Well Fuelled

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We packed our bags and checked out of our cosy little room which has been home for the last week. We took a leisurely walk towards the train station, stopping first to buy snacks for the train (peanut brittle) and then for an early lunch. We found a little stall selling Pad Kra Pao (stir fried pork
and holy basil) and a stir fried chicken dish. We ordered one of each but opted not to have a fried egg on top. However, half way through our meal the lovely lady who ran the stall, who didn't speak English, came over and gave us a big smile... and a fried egg each. We accepted the eggs and she then offered us some more rice. A few minutes later back she came with another big smile and an onion omelette for us to share, together with some sauce which she indicated we must put on the egg. The whole meal was aroy (delicious)! When we came to pay she was only going to charge us for the original meal we had ordered, not all the extras but as everything was so good and served with such a lovely smile we felt we should pay more. Lots more smiling and a big thank you from us and we were on our way again.

Our train was a little late arriving and when it did it was packed so there was standing room only. After a couple of stops some seat became available and we sat and chatted and swapped travel stories with some other travellers. The young girl was from Ireland and was working as an English teacher in Pattaya, Thailand. We have not seen many other westerners since we arrived in Thailand but that changed the moment we stepped off the train in Chiang Mai, there are tourists from all over the world ...everywhere!


As we left the station one of the wheels on Darryl's bag came loose so we stopped at the side of the road to try and mend it but needed a screwdriver. Luckily some people with a stall at the side of the road had one we could borrow. Whilst Darryl mended his bag Christine was given a seat to sit on and some bananas to eat, Thai people are truly lovely!

We checked into our accommodation and then went in search of food. Settling on a little stall at the night market where the lady who had ran the stall for 30 years insisted we sat with her as she told us about her son who lives on the Isle of Wight. She had visited England last year but found it very expensive!

After dinner we walked through various night markets. Each stall seemed to be selling the same items for the tourists  - souvenirs, t-shirts ... not like the local markets we had been used to in Lampang.


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