25 Dec 2012, Tuesday
Overview:
We booked our transport at Your House Guesthouse to visit the Bhuping Royal Palace, Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep and a hill tribe village for THB 800/car. The lady boss told us the duration of the tour would be around 3 hours. Guess how long we took? 6 hours!!! Taking too many photos I think. The driver just bore with us happily.
We knew we could pay less if we opted for the public transport (tuk-tuk or songthaew) but the upside of having an exclusive driver is that we avoided the lengthy wait (to fill up the pick-up trucks) and we had better control of our time, since we needed to catch a bus from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai later. Not to mention, we got to travel in comfort up the hilly road to Doi Suthep.
In the evening, we boarded the Green Bus to Chiang Rai and checked in to the also lovely Baan Bua Homestay.
Excerpt from Wikitravel:-
“The locals say you’ve not experienced Chiang Mai until you’ve seen the view from Doi Suthep, eaten a bowl of kao soi, and purchased an umbrella from Bo Sang. Of course this is touristic nonsense, but the Kao Soi, Bo Sang umbrellas, and Doi Suthep are important cultural icons for Chiang Mai residents”
“Wat Phra Singh, … Probably Chiang Mai’s best-known temple…”
Oppss!!! We only covered Doi Suthep!
I’m sure I’m an organized person. But why am I this messy when it comes to unpacking?
Besides taking receipts, this is another way to avoid financial muddle for Ms. having-memory-like-sieve, for bookkeeping later.
Travel in comfort!
En route to Doi Suthep
This was not how I wanted myself to appear in photos!
Knowing that my Kathmandu jacket is not the right match for my Thai pants, I borrowed cardigan from Sue (I forgot why she did not bring her jacket, maybe for the same vain reason, haha!). Once we alighted from the car, Sue’s teeth were chattering so much that it’s only reasonable to let her have her cardigan back. My singlet was not enough to battle against the chill and it’s also not proper to visit the palace and the temple.
Solution: ad hoc purchase of this green top.
Hot Ovaltine: the panacea to end her chattering
Bhuping Palace: Flowers that look like transformers!
Bhuping Palace: Both in our “travel-partner-pants” *LES alert again!!!*
Bhuping Palace: Sue said I have fearless face! 8)
Bhuping Palace: Sue: I can really tell you learnt TaekwonDo before!
Bhuping Palace: Nice camouflage!
Bhuping Palace: Sue was smitten with this piece of writing:-
“This fountain is built in appreciation of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit’s gracious devotion: Her strength, Her kind heart as well as Her wealth for the happiness and well-being of her people. Her Majesty’s overflowing benevolence towards Her subject is just like celestial water that feeds the land of prosperity.”
Bhuping Palace: Nice carving! Look at the details it carries!
Bhuping Palace: Hehe. Something is not right with this translation! :p 此stir非彼stir! Haha!
Bhuping Palace: Real flowers (preserved via electroplating) as accessories! A pair of rose petal earrings for me and a rose necklace for Sue! ♥♥
The patient driver who bore with our below-average-speed (BAS).
Day 1: Bangkok | Day 2: Chiang Mai 1 | Day 3: Chiang Mai 2 | Day 4: Chiang Mai – Chiang Rai (b) | Day 5: Chiang Rai | Day 6: Chiang Rai – Chiang Khong | Day 7: Chiang Khong – Laos | Sue’s
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