Chiang Mai Feb 17

We stayed out way too late last night, but it was really fun.  I woke up pretty hung over and went downstairs to try to get the room for one more night.  They're full.  Oops.  Tim was pretty hung over in the morning too.

Coconut Coffee!

I went downstairs with the plan of relaxation for the day - going to go to the park, read a book, get a much needed mani/pedi (not gonna lie, my feet are starting to look a bit busted).  However, I ran into Derik and we went for coffee and breakfast.  One thing I love about traveling is meeting so many other people and talking about life and the world.  You don't get that experience when you stay in hotels.  I really enjoy hostels.

Common Room in the hostel.  People can chill, watch tv, read books or work on the computer (like I'm doing now)

Tim made it downstairs eventually and we went in search of motorcycles for our drive to Pai.  Then walked around One Nimman, a different side of town that is outside the old city.  It was cute, but man it's hot here.

During the walk, there are just temples everywhere.

The guys are planning to teach me to drive a manual motorcycle.  Since I've already done the Semi Auto... hopefully it goes ok.

Huge mall in Nimman.

We stopped for lunch.  Omg it was delish.

Chiang Mai Feb 16

I meant to get up early today, but I slept in until almost 9.  We really should have started earlier.  I met Margarita (German girl) downstairs, we caught a songthaew to a trailhead to hike the Monks Trail.  He tried to charge us 200baht but we talked him down to 160.  I should have tried harder.  He dropped us several blocks from the hiking spot, so that sucked.

Started the trail at 9:45.  The first 45 minutes were nice and then we came to a beautiful temple.

Trail head

Waterfalls along the way

Bridge

First views of the temple Wat Pha Lat

The rest of the hike was pretty hot and miserable.  It took us an hour and felt like it would just never end.  The temple at the top was INCREDIBLE but we were both so exhausted and hot/tired that we didn't even feel like looking around.  I tried to take some good pictures.

Like the official sign?

The trail was basically vertical

Power lines anyone?

Dad i took this photo for you... wtf?

This is me when I wanted to die, but still smiling

I keep thinking it's almost over.... 

But it's not

Never over lol But the trail did take us in through the back of the temple, which was kinda cool

There was no way to avoid having people posing in my photos.  I need to come back really early one day

Wat Doi Suthep 

Not eating and not bringing any water on the hike were Major mistakes.  Also I need to come back and take some muc prettier photos.  I look hot tired and in hiking gear lol.

We took a songthaew back to the hostel, only 60 baht this time and we met some awesome people in it.  We shared ideas on where to go and what to do around Chaing Mai during the 45 minute ride.  A songthaew is a pickup truck that they put benches in and they crowd as many people as possible.  It's pretty scary honestly, but it's an experience.

My friend, Tim, (that I met on the cruise in HaLong Bay and I also visited the elephants with) arrived in Chiang Mai today.  He text me about grabbing drinks when I got back, but I was dead and passed out for a bit.  Then we went and walked around the city.  It was so nice visiting temples after 5pm because there were no tourists.  We did get stopped by some Thai girls who were doing interviews with foreigners for a school project.

Stopped for hippie coffee

We couldn't get the full monument with both of us in it too haha

The girl who interviewed us.  I look terrible.

So nice coming to visit at night because there were no tourists.

Sunset by the temple.

We went back to the hostel to go the roof for happy hour.  It's a great place to meet people!  They were playing country music lol

We made friends and all went to the street market for dinner

Everyone wants to visit this lady because she was featured on Anthony Bourdain

Everyone at dinner

Durian Sticky Rice!  Some people love it and some people hate it.  Then we went out to karaoke haha.  I sang gangsters paradise... it was terrible.  All the bars close at midnight, so then everyone goes to the after bar "Spicy" and the after after bar is called Las Vegas.  We got home pretty late.