For breakfast we feasted on some chicken rices (with pig's blood for those with iron stomachs) for the bargain price of 30 baht. The plan for the day was to visit a few of the watts (traditional Thai temples) around Chiang Mai, before heading north to Mae Rin to see elephants and monkeys.
Strolling our way through the old city the first Watt we visited had a wax statue of a famous monk which looked so realistic we at first thought it was a monk sitting in a glass box. The actual temples and monuments dated back hundreds of years and the entire area had a very holy and peaceful mood.
At the second Watt Blai donated some money to leave a message on a tile to be used to restore the roof. And on the way to the final Watt we saw some mad Alien vs Predator inspired metal sculptures.
By mid-morning we were on our way in a Songtel (ute with a canopy and benches in the back) out of Chiang Mai towards Mae Rin to have lunch at Proud Phu Fah resort. After a good hour drive up the windy hills to the north of Chiang Mai (including an unintended stop at an Orchard farm due to language misunderstandings) we finally arrived at Proud Phu Fah resort. Bidding our thanks to the old Thai driver with the slow burning cigar, we made our way into the resort. Proud Phu Fah resort is probably the equivalent of a boutique resort for celebs in Australia. By Thai standards it was pretty upmarket, however we were most impressed by the toilet which was a traditional Thai hut and in the words of Sao "you could enjoy a nice forest view while evacuating yourself".
The food was excellent and well worth the trip. I had my first and last Tom Yum soup. Although the lemon and spice combined perfectly, it was too intense for my mouth (and bowels as I'd later find out) and I actually ended up sweating attempting to eat it.
Following lunch we went to see the monkey show and saw first hand the latest abilities of monkey butlers. From our viewing I can say that a dog is no longer a man's best friend - a monkey is. With the ability to retrieve coconuts, untie knots, do push-ups and sit-ups, play basketball, ride a trike, sell ointments and swim these monkey's were a new breed far superior to all other monkey's.
For dinner back in Chiang Mai we ate at the local night market where Sao bought the crappest slingshot ever, and Ev Mo did some sweet pose-downs. It was agreed we'd head back to Banilah before going to the local for a "quiet evening".
