The Long Walk
As we left the centre of Chiang Mai the tourists disappeared and there were far more locals. We found a little restaurant owned by an old lady so decided to stop for brunch. Our route became a little more complicated as we headed amongst the houses. No roads were straight anymore but they wound their way all over the place. We counted the 1 Baht water machines where we fill our bottles. They were few and far between in the centre but here they were on every street corner. Dogs blocked some of our preferred route. We were charged by a pack of dogs who suddenly stopped as they got to us. We think the dog opposite them and locked in behind a gate may have put them off. He looked really mean and growled as they got closer.
The roads got straighter once again as more traffic appeared. We spotted a sign at quite a fancy restaurant selling khao soi, a local dish from Chiang Mai. It was a good price. In fact cheaper than we had seen on the streets. We had to have some and it was delicious! Khao soi is curry noodles with crispy noodles on top.
It rained a little but only a few spots so shelter wasn't required. We continued along main roads before taking a little side street. We were surprised as we passed a boutique bakery. There, parked outside were 2 white Ferraris! It must be the place in Chiang Mai to stock up on your bread and cakes! The road became narrower and jn the distance a really old temple appeared surrounded by a local market. We stopped to take a few photos and to sample the wares. A small stall selling something wrapped in banana leaves took our fancy. They were coconut jelly sweets with banana inside. Very nice. We also picked up a black grass jelly drink. The only problem being that it came in a bag and we had no straw. We managed to use a spoon but got a little sticky.
Not much further to go. However another pack of dogs put us off the entry to the road. We therefore took an alternative option. The road became unmade and unnamed but following the GPS coordinates took us straight to the door. We confirmed with the owner that we were in the right place and he welcomed us in with a big smile.
The remainder of the evening was spent playing with balloons with the family's daughter and talking with a 2nd guest from Turkey. He was working in Thailand as a teacher and knew more about British history than we did!
