The following was written 7-3 in Chiang Mai.

12:44PM I got into Kristi House last night around 9:30PM. The front desk must close early because only the after-hours security guard was there. He spoke very little English, but managed to get me a room.

I can’t say I’m very impressed with the place. It’s more of a hotel than a guest house. The rooms are very plain and impersonal. I didn’t think of this at the time, but I probably shouldn’t have taken guest house advice from a smoker. Smoking is allowed in all the rooms here. But that doesn’t bother me – if it weren’t for the ashtray and sign that asks you not throw butts out the window, I probably wouldn’t know. What bothers me is the smell of the horrible strongly scented cleaner they must use to mask the smoke.

But for 200 Baht, it’s a very good deal. I have a queen size bed and a private bathroom.

After checking in last night I headed down the block to the Sunday Night Market, a seemingly endless row of craft vendors. Had I not been limited by the space in my backpack, it would be incredibly hard to hold on to my Baht. As it was, I just feasted on a variety of food and fresh-squeezed juices.

I seem to have lucked out in location. There are excellent restaurants all over the place. I’ll be putting on some weight here.

Today for breakfast I had a sort of noodle soup with chicken and vegetables. They also had chocolate milk shakes, so I indulged, even though I should be avoiding dairy.

This morning I signed up for a trek. 1,100 Baht for 2 days, 1 night. Elephant riding, white-water rafting, bamboo rafting, hill-tribes, and all of that. We leave tomorrow at 9:30AM. (Tomorrow is the 4th of July? It seems it was just the 1st yesterday.) I chose the short trek because I think I’ll be doing more of them as my journey continues.

After I get back from the Trek, I think I’ll spend one more night in Chiang Mai (not at Kristi). Then I’m considering following the “Northern Loop” itinerary in Lonely Planet till I get distracted and decide to break off.

One thing I’ve decided for sure that I want to do is stay at the Akha Hill House, a remotely located guest house run by the Akha tribes people. It sound like a nice place to stay and do little for a few days, plus they organize overnight stays in the surrounding jungle with guides who build huts and cook with bamboo. It’ll be like a Ray Mears TV show… kinda.

I’m enjoying Chiang Mai. It’s much calmer than Bangkok, and less smelly. It’s just as hot in the day, but a little cooler at night. Surprisingly, there’s an incredible amount of Farang here. Much more so than Bangkok. You can’t walk a block without seeing another white person.

The architecture of the Wats is very cool – sort of a Buddhist spin on Ronan from Lord of the Rings – but they’re small and all rather similar, so there’s little sight seeing to do here in that department.

The following was written 7-5 in Chiang Mai

6:48PM Where to start?

We spent the rest of the evening at the village playing cards and being impressed by Jungle Boy’s (one of the guides) magic tricks. That’s the only name he would give us, by the way. Jungle Boy. He deserved it.

The bed was a bit hard that night – just a blanket on the bamboo floor. They also provided another couple blankets and mosquito nets.

I’m all chewed up now. Not from the night, but the earlier evening.

I think I forgot to mention dinner. It was rice, curry, vegetables, and mystery meat (white, but had more flavor than chicken). And pineapple. Lots of pineapple. Given today and yesterday, I’ve probably eaten my weight in pineapple.

This morning they fed us breakfast of hard-boiled eggs, toast, and tea.

We started walking again at about 11AM. It was rather cool and misty (not to mention down hill), so was much easier than yesterday. The English girl had trouble with the slope – she slipped and fell a lot. I did once.

An hour later we were at the elephant camp and rode them around in a loop for 45 minutes. They didn’t seem to be treated very well. Not much worse than any animal in captivity, I suppose, but weren’t as happy as the Elephants in the royal stable in Ayuthaya.

From there it was on to white water rafting with another group. It wasn’t anything serious, but there were a few good splashes. Fun.

We beached the rafts after about 30 minutes and jumped on bamboo rafts, which was a lot of fun and incredibly wet. With the weight of people, the bamboo sinks a few inches beneath the surface, so you’re actually sitting in the river. The water was shallow enough that one probably would have stayed drier just walking down it.

They fed us lunch and trucked us back to guest house.

It was a good time. I’d recommend the trek to anyone who can walk.

