Chiang Mai

When we left Koh Tao, we decided to go through Bangkok and push on all the way up to Chiang Mai. This turned into a 33 hour mega-trek that included 3 hours on a boat, 8 hours on a coach, 15 hours on a train, taxis, a bus and a tuk-tuk, not to mention an awful lot of waiting. When we finally got to our hotel never known 2 people more in need of a shower and a beer in my life!

The next day we hired a moped and explored (read: got lost). The centre of Chiang Mai is an old walled and moated city that was built in the 13th century. Although it's Thailand's 2nd city, it has none of the glitzy development of Bangkok, instead it retains it's charm as the old city spills beyond the city walls and spreads out for a few miles in every direction. Still, a city is a city and the main attraction to Chiang Mai (apart from a few impressive temples) is the surrounding area, so we resolved to go to Pai, 4 hours north-west, the next day as several people had recommended it.

In the meantime, that night Kerri decided she would like to have a go on the moped, as up until then she had only ever been a pillion rider. Coincidently we were only 200 metres away from our hotel, so I said she could ride it back and I'd walk there.

Instead of this, Kerri wobbled her way across the road and stacked it straight into a row of parked mopeds outside a bar almost opposite where I was sitting. I rushed across, suggesting as I went that now was probably a good time to let go of the throttle. Fortunately Kerri was alright, but unfortunately she had crashed directly opposite the place we hired it from. I quickly pulled the bike up and urged Kerri to jump on before Mr. Beer noticed that it was one of his bikes causing the commotion. When we were safe and on a quieter bit of road, I asked her if she'd like to try again, and off she went at a much slower pace. Five minutes later I was starting to worry, but she came back safe and sound. However, it took her 3 hours to admit she had fallen off again, this time at a set of traffic lights.

Luckily for her, Mr. Beer didn't check the bike when I took it back, and fortunately for all of us Kerri has sworn never to ride a bike again.