lizgeorjon

I’ve really been wanting to lose 5 pounds… I’ve come to Chiang Mai and lost 3 kilograms!  Not so impressed with Chiang Mai!  Am now, by some grace of good fortune, boarded a flight to Phuket.  And quite frankly, most of all I have to take away from it is a doctor’s certificate for the meds I was given, considering I’m soon moving on to Singapore.

I did not go to Patpong Market in Bangkok.  And I did get up super early to go to Chatuchak.  I haven’t been eating or drinking much (or really at all outside 5-star hotels) but somewhere between Bangkok and Chiang Mai, I got pretty sick.  It didn’t hit me until middle of the night Sunday night.  Chiang Mai is very rainy, it’s rainy season… and there were notices about chemical jet spraying for the Mosquitos, at the Mandarin Oriental.

Anyway, Monday I downplayed feeling badly, did four hotel sites and then found this lovely expat joint (pictured) that made me feel like I definitely was far away home.  I met a few Brits, had a couple beers, tried to ignore my painful tummy.  Like, sharp very strong pain, not queeziness or gastro.  This pub reminded me of all the Vietnam War movies I always watched with my dad as a kid.  I felt like Robin Williams was going to wander in (from Good Morning Vietnam!) at any moment… talking about the formaldehyde in the beer.

There were a few Brits, married to Thai women (one of whom worked at this pub), and we had a nice chat.  Although they told me that Chiang Mai is much more relaxed than the south, which I agree with, and much less about tourism money- which I personally (in my very short time outside my bed) disagree with.  Every time I turned around, in this small moated city, there was someone trying to get me on a half day tour to bungee, see elephants or play with tigers.  Even at the Mandarin Oriental which shocked me.  The whole area is laid out funny.  I suppose if you’re in the area to ride elephants it’s one thing, but doing hotel sites in such a popular destination, I was surprised at what all the hype is about.  But perhaps I am jaded given I was unknowingly quite ill.  Bummer I didn’t eat one meal in all of Chiang Mai.  Or not?  :p  I can’t complain with the kilograms shed!

Monday I slept in until 11:00am, and by 7:00pm, I was done, exhausted.  Had another feverish terrible night not being hungry, with headache and severe abdomen pain.  I called the hotel doctor finally on Tuesday.  He couldn’t come until later but told me to pour myself half a coca cola and add salt.  I could hardly understand what he said let alone ask why.  But it worked.  My pain subsided and I slept another few hours.  Who knew!

When he came I had a 39 Celsius fever (103 F) and he was poking around and it was very painful.  Everything else was fine.  Not the dengue like I had previously self-diagnosed.  I now have loads of meds and have started to improve.  Actually feeling hungry which is nice but am scared to eat much.  And the painkillers he gave me (along with antibiotics, probiotics, super Tylenol and electrolytes) are either weak, or at least they wear off fast.  A vicodin is sounding pretty good now that I think about it.

Anyway, this is a downer email!  On to more excited events, I hope.  Happy to be en route south to Phuket.  I think the beaches here are going to blow doors on Krabi.

Oh!  Almost forgot!  The Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi spa is touted to be the best in Thailand.  I decided to get the ‘Royal Thai’ massage because ‘when in Thailand’.  Well let me just say, aside from the tradition Thai pajamas you wear during (which I kind of wanted to steal)… there is NOTHING relaxing about the Thai massage.  Granted, I’m a woman and it wasn’t ‘that kind’ of Thai massage, but it hurt!  It’s just acupressure.  And the other options were Swedish, but that crazy smack you type of Swedish, or Aromatherapy, which I always thought was for wussies.

Hope to have better news to report from Phuket!

I must admit, there is a part of me that wishes I could sit back and enjoy a buffalo chicken wrap and Smithwicks and Jameson’s with Jacs right now.

(hint hint!)  xoxo  🙂 .Jameson’s.