My pack at the guest house had been untouched. Same with the “security” envelope, so that’s a relief.

After I picked up my stuff from Kristi’s, I caught a tuk-tuk to a hostel a few blocks north. When I arrived, they told me they were full. The tuk-tuk driver (who was the same as the one who drove me to Monk Chat, so we knew each other) offered to take me to any other hostel I wished, for free. But the second one I chose was also full. The driver didn’t mind, so I asked him to take me to another on the other side of town. It was more expensive, but I’d walked by it a few times previously and it looked nice enough.

They only had a room for one night, and I wanted 2. The lady at the desk said she’d find me another room for tomorrow. At least I have somewhere to crash tonight.

The rooms are similar to Kristi, but much nicer. There’s also a TV, which was a surprise. I took a long shower and did a little laundry in there too.

Now I’m eating a bit of dinner and afterwards I think I might wander over to the night bazaar again.

I’m not feeling very motivated to write in this at the present moment, but figure I ought to at least try to bring it up to date.

My pen is running out of ink. I’m also running out of soap. I think I might need to buy a hair brush, too.

I’ll try to find some internet tomorrow and post everything.

The following was written 7-2, on the train to Chiang Mai.

9:57AM I’m on the train to Chiang Mai now.

Yesterday I went on the tour with 4 others.

5:22PM The hills here are not as huge and other-worldly as the Cascades, but are so jagged and chaotic in shape and nature that they still seem to resist the notion of human subservience. I look forward to meeting their inhabitants, animal and other.

5:45PM I stopped writing before due to the bumpiness of the ride, but it’s better now. Where was I?

I went on the tour with 4 other folks from the guest house. A French couple and an Irish couple. We cruised to the first Wat, which had a large tower in the center you could climb up. Inside, there were 5 Buddhas surrounding a deep shaft in the center. Bats flew all over the roof. I didn’t want to scare them with my flash, so I avoided taking many pictures.

One thing I particularly enjoy about the ruins in Thailand is that one is free to explore and climb all over them. So unlike many historical objects and sites in the West, which one is rarely allowed to even touch.

From there, it was to the royal elephant stable. We pet, fed, and watched the elephants bathe. One baby couldn’t get enough of me. She kept attempting to eat my foot and, when that wasn’t working, decided she would wrap her trunk around my leg and go for the whole thing. She was strong enough to lift my leg and I was soon on all fours for balance. Later, when I turned around to leave, she grabbed my backpack and held me there.

By the time we were done with the elephants, it was pouring like I had never seen, with thunder and lightning, too.

We made another stop at a monument to the king, but one second out of the shelter of the tuk-tuk and you were taking a bath, so we canceled the rest of the tour and headed back to the guest house. Roughly an hour after that, the rain held up enough for us to venture out to a restaurant for dinner (the night market was closed due to the rain). That was my first restaurant in Thailand.

Then we headed back to the guest house, reaching it a bit after 11PM. I was told the England vs. Portugal match would be “a bit of crock” (gotta love the Irish), so I watched about an hour of that.

I’m not sure what people see in soccer. It didn’t seem anymore entertaining than other sports, perhaps less. Though I was told that this wasn’t a very good game, what with Portugal tumbling around and crying every time they got kicked in the shin-guards. I went to bed when it was still 0-0, so I don’t know who won.

A good day.

The Irishman suggested a guest-house in Chiang Mai, so I plan to head there when I get in tonight. It’s not listed in Lonely Planet, but he’s stayed there 3 times, and has also done treks through them.

When I left this morning, the Baan Lotus lady was sad to see me go. She made me promise to come back, and told me to bring a girlfriend. She also told me I was very smart, but then outlined her face, so I assume she was referring once again to my good looks.

Did I mention she arranged a tuk-tuk to taxi me from the guest house to the train station?

And so now I’m on the train. It’s about a 9 hour ride, with a couple hours left to go. I don’t know where we are now, but we’ve been stopped at this station for 5-or-so minutes. A lot of people got off – I hope I’m not supposed to. But it hasn’t been 9 hours yet and I think Chiang Mai will be larger than this.

Lunch was served about noon. It was chicken and rice, with a side dish of what seemed to be a cross between pot-stickers and banana bread. Tasty. There were also 2 of what I can only describe as Thai chicken nuggets.

