My Trip up North: Bangkok,Chiang Rai, Chaing mai, Mae Soi/Burma, Surat Thani

Hey Everyone; First i would like to say i had an amazing trip and saw so much of this beautiful counrty that i am living in, also a big sorry for no updates but hopefully this will keep you happy and you will Enjoy all the pictures of everything i have seen.


Day 1(Oct 26th)-phuket-surat thani-Bangkok
so i woke up really early to get everything ready to go on the trip, i wasnt leaving phuket till 4 so i did alot of running around. in the morning me and katie went to patong to pick something up and also hit the beach to say bye to everyone. it was sad, waving goodbye to everyone on the bus back to phuket town, like i wasnt coming back or something, aam almost didnt let me go. when i go back in town i had to say bye to katie and met the driver to go to immigration to get my passport stamped. after that i went to the bank to fix my account(which took forever) after that i came home packed the rest of my stuff as fast as i could and flew to the bus station meeting Adjan Sawnsri & fern, we got on the mini bus and left for a 4hr drive to surat thani, we got in surat about 7;30, koon Tee met us there at the train station. our train was delayed till 11, but eventually came and we jus went right to bed and in the morning we were in bangkok.

Day 2(Oct 27th) Bangkok-Chiang Rai
so we arrived in bangkok around 8 in the morning, 7 buses picked all of us on the tour and took us to the hotel. since we were sleeping on the train, they took us to a hotel to get showers and eat breakfast we had till 10;00, then we were off to the grand palace, it was so beautiful the arcitecture was amazing, like the crystals, and everything so much detail. we had a few hours there then we go back on the busses and start on our way to chaing rai, we drove all night, and at about 8 we stoped for supper, somewhere i dont remember where it was. the bus was extremly uncomfortable but i lived haha.

Day3(Oct 28th)Chiang Rai
we arrived really early in the morning at the hotel, a few degress cooler as well, seeing we now are in the north of thailand, but jus like a cool morning in canada, but so much hotter in the day. anyway so we got our room keys, put all our stuff in the room, and ate some breakfast, had time for showers then it was time to leave again. Today we went to Doi Tung mtn, there was a beautiful temple and alot of different statutes and northern flags. there was also this famous bell and if u made it ring, it would be so loud the gods would be able to hear your call, it was so heavy i barly got it to ring, it was fun tho. After we left the temple thier was a gift shop and i bought a silver braclet that has elephants on it, cheap as well 100baht. After we went to the kings mothers palace also on Doi tung mtn. It was so beautful,the view of the cliffs, mtn;s, even the house was beautiful too. she had this amazing garden with so many different kinds of flowers and plants it was so beautiful, i thought of my both my grandmothers they would of loved it.
After that we went to burma/Mae soi(thailand) for some shopping for a few hours. I bought alot of louis vuittion stuff, watch purse and hat, for under 1000baht, also 7cds for 100 baht. (thai music tho, my fav bands here) p.s thai music is good!!! I wish i had more cash on me tho, i love cheap shopping haha. After shopping, we had lunch close to the boarder then head back to the hotel in chaing rai. Tonight had the travel agencey (Bon Journey) had some activities during dinnner(tho i have to say southern food is much better) for us, like games for the kids and kareoke, also a fire show, and best dressed in northern thai outfit. me and my family dressed up, but i didnt have a shirt jus the skirt. It was fun tho. I also met a girl on the trip who was a previous YE to texas and now is studing in bangkok, and were the same age so i had someone to hang out with along with ferne. Before we went to bed, we got to do a northern ritual, which is called loi gratong, (but this is on nov 5th) but in the north they use this paper ballon, and light a candle and send it in the air for goodluck, and also to lose your sins, in the south they do the same this but this is done in the water, its a bouquet made from banana leafs and flowers, candles and incense, and u send in the water for forgiveness of bad use of water or things u have done, also many young people do this for goodluck like for marriege and wish to be together for along time, almost like valentines day.

