Elephant Ride

Not knowing what to expect from the tour i booked, i was surprised to board this... four wheel drive with a modified back

It was just me and a couple from China. Good to have a tiny tour group

At first i felt cheated to tour in a vehicle with no aircond. Then i realized a four wheel drive is needed for the kind of terrain we travelled through. Later learned that this vehicle is called a songtao and that its common in Chiang Mai

Slept most of the journey but once in a while i'll get up to look at some sights. Got up to see people riding elephants! Went back to sleep and when i got up, its my turn!

Baybeetea smiles, she's got her own elephant! Hehhe. No, wait, I shared my mine with the elephant trainer's son

The cute little kid in the blue cap just climbed up and sat on the elephant's neck without a saddle. There was a stream along the path and since it was such a hot day, the elephants took the liberty to stop and chill out for a while

Hot day = great pictures =) Glad i brought my hat.

I bought a comb of bananas to feed the elephant for 20Baht. Even before i got on the elephant, it snatched the bananas from my hand!!! The trainer tried to save some of the bananas, only managed to save four!

The elephant ate the rest of the bananas in one bite, with the skin on. I kept the remiander next to me while on the ride. The elephant will curl its trunk up this way for u to feed it

Being a blogger, i didn't let go the banana till i got a few shots of the process =P

Three bananas was enough for me to take photos for the blog, yay! =) The last banana fell from the saddle seat...

The little boy's father took this photo for us! =) And i took a picture of the other couple
Thats the stream that the elephant has to cross

Some of the Thai people mistake me as the couple's daughter. Sigh, just because we're of the same colour. And maybe also because it is rare for an Asian girl to travel solo

The end of the elephant ride. The view was awesome, the sunshine doesnt bother me. One hour ride didnt feel long to me

Merry Christmas 2010!

On the 21st December i went shopping for presents. Last minute but i managed to get all six gifts i planned to get.
On the 23rd I spent a few hours sitting on the floor wrapping them up =) Giving feels good.
On the 25th, i'll watch...

Alone in Chiang Mai

The girls and i had a flight ticket from Bangkok to KL booked. Only 3 of them went back, i burned mine and flew to Chiang Mai instead! Alone, without any hotels booked!

In the airport, i did some research and decided to stay at Jonadda guesthouse, so upon arrival in Chiang Mai i took a cab to my destination. The taxi driver dropped me off at a main street, he said he cant drive in the little Soi (street), said that i had to walk in.

There were no signs for the guesthouse and i wasnt sure if i wanted to go through narrow lanes at night. Plan B: walk along main road to look for accomodation. With my bags weighing a total of 17kg!

Tired of walking with all my bags in the scorching Thailand afternoon sun, i picked Rama Guesthouse for 300Baht a night. It has a nice garden

Took a shower and read the Lonely Planet. Felt like staying in but dragged myself out to get my tours booked =)

The tour agent told me about the Sunday Walking Night Market

Followed the directions i was given, walked along what i thought was a river. Later i looked at the map and it was weird that the river is a perfect square!

Couple of days later, i was told that it is a man-made moat and not a river! Hehehe

Rachadamnoen Road, where the night market is located. A long street from the East Wall of the Moat all the way to Wat Prasigh, just before the West Wall

The East Wall, it has a name, later became the landmark for meeting new found friends in Chiang Mai =)

Twilight that day was absolutely awesome!

Just after sunset and before dark, my photos turned out to die for!

I loved the atmosphere, locals outnumbered tourists, temples lined the street.

Local Thai girls bought a skirt, unique Chiang Mai tribal design i presume. The saleslady charged her 150Baht although it was written 180 Baht. I was pleasantly surprised that they saleslady let me buy the skirt for the same price, no special tourist rip-off inflated prices

Ancient stone carving

Scarfs! Cheapie cheapie!! If i wasn't backpacking, i'd love to buy more and sell online !

Brass earrings. Stupid me thought it was 5 Baht a pair (RM0.50), so i spend a long time looking through and selecting so many many pairs!

The old man was nice and packed them neatly for me. Its a proven theory: a crowd attracts a crowd. There was no one at his stall, but because this blogger was standing there looking at the earrings, more people came to look, a few people were buying the earrings as i chose.

I got a shock when it was time to pay for my earrings, i missed out a zero, it was 50Baht a pair = RM5 per pair or AUD 1.60 =( I dont want to buy anything at that price but because i stood there for a long time, i just paid for one pair!

Goods and craft sold in the Sunday Night Market is a world of difference from what was offered in Bangkok markets. The daily Chiang Mai bazaar on a separate street is as boring as Bangkok night markets though.

I also noticed that Thai people love their little toy dogs. The sellers bring their toy dogs to work at the market. Each one of them had a little bed and blanket for the pampered little dog

I spent three whole hours at the night market! =) Loved it. Then i went to an internet cafe to email and update my Facebook status

More on Thailand, click here

Shopping in Bangkok !

