Stevenjking.co.uk

Have now arrived in Chiang Mai, and have booked into a guest house. Is nice and cheap at aprox 2.50 per night for a single room with fan cooling. Air con would have been nice, but given that I am going to be going off trekking over the next few days and shall be staying in basic wooden huts I should probably get used to the warmer conditions.
I didn’t manage to get that much sleep on the train in the end as every time I got to sleep I would be woken not that much later by a noisy bit of track or the trains horn. I was slightly concerned one time when I woke up as the train had changed directions of travel whilst I was asleep.

So two days in Bangkok have gone well. Not sure if it is my type of place, with the constant hassling you get from Tuk-Tuk drivers trying to find out where you are going so that they can take you there and also to places that you don’t want to go so that they can get a reward for taking you there.
Driving regulations seem to be almost non existent. The light can be green for a pedestrian crossing but you will still get cars jumping the red lights and passing in front of you, especially if they are turning left. Mopeds driving the wrong way down a lane of traffic, on the pavements and even down the little gaps between market stalls all seem to be a regular.
Am currently taking the night train to Chiang Mai. It should be a good way not to waste a day, and also save a nights stay at a hostel. I will probably get a day time train back so that I can see what the darkness currently outside my window looks like.
Slightly concerning is the fact that one of the train staff needs to carry a handgun with him, hopefully it will keep us safe. Anyway the conductor has just come and set my seat into the night time position, so I should probably try and get some sleep.

After a a delayed departure from Heathrow and a long flight I arrived at 16:15 local time on Saturday, about 45 mins later than scheduled. A bus ride then took me to the hostel. The hostel has been pleasent and I was glad of the air, although it is only switched on in the bedrooms between 8pm and 8am.

Yesterday I visited various temples (photos to come soon) and also a large weekend market. Today will be more seeing of sights in Bankok before taking the sleeper train up north to Chiang Mai.