Chiang Mai & Bangkok Part 2

From Ayutthaya, we caught an overnight train to Chiang Mai. We decided to do the train instead of flying for the experience. We thought it would be a cool way to see more of the countryside. We also figured an added bonus was saving money since we wouldn't need a hotel for that night, and the train is much cheaper than a flight. Well, I could have certainly done without the overnight train. It wasn't awful as far as sleeping accommodations. Our seats turned into a bed and were fairly comfortable. We also came prepared with sleeping eye masks and ear plugs. However, we didn't really plan for the train not having towels, showers, or a changing area. (I'm not really sure WHAT we were thinking.) As you might expect, the bathrooms were quite gross so it made changing difficult since we wanted to make sure to not touch anything. There was also an open window so if we went through a town while we were changing or using the restroom - we were able to give the locals a "special' hello! The sinks were in a communal area so that's where we had to get ready for bed. It just wasn't a comfortable set up or what we were used to / expecting. 


The next day we were two hours late arriving in Chiang Mai (which apparently is good because it's normally later). However, the delay wasn't really communicated, so we kept thinking we were almost there at each stop. Two hours later - we really were there! So, the moral of this story is - I recommend skipping the overnight train!

It was a little overwhelming when we walked out of the train station because there were a ton of cab drivers trying to vie for our business. We finally found one and were in route to our hotel, Raming Lodge. (We booked this one on Agoda.com for a pretty good rate.) The rooms were pretty decent and in a convenient location; however, too convenient of a location during Songkron Festival (I'll explain more later).

One of my very best friend's parents currently live in Chiang Mai doing missionary work. They were planning to meet us at our hotel that morning at a certain time, and we had no way of contacting them, so we felt awful  because they basically had to wait two extra hours for us. Fortunately, they are very familiar with how things go in Thailand and were very understanding. It was so neat to see people we knew when we arrived at the hotel! And we haven't seen them in years, so that made it all the better. They were so sweet to greet us with a "welcome" bag and had arranged for a Tuk Tuk driver for us for the day. So we dropped off our bags, and Brian and I were off to explore Chiang Mai!

Back to the Songkron Festival - this is a festival to celebrate the Thai new year. It's supposed to officially start the evening of April 12, but it apparently gets longer each year. We arrived on Wednesday, April 11 and had our first dose of the festival in the Tuk Tuk on the way to an elephant farm. Basically, it's a huge water fight to celebrate the new year. It started with small water "blessings" for the elders and from the monks to wash away the bad things of the previous year, but now, everyone has water guns and huge buckets of water. It's basically a huge water fight. No one is safe. Even those going down the road at high speeds on motorcycles. While we were driving by the moat on our way out of town, I got a huge bucket of water thrown on my back when I wasn't looking. (The back and sides of the Tuk Tuk are open.) This was just the beginning, too... When we were at stoplights, people would come and squirt water guns or throw buckets of water on us in the Tuk Tuk. Apparently the street our hotel was on was a main hub for the festival since it was so close to the moat. We literally couldn't walk out of our hotel without getting wet. It was fun at first, but definitely got old, quick. (I of course was over it a lot quicker than Brian.) We tried to embrace it and join in on the fun. We even bought a water gun so we could take part in the festivities. After a while though I started walking around with a poncho. (It helped a little.) The only problem is, the majority of the water used is from the moat which is essentially just really gross, runoff water, so it can't be healthy... While it did get annoying, and was pretty gross at times, it was cool to be a part of this festival which people supposedly come from all over to take part in.  

Our first stop in Chiang Mai was the Maesa Elephant Camp. Before we went on our elephant ride, we ate a great lunch at the restaurant they have onsite. Then, we were ready for our elephant adventure! First, we started with a ride on an elephant around the camp which was so much fun. I don't think I've ridden an elephant since I was five or so at a circus. This was definitely a much different experience. It's amazing how smart these animals are. After our ride around the camp (with beautiful views of the countryside), we watched the "elephant show". They did things like play soccer, dance, throw darts, play basketball, etc. After, I got a hug from an elephant. I had mixed emotions about that - it kind of freaked me out, but it was cool at the same time. You can see in the picture that I look fairly terrified... It was an awesome day though; our time at the elephant camp was one of the highlights for me!

That night we reconnected with Sarah's parents (mom & dad Mintz) and went to the Night Bazaar, a large outdoor market. It was within walking distance from our hotel, but since we got drenched every time we left the building, mom and dad Mintz were kind enough to swing in and pick us up. Fortunately, the water throwing seems to stop after dark, so we were able to walk back to our hotel after. The Night Bazaar was really cool - there were a ton of vendors with a little bit of everything, for really good prices. You have to bargain though. I'm not so good at it, but momma Mintz and Brian helped me out. 

