Well, I guess its hardly surprising, but the extended weekend we had due to the Buddhist Celebrations of the Rainy Season, was characterised mostly by …..rain…lots of it. In fact once it started Saturday evening, it didn’t stop until Tuesday.
We actually braved the rain on Monday, putting on our macs and went into Chiang Mai to the Gym. I’m really on this fitness thing now, three weeks and I’m still doing it, shocker!
Stopping on the way for Kow Soi, we then went into Airport Plaza, before going to the gym, I needed to let my food go down properly first. So we used some time to go and check out a different Gym that my friend Jonathan had told me about. Well, a gyms a gym to me but the result of the visit is that I now have lifetime gold+ membership and will change to that gym on Sunday.
Tuesday saw things a lot dryer and we did go out for a short ride out.
Heading over towards San Kam Paeng on the Banthi road, I should have remembered from Saturdays ride out with Ally, the distinct lack of decent eating stops along this road.
We ended up all the way to the main San Kampaeng-Chiang Mai road, crossing it and riding a couple of kilometres towards San Kam Paeng itself, before we found a lunch stop. I should point out that its partly my fight for not being keen on Noodles, as we had passed a few other cafes but they were all Noodle places.
On the way back we called up to Wat Pa Tung and I got a photo of one of the possible sites for our Foundation plans.
We also spotted another big house for rent which may be another on the list of choices.
Yesterday was a much nicer day from the beginning and in the morning we rode over to Huay Tung Tao for lunch and a swim.
As apposed to the normal ‘splash about’, I actually did about half an hours serious swimming.
Had a great lunch.
We had to change tables once when Somboon started freaking out at the sight of a hairy caterpillar.
Can’t be sure if it was just his excuse but he assures me they make you itch a lot if you come into contact with them.
Our other lunchtime companions were the cafe cat, who happily ate our leftovers, and a beautiful yellow and black butterfly, possibly a cousin of that hairy caterpillar.
Later in the afternoon we called in at The Brick Road, where Boon, whoes eating like a horse these days, had Spaghetti Bolognese, and I chatted with a nice Dutch family.
On the way home we called in at Chompoo where we fed the fish and I bought a new Moneybox.
You may have read in a previous post, there is a stall that sells these plaster of Paris moneyboxes, along with a selection of paints for you to decorate it yourself.
At 30 baht for the largest, they are a bargain.
We also saw these amazing looking toads.
Quite a wildlife day.
So my evening was mostly taken with some relaxing, simple artwork;
to see the finished result and other photos from these past couple of days, visit our photobucket album here;
oh, and watching Wispa playing with her latest buddy, Fleabag.
So leaving here at around 10 am we first stopped at the Car Wash outlet underneath Tesco Lotus at Kamtieng.
About half an hour later we left on a shiny JRD, barely recognisable from the filthy wreck we rode in on.
We then popped over to The Brick Road Cafe where I sat and had drinks while Boon went off to Central Plaza for a haircut. And very smart he looked when he returned.
After feeding the fish for a while we spotted a stall selling plain plaster figurines, along with small amounts of various colour paints. Behind the stall was a shelter where there were a few brushes and a pallet available for customers who wished to sit and paint there figures whilst enjoying the ambience of the day.
oh and heres the orange Wave!
We had no mad rush so relaxed here in the morning, taking a late breakfast at the local cafe and heading into Chiang Mai at around midday.
Wat Chetupon is not such a big Temple but has some extensive ‘school’ buildings and its compound contains many trees, facilitating a very relaxing atmosphere.
On the way out we came across the Saturday walking street market that is also located behind The Prince Royals College. We saw all sorts for sale there, from hotdogs, to motorbikes; t-shirts to exhaust pipes.
Chompoo really is a delightful village, centred around the local Temple and canal.
It looked like it would be quite a while before the market really got going and we decided to head home.
