese animal year decorations which you can buy and sign and hang up in the temple. |
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| Great weather and a beautiful temple |
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| Callum, me, Olivia and Roseanne lighting a floating lantern in Chiang Mai for the king's birthday celebrations. |
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| There it goes... |
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| Just like the scene in Tangled. But with more lanterns and on a river in the film... Ok maybe not quite like the film! |
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| A dessert at the school PacSai brought us! |
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| Mmm school dinner |
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| My M1 class working... Yey! |
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| An amazing sticky rice, mango and ice cream and cream dessert! |
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| Not mine but oh boy if I had room in my stomach... |
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| My dinner/ lunch... Yum yum yum! |
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| Big bag for Chiang Mai... My elephant bag zip broke just as I was packing it. Sad times! |
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| The VIP bus we got onto to get to Chiang Mai |
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| Can't remember the name of this place but I was there. |
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| Grand central station in Bangkok! |
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| Decorated place for the kings birthday in Chiang Mai |
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