Day 4(Oct 29th) Chaing Rai-Chaing mai
the next morning we had to pack our things and head on our way to chaing mai, along the way we went to this beautiful temple, wich was my favorite of all of the temples ive seen so far in thailand. It was white to symbolize heaven and, when u walk over the bridge thiers hands coming out of the ground, to immitate hell, so amazing, everything about it. The guy who built it made it in england and brang it back piece by piece back here, hes also a famous thai artist, and his art is incredible(adam u would of loved his gallery). After that we went to a hot spring, and did some shopping, then we went out had supper, and then to the hotel, and after did more shopping at walking street, its this huge night market on the road in chaing mai, i bought a few
things here.

Day 5(Oct 30th)Chaing mai-bangkok
In the moring we went to "mesa Elephant camp" saw a elephant show, which the elephants were trained to paint pictures, it was amazing. they even hold the world record for "the most expensive painting done by a group of elephants" we even saw the painting. its so unreal. we also saw two baby elephants that were so cute! i want to bring one home to canada!!!! haha
After that we went to chaing mai zoo, to see the panda bears they were so lazy haha but so cute!
after the zoo we went to eat supper, and then did some more shopping and it was back on the bus to bangkok. we drove all night again and we watch posiden along the way.

Day 6(oct 31st) Bangkok-Phuket
so today was our last day of the trip, so our bus dropped us off and my host dads office in bangkok(chevron building) we got there about 4;00 in the morning so i like slet on a bench, believe it or not it was more confortable than the bus lol. we left our luggage there and went downtown in bangkok, by train, which was a cool experience. we went to siam shopping mall, which is probly the most expensive mall ive ever been in, like every desginer name u can think of haha at that moment i wish i was rich. after some shopping we went to the aquarium and saw sharks, fish, penguins, and all sorts of sealife it was a really cool place. we went to another mall looked around there, went to a internet library and killed some time, after that we had to go back to get our luggage and get a taxi to the airport, to go back to phuket. our plane left at 9;00 we got in phuket about 10;00 and didnt get back to the house until like 11, i was leaing to surat thani at 8;00 so i jus stayed at adjan swansri's house for the night.

Day 7(Nov 1st) Phuket-Surat thani
i woke up at 6;00 got a shower and koon boonrit picked me up and dropped me off at the bus station, my bus left at 8;00 so a long drive it was,about 3hrs. once in surat, a rotary member from surat picked me up and took me to lunch, we then headed to suan mookh(the temple to learn meditaion). once there i got all my things for my room and got set up, my room was my bed, with a straw mat, wooden pillow ,mesh to away the flies and nitted blanket. i was late arriving so i had to stay in my room till the excercise started, in this place u couldnt talk to anyone and walking everyone looked like zombies, when i was in my room i was trying to relax, but it was dark and no electricity. so it was hard, my body was so restless and i couldnt stop shaking, i got more restless because i didnt know what was happening to me, my throat started swelling and i couldnt breathe, it was so messed up, i went to talk to the girl in charge because i didnt know what to do, i tryed to sit and wait it out but it wasnt working, i think if i didnt travel for 6 days in a row non-stop id be able to relax, so i decided instead of ruining anyone elses experience here i would leave. i wish i did this another time bc i think it would help me alot, but owell eh. so at about 9;00 the rotarian who dropped me off, came to get me. Another girl in the camp wanted to leave too, her name was gabbi, she was from sweden. when we got in surat we ate dinner and then helped find gabbi a hotel, then went to the pier where there was night boats to koh samuoi island. I stayed with the YE in surat, marsha from flordia. it was cool to meet a new exchange student, same age as me, but shell be turning 20 soon. the next morning i was on a bus back to phuket.

all in all i had a fantasic trip i hope everyone loves the pictures ans so sorry for my lack of updates!!!!!
love u all--Elyse