We circumnavigated the old town walls which are surrounded by a moat, the fountains were in full spray that night as our driver skilfully weaved in and out of the traffic. We suddenly found out the "girlie bar" district but that was only to take a short cut to the Kalare Night Bazzar - I wasn't allowed out of the vehicle.
The market was both indoors and out on the streets purveying everything you would ever need and lots you wouldn't: but buy anyway. Lynn was in her element and made a dint in our wallets; she found something to buy round every corner, all of it she informed me for our new house in Spain.
To be honest it's all part of the experience of being out here and just shows that a decent market can bring people into an area - it was packed with tourists. All shopped out we went back to the hotel for an earlyish night, the next day we were visiting Temples.
After breakfast the next morning we waited in reception for our old friend Mr Lop, remember he had picked us up from the station on our arrival. I'd phoned him the day before as he'd written his number on the city map he gave us - good thinking there Mr Lop.
Again, we were able to see a lot more of the city which was quickly heating up at half nine in the morning. We were first dropped off at Wat Phra Singh and then Wat Chedi Luang, impressed is too modest a word to describe what we saw in both these temples. The architecture was stunning and the gold inlaid decoration and adornments were just exquisite.
Almost spooky too me were the wax figures of past monks, strangely looking as if they were staring straight at you, were they really mummified or made of wax - hard to tell! You also had to remember these were not just tourist attractions but actual places of worship and homes to the monks. An air of senrenity prevailed within the the walls even with the hoards of people visiting them. We listened in to a service of worship, the chanting almost hypnotic whilst in the background local people prepared the monks' lunch. Mr Lop informed us his mother helps to prepare breakfast for monks, (At 3am), truly a local community activity.
Our next mission was to buy a ticket for the bus the following day to Chiang Rai, the next town on our itinerary. Mr Lop drove us to the Aarcade Bus Station on the right bank of the Mae Ping River, a chance to see a different part of the city and spotted a Chelsea fan on a scooter as we whizzed through the traffic - they bloody well get everywhere.
The bus station was ordered chaos. There was a ticket system to get your ticket. Go to a machine, select what you want to do, in our case book an advance ticket then wait for your number to come up. See, just like Argos!
We didn't have that long to wait and the bonus was the tickets only cost us £3.50 each for the three and a half hour journey. It also meant we wouldn't have to queue up with all the backpackers the next day.
Arriving back at the hotel we wished Mr Lop a fond farewell. He had come up trumps escorting us round the temples and getting us to the bus station for the tickets. We booked him again for the next morning to take us back for our bus. We ate more great Thai food in the hotel for a late lunch.
That evening we tried out two more bars from the Lonely Planet guide, Soho, a mere two minutes walk from the hotel and the Irish Pub in the old town.
Soho was fine and we even got talking to a Canadian called Steve whose dad was from Middlesborough. Lynn was still looking for that elusive glass of decent wine - she didn't find it here. We hailed the inevitable Tuk Tuk to the town centre and were duly disappointed by the welcome. The owner seemed to be a South African. A typical one at that, surly and unfriendly, however Lynn managed to find a half decent drop of wine. There was a quiz going on upstairs hosted by an American. It all sounded a bit boring, not a jot on the famous one in the York Hotel!!
We never ate that night, just back to the hotel for our last sleep in Chiang Mai - off further north in the morning.
"Lynn, don't let the bright lights draw you in...
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