Chiang Rai Night BazaarDave had to get up very early to drop Paul off to the airport who is heading off to Ko Phangan on our advise for taste of the madness we all went through during the Christmas and New Year period. Its sad to leave Paul who has made such a positive impact to the trip. But Paul will be with us for a large part of the journey and will be meeting up with us again in Katmandu for the Nepal and Indian leg as well as the glory run for the whole of Europe back to Dublin.
We checked out of our hotel in the afternoon and a had a brief wander around the town catching up on emails before heading off in the evening for a short two hour drive to Chiang Rai.
Arriving in Chiang Rai we were pleasantly surprised by this beautiful and compact town. The city is the capital of the Chiang Rai Province with a population of 40,000 people. It was a change to see many older western people who were on organised tours rather than the backpackers we've become used to. As the gateway to the heart of the golden triangle, the town was packed out with tour buses and 4X4 tours, making the task of finding a cheap hotel more difficult. We eventually found a lovely spot off the main road with secure parking for the Hummer. After dropping our bags in the room we had a nice dinner whose menu gave the Euro price equivalent,which really brought home how cheap it is here.
After dinner we went for a wander around the night bazaar. This market has an array of stalls selling home made items from opium pipes to back scratchers. We called it a night with the intention of getting up early to visit the Khun Kon Waterfall.
DAY 46 ROUTE MAP
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