The next morning mom & dad Mintz (along with a friend of theirs from Colorado who was working in Chiang Mai), picked us up for a day full of adventure! We started with a six mile (round trip) hike to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, a mountaintop temple. Poor Brian wasn't feeling so hot, but he powered through and completed the hike. It was a beautiful hike and to a beautiful temple with great views of Chiang Mai from the top. (The other option is to drive to the temple.) I have to admit, it took a little bit of convincing for me to agree to the hike, but I'm so glad we did it.    

After, we took a trip to Bua Tong Waterfalls and Park, known to the locals at the "sticky waterfalls", about an hour outside of Chiang Mai. There's something about the waterfall rocks that make them not slippery, so you can hike up and down the waterfalls. It was unlike anything we've ever seen; we're so thankful to mom & dad Mintz for taking us there! It was really neat to have the opportunity to see and do things off the beaten path.

That night we really rewarded ourselves with a Thai massage! There are so many shops all over, so they are incredibly cheap. An hour massage cost about 200 baht, which equals about $7. It was a great way to end our adventurous day.


When we travel abroad we don't typically check e-mail or watch the TV. So when we did flip on the TV one afternoon, we were surprised to learn there was an earthquake nearby which was felt in Bangkok, and triggered Tsunami warnings at the beach location we were going to in a few days. We got online and found out our family and friends were worried about us so we checked in with everyone. We were also a bit concerned that our trip to the beach could be in jeopardy due to the Tsunami, but thankfully, by the time we were ready to head that way, there wasn't a threat any longer. 

Unfortunately, on our last day in Chiang Mai Brian woke up very sick so he was pretty much out of commission. Sarah's parents were kind enough to take us to their house where he rested the majority of the day and I was able to do some laundry and get ready to travel back to Bangkok. It was a rough trip for him, but that evening we caught a flight back to Bangkok where we stayed for two nights. This time we were able to take advantage of the airport express line on the Skytrain which put us within a five minute walk of our hotel, the Siam City Hotel. (We chose this hotel because of the convenience to the Skytrain.) The hotel looked awesome from the outside and in the lobby, but our room was in an older wing so we were a little disappointed. It worked out fine though, especially since Brian spent that night sick, and then I got sick the following night!

The day after arriving back in Bangkok was our actual anniversary. Thankfully Brian was feeling much better so he was ready to explore. We took the Skytrain to the Chatuchak Weekend Market, the largest outdoor market in the world. (The Skytrain was very easy to use and was really nice.) The market was cool, just a bit overwhelming. It was HUGE and it had vendors for everything you can imagine, including an animal section. We actually couldn't find our way OUT of this section for a while, which was certainly not a highlight for me. There were a lot of weird, smelly animals. But all in all, it was a very cool market. Most of the vendors will negotiate with you on prices, but some will not. I recommend bringing a map of the market (which we intended to, but forgot). It's easy to get lost and either walk in circles, or not be able to find somewhere you visited earlier. I'm really glad we got to see this market though; among a few other souvenirs, we were able to get a cool wood carving of an elephant. Wood is the traditional gift for the fifth wedding anniversary and Thailand is known for their wood products, so it was perfect. When we left the market we walked by a truck that had a monk in the back. He was "blessing" locals with water as they walked by, and I don't think he meant to, but he got us too!

After the market we headed back into town to the Wat Phra Kaew, the Grand Palace and home of the Emerald Buddha. This was the temple that was closed on our first day in Bangkok due to the Princess' funeral. It was strange because we went to one entrance gate and a person was there telling people it was closed already for the day, even though our information said it didn't close until later. We weren't sure whether or not to believe him, so we walked to another entrance, and sure enough, it was open. We still aren't sure why that guy was telling people it was closed.

Once you get in, there's two lines - one for tourists where you have to pay, and one for Thai locals that's completely free. Unfortunately, we didn't think we could pass as locals, so we paid the 400 baht required to get in. We enjoyed exploring the temple and seeing the Emerald Buddha it's famous for, but we were certainly dying of heat exhaustion. It was so incredibly hot. So after we got back to the hotel we took advantage of the pool and a cold drink before our anniversary dinner. 

  

We had a nice dinner at a restaurant inside the hotel. However, at dinner I started feeling sick and after we got back to the room, it was all downhill from there. I hardly ever get sick, so this was a new experience for me. I guess I caught the bug Brian had in Chiang Mai. 


