Motorbikes and Thai nightclubs

After the cooking course I had a brainwave to hire a scooter to get around, avoid taxi's and do some exploring around the city without having to go on a tour!
I met up with Courtney, a friend of a friend back home, who very kindly offered to show us around and came with us for a trip up to Wat Doi Suthep, set up on a hill about 45 minutes from Chiang Mai.

I had had one lesson on riding a motorbike in the Amazon once, and another time I was on such a bad date that when I saw the guy's scooter I said I wanted a ride, got a quick lesson and managed to escape for a half hour.

That's enough, and luckily here they ride on a civilised side of the road, the right. Yes RIGHT as in correct.

Filling up for the long ride up to Doi Suthep

In the hectic traffic
 It was a welcome ride - the wind in my face helped fend of the violent nausea from the remnants of my shrimp poisoning and as my nausea tablets did not recommend driving or operating heavy machinery I decided to sacrifice feeling normal again to ferry Evy to the top of the mountain.

A winding drive to the top later and near-wipeout on at least one corner got us to the temple - oh and about a million steps!

Fran, Maxine, Jo and Courtney at the foot of the stairs

View over Chiang Mai
Monks wandering around

Thai girls dancing outside the temple

There were many Thai people giving blessings, getting their fortunes or getting blessed by monks. Evy and I went to get blessed by this monk, ie he sprinkled us with water,  blessed a piece of string and another man tied it around our wrist as a monk is not allowed to touch a woman.

In search of yet more luck - because who can have too much right, I decided to get my fortune. Which entails shaking a container full of sticks (after making a donation) pulling one out and finding the corresponding number and its fortune written on a piece of paper.

Shaking and pulling

hmmmmmmmmm

In search of a bit of authentic-ness, late one evening we stumbled across a giant lit-up nightclub swarming with funky Thai youngsters. There was no cover charge ( I think Max thrust her boobs a little for that) and as we walked in we were assailed with the soulful sounds of a band on stage and pleasantly surprised to see we were the only farang in the bar - success!!!

As most of the Thai people you meet are trying to sell you something, this was a welcome change and we spent a lot of time just people-watching, studying the outrageous fashions and hairstyles. We were also warmly received, with the band acknowledging us, asking us where we were from and the lead singer even kissed my hand. (I probably made an enemy of a million young girls who may or may not have been worshipping that guy for years). After the band the DJ took over and we danced for hours to a mixture of Thai and Western music. It was FUN FUN FUN!!!

Le band!

 

Max and Fran

  P-p-p Poker Face 







Some competition thingy

              

This guy kept trying to talk to me, and we had this conversation about ten times:

"What's your name?" - Fran
"Sorry I don't speak English." - " I don't speak Thai"
*shrugs shoulders, smile and carry on dancing*