CHIANG MAI Day 13

Monday 15th We felt it was about time we explored the streets behind ‘Wat Kate’ and the easiest way to reach them was to walk through the temple grounds. At this time of the morning it was quiet as the children were just about to escape lessons for lunch. The monks have been busy building a bamboo frame around the small gateway and inside we can see they have been busy constructing a boat for the Lantern Festival. At the moment it is full of fireworks so that explains the noise in the early evening and at daybreak as the gates are looking during the night. On the appropriate date of the festival a candle will be placed in the boat where it will float down river with hundreds of other such floats. Reaching the back of the temple we followed a very quiet road going in a circular route and passing one or two small eating places. At a large school we were surprised to see a goat on the lawn area and beyond several cattle and as we walked along we had to stand to one side to let a truck by which carried the most lovely looking smoky grey bullock heading for the school. It appeared to be a normal school in a largely Muslim area but we wondered if it was an agricultural college. Back home we returned to laze by the pool until it was time to leave for lunch and the tailors.
The young lady who owns ‘Thai Thai’ was so pleased with the photographs of her one year old but once baby had hold of them we thought she was going to screw them up even though they were in a small polythene bag. She wanted to kiss the picture as she recognised her Mum. When we were about to leave a retired American University Professor arrived just to say “hello” to baby. An interesting man who taught Psychology to art students at a University where rich parents paid 35,000 dollars a year for their spoilt brats to be educated! He now lived in Chiang Mai with a 50 year old Lanna Thai woman (proud of being referred to as Lanna than Thai) and now lectured around the world knowing much about Thai tribes and also about China and its people. We were now running late and would love to have talked more with him as he was very interesting and amusing.
Keith’s fitting was perfect despite his concerns at Jack saying his waist was 38 when being measured! A young couple followed us in and as David, the Manager, took 2 shirts and a pair of trousers off a hanger I naturally assumed they were for the man. So you can imagine my surprise when the woman went into the fitting room. Everything sorted and hands shaken we walked back home.
Before going to eat I wanted to visit the night bazaar in search of another pashmina. The crowds were no-where as bad as Sunday’s Walking Street but there was not much room to pass through the rows of stalls. Eventually I found a stall with a variety of scarves on sale and looked at one that was reversible and so began the battering. She began at 250 and would only go as low as 220. I began at 100 and would only go as high as 120 as there were plenty of other stalls selling similar items. Keith was very proud of me when she accepted 120. We walked on to a restaurant by part of the moat and regretted not taking our cameras as there were more illuminated floats in the water. Good food in ‘Pop in’ restaurant which was situated between ‘Pop in hire vehicles, Pop in coffee and Pop in tours. I was a little concerned as there seemed to be no-one inside but as soon as we were seated more diners arrived including a large party of Russians. Sitting behind me at a large table as in ‘we want to be together’ they wanted European food and each one wanted to know the cost. They even went so far as to share some of the drinks! Our waited spotted me having yet another hot flush and immediately brought another free standing fan close our our table for which I grateful but Keith was not! The older waiter was being very patient with the Russians but found time to inform us he was a tuk tuk driver by day and at 4pm until midnight he waited on tables in this restaurant. Not being one to miss a change he gave us a note with his name, telephone number and tuk tuk number before we left. As we had done so much walking today we thought we deserved a tuk tuk home.
Keith sat out on our balcony and after a while I went to bed. I heard him talking to Opas as he took a stroll around the grounds before he too retired for the night and asking where I was. He was surprised to find I had gone to bed so early.