Back from Chiangmai

I am back from Chiangmai. The weather was so hot in the afternoon. It went up to almost 37 degrees.

On 3rd dec..
What a coincidence! I met Darren at the airport. We took the same flight.
Our flight was delayed so when we checked into the hotel, it was almost midnight. I really hate the take-off and landing. During the journey there was turbulence and my Auntie vomited. She was so sick she had to take Panadol. But she was better after we landed. The Lotus PSK hotel was beautiful. It was woody and very Thailand. The room was large that’s because we took the deluxe room and it was connected to my auntie and cousin’s room.

Singapore is ahead of Chiangmai by an hour and we were on free and easy so we didn’t need to bother about the time.

On 4th dec..
I woke up early this morning and the view outside was panoramic. Our room faces the mountains. According to our half-day tour guide, the mountain is a place of sacredness. On top of the mountain, there are a lot of temples. But we didn’t visit it.
The breakfast was so horrible. I think Chiangmai food is horrible. All of us think so too.

We were also supposed to visit the various tribes like the Karen tribe (the long –necked tribe) but due to the distance, we decided to forgo it. Since the tribe is situated at the Myanmar border, it takes about 12 hours to go and come back to Chiangmai.

So we went to see the home industry instead. First stop was the skins. There were various skins like the croc, ostrich, stingray, deer and some others. The second stop was the heritage shop. There I took photo with some tribal girls. They sold lots of handmade products that showed their way of life. My mum bought a basket with a net to put and cover cooked food in it and prevent the insects from getting to it.

Then we went to the silk shop, there were a lot of silkworms and they showed how the silk was extracted. It was quite interesting and the worms were so fat and cute. The Thai Prime minister, Thaksin, owns the silk industry. Because the King’s birthday was the next day, everything was discounted or so it was said to be. I bought a silk elephant I don’t know for what and 2 key chains.

The 3rd stop was the umbrella shop. Chiangmai is famous for its umbrella and paper industry. It was made from the Saa tree. Each print on the umbrella and paper was intricate and unique because everything was hand-drawn. I bought 2 umbrellas, 5 paper fans, paper photo frame and postcards some others, I can’t remember what.

The 4th stop was the titbits shop and we bought some prawn crackers with pork floss on top.

My cousin ate sharks fin. It was horrible. It taste so herbal and hard. It is unlike those taken at Chinese wedding dinners.

Then we went to see the silverware.
This is the best part. We went for a massage. I chose the aromatherapy oil massage and so did my auntie and mum. My cousin, Chanel chose the dead-sea salt scrub.

It was so relaxing, I fell asleep. The woman massaged my entire body with orchid oil.
My auntie even cut her hair there. It was damn ugly but we were tactful to say it looked nice except her daughter who told her it was ugly. She is so rude. Sometimes white lies are good.

We were then left on our own to shop. We went to the Sunday walk something like a day pasar malam except that it was open air and people sat on the floor or on mats. I tell you there were dogs everywhere. But the dogs are so cute. They are those fluffy ones. I think the more unkempt the dogs the cuter they look.

At the Sunday walk, I bought a fisherman’s pants. There are lots of those kinds of pants there. I regretted buying only one because at the night bazaar and day market there weren’t any. Everything was so cheap. I bought a bracelet.

At dinner, I ate crab fried rice and it was so cheap about Singapore 1 dollar. My auntie bought lots of clothes there, tribal ones, pants, tops and slippers. My mum also bought it. We then took a tuk-tuk (like a taxi) back to the hotel. It was less then a dollar for all of us.

Throughout all the buying, my cousin was so irritating; she keeps snatching things, trying to calculate when she can’t, wasting people’s time when she calculate wrongly and being rude. She keeps scolding her mum and her mum did not scold her or anything. She just kept quiet. Worst of all she keeps grumbling that she is tired and wants to sleep. Come lah, go holiday means shopping if she wants to rest and sleep might as well go back Singapore. She didn’t want to carry anything too. Her mum was carrying everything. I had to help her carry and there I was carrying my own stuff and my bagpack. I was so angry with her but I controlled.

I was looking forward to eat tom yam soup but there aren’t many in Chiangmai.

On 5th dec..
Kings’s Bithday today. Pictures of him everywhere. Today we went to the day market to shop. It was every busy. They sell lots of insects for consumption though like Beetles, grasshoppers, cockroaches and mealworms. It was interesting sight.

I bought two tie-dye t-shirt there. We also bought lots of oranges. It is the season now.

After that we went to eat Lemon Tree. The tom yam was so good, we also ate papaya salad. Chanel was so irritating again. She rushed for the food. She doesn’t have any table manners at all. She selfishly fished out all the prawns in the soup and placed it on her plate. After that then she slowly eat it. Like as if everyone will eat it and leave her with none. Those food she don’t want she throw it back into the soup. Tell me how rude is that?

On the 6th..
We shopped some more. I ate 3 cups of Baskin Robbins Ice cream from the connecting Shopping centre, Gold medal rush, Strawberry cheesecake and Jamoca Almond Fudge. It was so good.

I bought a long sleeve top there.

At the night Bazaar, the people were so intimidating. They keep forcing us to buy stuff and when we don’t buy, they call us crazy. There was also a mad bargain.
I bought a belt, a pair of shoes and a t-shirt. I regretted not buying more t-shirts. It was so nice. In Singapore the belt cost about 26+. There I got it for only 4 dollars.

Oh and it was a pitiful sight. The tribal woman had to go around to sell goods even when they are pregnant. Babies were also carried along.

On the last day, I went swimming and more shopping. I really can’t keep still. I feel that we didn’t shop enough thanks to my fat, lazy cousin, Chanel.

At the airport, I flared up. I can’t stand that kind of selfish attitude. Everyone has to carry something for her and she just keeps complaining.

Ahhh.. We arrived in Singapore at about 3.30am. By the time, I got home it was about 4am and slept about 6.30am.

I just woke up at 5.30pm.