The girls and i stayed in Pratunam. While Kao San Road is the Western tourist district of Bangkok, this is the Asian section! Walking distance to many malls including

Platinum Fashion Mall

In Feb 2009, my senior at work recommended this mall. I have a hard time remembering name places so i wrote it on a digital post it note and looked at it everyday... Most Malaysians who's been to Bangkok, have been there

Rows of street stalls everywhere! Clothes, souveniors and food. A picture from the overhead bridge, much like my first trip to Bangkok (where i happened to stay in the Middle Eastern tourist area of Bangkok, Nana)

Daylight
&

nightfall

According to AN, Platinum used to be dirt cheap. Now its just mildly cheap, since the sellers know there'll always be tourists, you cant get much bargaining done

Day 2 was a temples and palace day, we nearly got cheated which was hilarious. By 4pm we were already templed out, went back to rest and eat before heading to Suan Lum Night Market, where i did the Fish Spa

There were some Black American girls there and one of them was screaming like mad... Oh, someone else told me about Suan Lum market, i cant remember who, but i wrote it down on another digital Post-it-Note on my personal laptop

Day 3 was another shopping day! Walked to Central World to look for Naraya, recommended by Valdez Lisa

Three of us went crazy, looking at almost everything while the fourth lady got sick and tired of the merchandise! Yeah, the only people who shopped here are Asians!

No idea much time we spent in there, but it was LONG! Hahah. Followed by MBK =)

Day 4, Friday was assigned to the floating market and on Day 5, Saturday, its gotta be

Chatuchak Weekend Market!

Another "Must Do" when you are on The Shopping Vacation. Honestly, i hated it. At first. I didnt want souveniers and i didnt want decorative items and we were stuck in those areas for hours before we found the clothing area =)

The open air area of the market can look quite appealing but let me tell u, it was chaos! The scorching heat makes it no better

Chatuchak is HUGE and endless yet i managed to bump into an ex-colleague there in the clothing section!!! She was also on a Shopping Vacation =)

After Chatuchak, the 4 of us were so beat and tired, exhausted and dehydrated we went back for a shower and an afternoon nap!

Rabster

In July i've mentioned that the cousins i live with in Melbourne have a pet rabbit. Two Saturdays ago, my cousins noted that Rabster was unwell. They were going to Perth for holiday and so i said i'll observe Rabster and take him to the vet if he didnt get better

He used to be very active, hops in circles around u when u go into the backyard but the day i brought him to the vet, he was hiding behind some bicycles and he didnt move much, i had to move stuff to get him. Normally doesnt stuggle when carried but this time he did.

Above, skinny Rabster. Below, taken a few weeks back, my little cousin playing with a fat fluffy Rabster

At the vet, there was a trainee vet and an experienced one. The senior one asked the trainee what sympthons are visible. She said them out and diagnosed Rabster with maximatosis, the senior vet said she was right.

Clueless me thought it wasnt a big deal... until the senior vet looked at me and started saying "There is nothing u could have done....", immediately i realised what was happening! Nooooo

Poor Rabster, tears formed in my eyes, i asked them if Rabster could survive till my cousins came home. They said no. A wild rabbit virus, spread by flies and mosquitos, treatment costly and unlikely leads to recovery. They said Rabster is one very sick rabbit =( They recommended euthenesia as the best option. I called my aunt to make the decision...

I took a few last pictures of Rabster. And gave him a goodbye kiss, it was so sad seeing the vet wrap him up in a towel, he looked so tiny and helpless. I started to carry an empty cage out

The vet was very sweet and sympathetic, she surprised me when she said "You go home now, we'll send the bill later". I went back to the car and cried...

A few days later, i received a mail from the vet.

I thought it was the bill for the consultation and euthenesia but instead it was a card

Soooo sweet, they dont do that in Malaysia!

Eating in Bangkok

On our first night in Bangkok (Oct 2010 trip), we ordered different things from street stalls along the way home and shared just to get a taste of everything. While waiting for our food at one of the stalls, we noticed their electricity supply

Maximum utilisation!

We ate at restaurants in the mall too

My tom yum wasnt good and it was expensive =( Dinner in the food court sucks as well. Never bother trying Thai food court food.

KFC green curry is good. McDonalds... i liked the spinash pie, weird since i am not a veggie person!

Street stalls are the best to me =)

This lady cooks really good food, we had a feast! Had to wait long for a table but it was worth it, we came back the next day but she was closed =(

I wanted to order a coconut but was worried, how do you hold them while eating? YY knew better, because of where she was sitting, she saw this

To be used this way

Hahah, we laughed so much! Each coconut costs 20Baht. Cool and so so sweet, only RM2.10.

In KL you'll need to pay RM3 at the very least =( About 9 years ago i used to get coconuts on the way home from school. Back then it costs only RM1.80

Another favourite of mine, noodle soup!!!!

Love it love it love it! Usually 40 Baht. And the stalls that sell them always have various types of chilli and SUGAR (the white powder in the picture below)

Such a sinful trip, so much shopping and eating =)