Day 24: Chiang Mai - Buddhas n Boob massages

I really like Chiang Mai. It's very different from everywhere else I've been and feels more authentically Thai. It's bloody hot here too. It was 38 degrees today, but it's a dry kind of heat like a sauna, so you don't really sweat which is nice. I checked into my hotel and chatted to Matt, the English owner, for a bit. He's lived here for 8 years and is actually really cute (although I would later discover, rather disappointingly, that he was married to a beautiful Thai woman).

I headed out to explore and visit a few temples. There's literally one on every street and they're pretty impressive. For lunch I went to a place I'd heard about called Khao Soi, which is a northern Thai dish with chicken and noodles in a curry sauce. It was delicious, although I managed to end up wearing most of it when I attempted to use chopsticks. It cost me 35 baht, which is 80p. 

I went to an ex convict massage clinic today for an oil massage. I spent most of the hour wondering what crime she could have possibly committed, and surmised that it wasn't anything too violent as her touch was very gentle. I'm thought maybe drug possession. That was disappointing for me as I was wanting, and expecting, firm pressure. It did get rather uncomfortable when she asked me to turn over and started massaging my breasts. Given she was in a Thai women's prison, I found the situation rather uncomfortable and found it really hard not to laugh during. 

This evening I went to a food market at the North Gate to visit the infamous cowgirl who serves up stewed pork and rice. Her stand is the busiest in the market and the pork was sooo good. Even though I was no longer hungry, I checked out another food market to get some Thai
 sausage (I'm only here two nights, I've a lot of delicacies to fit in)! It was very different, but enjoyable. Chiang Mai is so much cheaper than anywhere I've been so far. My lunch and dinner combined cost me about £1.70. Madness! 

After I couldn't stomach anymore food I walked to the riverside to check out some live music bars which were packed. I didn't see any white people, so must have been more of a local place which is nice. Lots of students, being a student town. When I spoke to Matt on my return to the hotel (where I met his wife 😒) he was impressed that's where I ended up as most tourists go to the common backpacker joints and the bars I was in were the best places to go. So

I'll definitely head back there tomorrow night. 

Tomorrow I'm going to an elephant sanctuary to help feed and care for elephants. Beyond excited!