The water had ice in it – I hope that won’t kill me. Later, at 3PM, we were given a piece of some sort of cake and two of what resembled sugar cookies. I also got a cup or orange soda, but wasn’t as carbonated as what you normally get in the states. I liked it better. (I also noticed that, last night, the Lemon Juice I had with dinner wasn’t as acidic as back home.) The food here on the train is processed and microwaved – obviously not up to street vendor par – but kicks the shit out of what you’re given on American trains or airplanes.

The seating is like that of an airplane. Not as comfortable as Amtrak, but nice. All in all, very good for just under 600 Baht

We’ve begun to move again.

I wonder if they’ll serve us dinner?

6:30PM The scenery on the second half of the trip has been beautiful. The mist shrouded hills, rice fields. I almost feel as if I’m in some old Vietnam movie.

It’s not surprising the trains and buses are knocked out so much in the rainy season. Some of the hills and cliffs we pass so close to show signs of sliding in the past, and appear to want to slide again very soon. I should take pictures for my Geology professors.

As I noticed us pass by one such spectacular hill, it started pouring. An impressive site. It stopped soon after, but I wonder what would happen if the track was covered in front of us?

What with the greenery and clouds that have been with us ever since, it at times looks as if I could be back home in the Pacific Northwest. I wonder if it’s hot and muggy out there? It doesn’t look it, but the train has AC and, knowing Thailand, it probably is.

My seat is stuck in the back position.

Most people, I think, take the night train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. I prefer this. It’s cheaper than a sleeper train and you can see what you’re moving through. Plus we’re fed, which I doubt happens on the night train.

Yet another lengthy stop we’re making.

This could very well be my first day in Thailand without eating a pineapple. I’ve been averaging at least one whole one from street vendors a day.

6:53PM Thais love to ask where Farang are from. I always respond “United States” and most of the time they understand, but sometimes I have to say “American”. I’ve often used the word to refer to myself in opposition to, say, Canadians, but I don’t understand it. Are not Canadians, Mexicans, and Patagonians just as American as those of us in the USA? It seems to me that all residents of North America, Central America, and South America are equally American. Claiming otherwise would be to say that only Germans are Europeans or Laoations the only Asians. I wonder if Bush realizes the implications when he claims to do something for America or Americans.

…I wonder if Bush realizes the implications of anything he says.

7:05PM It’s the density of the trees and the rest of the greenery that really awes me here. You don’t get this back home. It’s such that one can hardly imagine something like what I’m seeing now is even possible. Untouched.

And the houses. We pass small tin shacks, with nothing more cleared away than the space needed for the building. No yards, no driveways.

The telephone polls and occasional power station are out of place here.

We’re now stopped at “Khan Tan”.

7:14PM What’s with these long stops? Earlier we would stop at stations for no more than a minute, but now it’s no less than 10. I hope I’m not supposed to be getting off.

The following was written 7-1 in Ayudaya

3:32PM The lady who runs the guest house has a van that goes to Kanchanaburi tomorrow. She tried to sell me on that, but I told her I was thinking of going to Chiang Mai. A few minutes later, she came up to my room and said that because it was the weekend (I hadn’t realized), I might not get a train ticket. She gave me a time table and said that if I wanted, she would send “the boy” to go buy a ticket for me. So, he’s off buying me a 2nd class ticket for the 9:52AM train to Chiang Mai. It arrives about 8:00PM.

The following was written 6-29, my last night in Bangkok

9:03PM Bangkok at the night time is the best time. It’s too bad I’m pooped from the day of heat and walking.

One would do better to sleep during the day and adventure at night.

The following was written yesterday, 6-30, while I was exploring Ayuthaya.

3:46PM I managed to find a festival of some sort next to a bunch of ruins. There are many booths selling a variety of interesting things.

I had a meal of excellent chicken and rice. The lady gave me a few bags of sauce to put on it, and it was delicious. A-roi, as they say here.

They weren’t kidding about the stray dogs around the city. There are packs of them all over. One followed me around the park for a while, so I gave him the left-overs of my meal. He had large wounds over his butt and hind legs. I don’t know where he’s wandered off to now.

