Thursday, September 13, 2012

Lazy day in Chiang Mai

The sun is out and blazing down now in the north of TH... young Eve is off communing with the pachyderms so Lala and I are left to wander the streets and sweat in the sun... we slept in (first time in a while and much needed I think, it's amazing how run down you get when constantly on the go, even if 'holidaying') and then treated ourselves to McDonalds for lunch just for a change... I love trying different versions of McD's etc in other countries... McD's Thailand has such added wonders as chicken with rice, cheese and Wasabe dips for fries, spicy chicken burgers, and crispy chicken pieces. I got a double fillet of fish and covered it in Wasabe dipping sauce... genius!!

After that we decided a massage might be in order as my crook back has been getting steadily worse with taxi rides, truck rides, tuk tuk rides, bus rides, sleeping in trains etc etc... we found a nice upmarket traditional Thai massage place and both got an hour of prodding and kneading The poor girl trying to sort my back out climbed all over me like a kid on a jungle gym and even went so far as walking on my thighs but I just don't think she had the weight to make any real difference, though her elbows and knees jammed into my sore muscles certainly didn't go unnoticed. Still, we came out feeling relaxed and refreshed so all good I suppose, and you can't really complain for $15. Once Eve gets back we will probably head for a wander around the sizeable night markets and find something a little more interesting for dinner.

Tomorrow the girls are off to an all-day cooking class (I have graciously declined, I don't want to embarrass the teachers by showing them up with my superb cooking talents) which should have them set to cook up a storm for everyone on our return home. I am not sure what I will do with the day, given I am apparently banned from hiring a big motorcycle and heading for the horizon... I did see there was a gun club somewhere local that shoots at the army range every morning but it doesn't look to be anything too exciting. The girl at the hotel suggested I go on a fishing charter and catch myself a 40kg catfish, but it's just not the same fishing on your own. I dunno... might just sleep in and watch some tv for first time in a month! Counting down the days until Bali and some quality relaxing poolside...

This instalment brought to you by the eternally legendary Tom Waits, as soon as we got on the Bkk-Chiang Mai Express the other night the only thing I could think of was his masterful "Train Song" and an endless string of other amazing, mournful, humourous, heartbreaking and riotous songs he has produced in the last thirty or more years. Mr Waits is a true one of a kind and has been numbered amongst the greatest musicians of the last century, so anything you find will be amazing... possibly go for something early like the amazing 'Rain Dogs' or something more recent like 'Blood Money', 'The Mule Variations' or the amazing set called 'Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers and Bastards'.

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