Road Trip to Chiang Rai

I just got back from Chiang Rai (not Chiang Mai where I live).  Overall it was pretty fun.  I rented a motorbike and drove with my friends Matt and Jordan.   We were told it would take 1.5 hours to get there, but that was a lie.  It took about 3 hours of driving, and with stops took us a little over 4 i think.  It was an easy drive with very little mountain roads, and few sharp corners/steep hills etc.

We ended up leaving a little bit late and didn't get into town until after dark.  It was fairly easy to find our hotels, just had to ask one guy and he told me in Thai-English "it's on this road 1km down on the right hand side."  I was staying at a hotel well below my normal standards.  However, it was relatively clean and and I didn't see any bugs, so it wasn't too bad.  Matt and Jordan stayed at a nice Resort.  It had a really good looking pool which we didn't have time for unfortunately.

After unpacking, showering, and of course setting up internet, we headed out for some food.  We went to the Night Bazaar, which is a street market at night basically.  It was fairly big, but I don't think quite as large as Chiang Mai's.  Despite my hotel being two blocks away, I got a little lost on the way back.  Somehow I got turned around and ended up taking a night tour of Chiang Rai.  I wasn't overly impressed by it to be honest.

The next morning we had to wake up early (10am) because we scheduled a day trip.  We went to see White Temple and the Golden Triangle.  We hired a driver because we had no clue where to go.  It was quite nice to be in an air conditioned car most the day.  It's only the second time I've been in a car since moving here, so it felt a little weird sitting shotgun on the left side (where the steering wheel is supposed to go).  Our driver was cool and spoke English fairly well.  I tried to practice my Thai, but didn't too much.

The White Temple is fairly self explanatory... it's a gorgeous white temple.  We were not allowed pictures inside so I'll do my best to explain it.  The walls were covered with superheroes like: Superman, Batman, Neo (from the Matrix), and a bunch of other random things.  Other than that it was pretty standard on the inside I think.

The Golden Triangle was where a lot of the illegal and legal (depending on the era) opium trading went down. It was about a two hour drive there, but since we had our driver we could just relax.  We went to the Opium Museum which also didn't allow any pictures.  Since I didn't want to get stabbed or thrown in jail I respected  their wishes.  It was one of the largest and nicest museums I've ever been in. We walked through fairly quick and it took us about 1.5 hours.  There were no free samples given out, but it was still a fun experience ;) .  After the opium museum we went to a couple view points and were about done for the day.

We got back from our tour around dinner time.  We went to the mall because we decided it was the best place to find American food.  We weren't thrilled with the Chiang Rai cuisine to that point, so we figured McDonalds would be our best option :) .  It was a pretty low key night after that and we headed back to Chiang Mai the next day (today).

The drive back was a lot easier since we knew what to expect.  We only stopped once each for gas so we made good time.  I was super soar since I was carrying my laptop in a shoulder bag and other things in my normal backpack.  It felt so good to get home and shower.

Chiang Rai was fun, but I wouldn't want to stay for an extended period of time.  It seemed like a smaller and less appealing version of Chiang Mai.  I think it's a fine place, but I've been spoiled by all the things in Chiang Mai.  I know where my favorite food spots are and how to get around.  That's about all I have to say for this trip, hopefully I will take another one soon.  TIME FOR PHOTO'S!!!!!!!!!

clock tower by night bazaar

 White Temple

left side of White Temple

 action shot

entrance to white temple

 still the entrance to White Temple

 in Golden Triangle, Laos is across river

statue on a boat in Golden Triangle

Food Festival

For the last week or so there has been tons of fun happening right in my backyard.  I guess it's like a fair, but it's more like a food festival.  There's about 30-40 food stalls all lined up and ready to serve deliciousness.  It's similar to Taste of Chicago except less spread out, more places to sit, and not expensive at all.  There's also games to play and a few kid rides.

I was able to win a stuffed angry bird with my expert dart throwing skills

 Lots of food to choose from

semi-aerial view

Want some fried insects?

Aside from eating a lot, I've just been up to the same old things.  I'm planning a trip to Pai pretty soon which should be fun.  I think it's north of here, but it's supposed to be quite beautiful.  My friend Matt and I really want to road trip it on motorbikes so we can stop at all the scenic views along the way.  I hear it's about a 5 hour ride.  We'll probably do that in a week or two.