Switzerland my ass

Whew! a lot has happened since I've been here. I'm in Chiang Mai now near the border of Burma and some 14-16 by bus hours from Bangkok. Chiang Mai is a beautiful city. Perfect for sightseeing and picture-taking with its old cities and temples that have been preserved up to this time. You couldn't walk a few meters without seeing something new. And you have to walk here unless you ride their weird mini-buses, which is more like a pick-up truck restyled by some mad scientist to carry passengers on its back. Like a jeepney gone wrong. The signboards are in Thai so I don't really know where they're going.

It's a good thing that many Thais here speak English though the journey here is quite an adventure in itself. Asking for directions from people along the way who just continue to speak to you in Thai even if you say you don't understand. Like if they continue to talk, you will eventually understand what they're saying.  Then another Thai comes along to join in the conversation, then another, then another. Until you realize that you're surrounded by smiling Thais all talking at the same time. Yeah, like THAT would help me understand them better. It felt like in a twilight zone episode. Or better yet, the children of the corn.

Before coming here, I was in Petchabun. It was billed as "Little Switzerland" by some enterprising tour agent. The brochure said that it's surrounded by forested hills and mountains. With its cold weather, it's supposed to be a cool retreat for cynical travellers who want to see the true Thailand not synonymous to Bangkok.

Like hell! 

If that was Switzerland, then I don't want to go there. Petchabun is hotter than Fat Bastard's armpits. The map shows a lake but when I get there, i see only a canal made murkier by the perpetual heavy dew. This is rainy season so maybe I'm overreacting. Maybe it's better there during the cold months. But I don't know.

The only interesting thing that happened to me there was when I inadvertently ordered coffee where the rich foreigners converge. The place apparently was called "Farang's corner," farang is the thai word for foreigner. I met an Englishman and sparked a conversation with him. He told me a lot about Petchabun and Chiang Mai and his life story, too. He also told me something I didn't initially notice about Petchabun — there are almost no boys there. He said it's quite easy to get girls there into bed with you for free because of the shortage. Well, there is one teeny-weeny problem: you have to speak Thai first so good luck with that.

And he didn't pay for my coffee. Cheap English bastard.