Welcome to Chiang Mai!

It’s only been a few hours but I already love this city! It’s still a sizable town but much less hustle and bustle than Bangkok. The streets are still very hectic though; it’s like frogger come to life! I took the sleeper train here last night. That was definitely an experience. The train car wasn’t too bad, the bed was comfy enough and there was no one else in my area (which was really nice) but they had the AC on blast all night! I woke up multiple times from either cold or weird train noises. I eventually found my earplugs and grabbed the blanket from the next bed and it wasn’t as bad. The train went a little slower than scheduled and it was about a 14-hour trip. I still am glad I did it and the lady on the train that brought me food was really nice and really excited that I gave her an extra 50 Baht. She liked me a lot for that. I woke up and saw the sun rise above the jungle/rainforest and it was a beautiful sight. After that I went back to sleep for a little longer then woke up to eat and have some coffee. From then on I just laid in the bed facing the window and taking in the morning views.

Bus Station Welcome sign

Upon arrival to the train station I took a taxi to my hostel, the Green Tulip House. I would highly recommend this hostel to anyone coming to Chiang Mai! The lady at the front desk is one of the friendliest people I have met thus far. She is definitely a saleswoman as well! I am now going on a 3 day and 2-night trek through the jungle tomorrow morning. I so excited to get out in nature and get my first taste of what I primarily came here to do. After booking the trip through the hostel I only had to wait a few more minutes before I was able to go up to my room. They were very nice and let me check in about 3.5 hours early.

Once I was settled in and showered I came back down to the lobby and was given a map with a few places to make sure I saw today. I spent the afternoon wandering around Old Chiang Mai. I started with a small park with work out machines, a few ponds and quite a few people. It was a nice park but unfortunately the water was pretty murky and you could barely see the coy fish within. After that it was off to experience my first temples. THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL! There is so much detail in the design I just kept getting awestruck with every turn.  I wish churches were as beautiful as these temples (well at least in the states). I’m not sure how long or how many temples I went to (at least 3) but it was a wonderful afternoon and introduction to the city.

As the rain was starting

I was heading back to the hostel when all hell broke loose. The clouds opened up and dumped all they had on the city. It started with just a slow rain so I thought nothing of it but suddenly it transformed into a torrential downpour! I had to walk in that for about 20-30 mins. I was soaked through to the bone and luckily my phone did not get damaged from the rain and my bag kept everything inside nice and dry. Once I returned to the hostel the rained stopped within 10 minutes. I really should’ve just stopped at a bar and watched the rugby match I saw at one but I was so determined to just get back.

Once back I met my dorm mates. They are two German girls so I was able to speak German for the first time in about a year. It was pretty shitty but at least I could talk some! I had to wring out my pants and my shirt (which is now tinted pink thanks to my red hat) and hung them out to dry. I got a beer and am finally relaxing typing this now. Since I did not sleep the best last night and I have 3 days of hiking, exploring and playing with elephants ahead of me I’m going to get to sleep early. Talk to ya in 3 days!

Cheers!

Views from the train