The next morning I woke up feeling extremely week and I was scared to try to eat anything for the fear of losing it. We were traveling to Railay Bay that day so we had to walk from our hotel to the Skytrain with our luggage, ride the train to the airport, check some luggage at the airport, and catch a flight from Bangkok to Krabi. Once we arrived in Krabi, we had to take a 40 minute ride on a shuttle bus to Krabi Town, and take a longtail boat ride to our hotel that wasn't accessible any other way. In total, it was about a six hour journey, and at this point I felt like I was on my death bed. It was miserable, but I tell you, if there is anywhere in the world to be miserable, it was Railay Bay with the amazing views we had from our resort. Fortunately, I was able to spend the rest of the afternoon laying by the pool with an awesome view of the limestone cliffs jetting out of the beautiful water, and then I was good to go by the next day for our week at the beach.

5th Anniversary Trip to Thailand!

We can hardly believe it, but Brian and I have been married five years already! We wanted to do something big for this milestone anniversary. (Well, we thought it would be a good excuse to go on a big trip...) We've had Thailand on our travel list for some time - we know several people who have been and loved it, and Brian's mom lived there with her family when she was in middle and high school. She lived all over the world, and Thailand was her favorite. All of this was enough reason for us to check it out ourselves!

We talked to people who have been, and did some research ourselves, and came up with the following itinerary - Bangkok, Ayutthaya, Chiang Mai, and Railay Bay. All in all it was an amazing trip. We were able to see where Brian's mom grew up and went to school, visited a lot of amazing Wats (temples), rode elephants, went hiking up waterfalls, participated in the Songkron Festival (the Thai new year celebrations), went to the largest outdoor market in the world, went snorkeling in the Andaman Sea, and renewed our wedding vows on one of the world's most beautiful beaches. We packed a lot into our two week trip, but had an amazing time.

Logistics
I've been saving Delta Skymiles since 2005 when I took my first international trip to Europe for my study abroad program. After nearly seven years, I finally had enough for a flight to a far away land! As you might expect, it proved to be difficult to find a flight and actually use the miles, but we eventually made it work. I recommend calling the airline directly to find out what flight options are available because flights with their partner airlines don't show up online. We were able to get a much better flight, for less Skymiles by flying Delta domestically and Korean Air internationally. We flew from Jacksonville to Atlanta on Delta, and then from Atlanta to Seoul, South Korea and Seoul to Bangkok on Korean Air. We really enjoyed Korean Air - everyone was extremely friendly; the customer service was phenomenal. I think a large part of this is the Asian culture - in general, from our experience, they just seem to go the extra mile for you.

The flights weren't as bad as we anticipated. The flight from Atlanta to Seoul was about 14 hours, and the flight from Seoul to Bangkok was about 5 hours. The entire trip from the time we left Jacksonville until the time we landed in Bangkok was 26 hours. The long flights had individual TVs in each of the seats with movies, games, music, etc. So between that, reading material, food, and naps, the flights went by much more quickly than we anticipated.

One difficult thing with Korean Air is you can't book your seats online. You have to call within one month of the flight and request specific seats. We booked my flight through Delta to use the Skymiles and wanted to book Brian's through them also, but it was going to cost about five times as much to do so, so we booked through Cheaptickets.com. (I'm not quite sure why or how much sense that makes, but oh well...) Since we booked through two different venues, it proved to be somewhat difficult to ensure we had seats together, requiring five or so calls to Korean Air and a lot of frustration. At the end of the day, after giving our sob story of it being our anniversary trip and being heartbroken if we weren't able to sit together, we did get seats next to each other AND Korean Air had an anniversary cake for us on our way to Asia! We tried to look at the seat map on SeatGuru.com to figure out the best seats and request those, but something went awry and we missed the "best" seats by a couple of rows on each flight. Bummer! Oh well, we survived and somehow managed to have a row to ourselves on each of the flights going to Asia, but not so much on the way back.

One more note about the flights - apparently, what "class" flight is booked determines whether or not you'll get frequent flier miles for the trip. We were excited because we thought Brian would get 20,000+ Skymiles for this trip (getting us another free flight in the near future), but apparently when we booked through Cheaptickets.com we booked the "class" that wasn't eligible for Skymiles. A bit ridiculous if you ask me. Cheaptickets doesn't post the class before you book, so we had no way of knowing that would be the case. We complained afterward and all we ended up with was a wasted hour on the phone and a $50 credit from Cheaptickets (which they gave us a hard time about using when we tried to cash it in). So the moral of the story is - you have to call Cheaptickets before booking a flight to make sure the class you're booking is eligible for frequent flier mile credit.

So with that, I'll leave you with a some pictures from each of the cities and will break the rest of the trip into separate posts about the various cities.