People are giving out free samples. Lots of food. One lady put what looked to be hand lotion in my hand and motioned to put it in my hair, so I did. I didn’t bring any shampoo on my trip, so whatever it was, it couldn’t have hurt. I sure smell better, if a little feminine.

All over I get compliments on my hair. I don’t think many Thais see guys with long hair. The lady at Baan Lotus tells me I’m beautiful.

It appears there’s going to be some sort of performance. There’s a stage where they’ve been playing what I think is a recorded speech and now there are people in costume looking like they’re about to perform.

Speaking of people prancing around, lots are sucking some sort of orange liquid out of plastic bags. Maybe I should get one.

A few minutes later I can’t figure out where they’re getting them from. I shall have to follow someone. Stalk them with my ninja ways.

On another note, Thais love their yellow golf-shirts. At first I thought it was some sort of uniform, but everybody and their mother (literally) has one.

5:00PM On my way back to the Guest House I found what I think is the only sane motorcycle taxi in Thailand. At least, he didn’t drive like he was in Grand Theft Auto (with God mode).

The lady who runs the house tells me she has day/night tours daily that leave at 4:40ish. Perhaps I’ll do that tomorrow. I’ve had enough ruins for one day.

It dawned on me earlier today that I don’t have to do the tourist thing. I had been thinking of heading to Chiang Mai tomorrow, but now I think I’ll spend 2 nights here. Tomorrow I’ll just hang around the peaceful guest house – maybe looks at ruins, maybe not.

Perhaps I’ll go back to the Muslim market I found today. They had really good food. One of the juiciest pineapples I’ve ever had.

The only complaint I can render of this place is that the walls are thin. There’s little privacy, in the room or the bathroom.

Speaking of the bathroom…

There’s a sign that says no toilet paper in the toilet, so, when in Asia…

I pressure washed my bum-crack. That was an interesting experience, but I’ll spare you the details. Suffice it to say that I prefer moss as an alternative to toilet paper.

5:53PM I jumped in the shower with all my clothes on. Hey, when you’ve got to do laundry…

The shower is not really a shower, just another hose in the corner of the bathroom. There’s no curtain or anything, so everything gets soaked.

Little else is as relaxing as taking a cold shower and laying naked on the bed under the fan. I think I’ll bust out my ipod and a book.

The following was written yesterday, 6-30, upon my arrival in Ayathaya

12:52PM We ended up making lots of stops on the side of the road, dropping people off and picking them up. Every time, the guy in the yellow shirt would yell something I couldn’t understand and I’d hope that it wasn’t my stop. Though I suppose that wasn’t really possible, since I didn’t have a stop in mind. In the end, I just rode it to the end of the line.

As soon as I stepped off the bus, a tuk-tuk driver offered to take me to the ruins, but I pointed to the guest house in my Lonely Planet and said he could take me there instead. As usual, the 40 Baht he charged me was way too much, but I wasn’t sure where the guest house was in relation to the bus stop, so I agreed. 20 Baht would have been better.

So now I’m sitting on my bed at the Baan Lotus Guest House. I had to leave my shoes outside. I hope it doesn’t rain.

When I was taking my shoes off, a nice old woman came out to greet me. She was excited to see me, and said she only had 1 room left. It’s got two beds in it, but she gave it to me for 300 Baht, which is pretty good. (Suk 11 charged me 250 for the dorm.) It’s not as nice as the Suk, but I like it. No AC, but there’s a fan and a good breeze coming through the windows.

I think I’ll go down to check in and then figure out what I’m doing here.

9:56AM I had toast and prickly fruit for breakfast this morning. The fruit is described by Lonely Planet as resembling “an ancient piece of medieval weaponry,” and that is an apt description.

I’m not sure where I’m heading tomorrow. Choices are Chiang Mai, Phitsanulok, or Sukhothai.

I think I’ll go out and see if I can find some internet now.

12:14PM It took me a couple hours of getting lost, but I finally found Soi 1, the backpacker ghetto, and plenty of cheap internet. The computer I’m on is a P2 with 64MB of RAM. Impressed?

Speakeasy claims I’m getting 254k down and 188k up, though it feels like less.

It’s July already. I wasn’t sure of the date till yesterday. The time zone shifts messed me up.