Lampang, Wednesday

1229 Didn't sleep that well, woke up 7ish feeling crap, ditto on alarm at 930 and ditto on alarm at 11. Not entirely sure why. Hoping to leave hostel for some lunch shortly, if I can find anywhere open. Wifi isn't working again (on phone, not tried laptop), not that I need it right now. No idea what I am going to do today.

1321 At Riverside Bar/Restaurant, for priceyish pork burmese curry and a watermelon juice. Was looking for Papong along street from hotel as in guide book but if it still exists it doesn't have its name in English and could be any of a dozen little Thai-only cafes along that street. Was going to try Grandma's House and did find it but it says '10am-11pm' in window and has a closed sign on the door. Spotted Pornpitak Tour next door, which is also on guide book map, and they advertise various trips including some 'architectural highlight of northern Thailand' (guide book) temple and elephant conservation centre. (Guide book helpfully says ECC is on the bus route to Chiang Mai, without saying how/if you can get dropped off there and no mention of how to be picked up, then gives copious directions to drive yourself there. I really do hate the fucking guide book most of the time.) Anyway, after much dithering I shoved my head in and asked about an ECC tour tomorrow. The three girls at the desk looked at me like I was a fucking alien. I repeated myself and they pointed across the road/out of the door. I didn't see anything across the road so I just fucked off. I'm not that bothered about the ECC, it just seemed like something to do that wasn't a fucking temple.

There are some templey kind of things to the southwest of town which I will go over to this afternoon. What excitement!

1348 Food pretty good, though the pork had the fat on; I probably fussily cut it off. Not feeling totally sated but it will do. Generally bit quietly hacked off; the usual boredom, feeling I'm not making the most of my time, the continual difficulty of finding somewhere to eat. Meh.

It's warm verging on unpleasantly hot out; OK here in the shade.

1418 Didn't rush but got bill. 214 plus tip. Paying with a 1000. Will wander off after this. Not sure exactly what I paid, waitress stood watching me. Why would I do a runner *after* asking for the bill? It must just be one of those cultural things, but it does get on my nerves. I should probably adopt a 'fuck you, I am going to sit here and count the change and work out what you've already taken and how much I want to put in and if you have nothing better to do than stand there watching me then feel free' attitude.

1505 Just left Wat Sri Rong Muang. Maybe. Trekked what seems miles further out west than map suggests. There is a temple on the wrong side of the road with no Latin alphabet name showing. In any other country I'd think 'well, how many temples could there be? this must be it' but here it is quite possible this is just some random temple. Very nice. Not really sure I was allowed in, but wandered into courtyard for a bit of a look and snapped a couple of photos.

1532 Score. Tesco Lotus Express mini-supermarket, and it sells fresh fruit!

1605 Back at hostel to drop fruit off before going on to Wat Sri Chum. Templetastic!

1654 OK, that was OK. Wandered round a bit. Monk watering lawn said something to me, I smiled and nodded my head. Think he said something else, obviously didn't have a clue what he was saying. Didn't stick around long after that as felt a bit awkward, though had basically seen the place anyway. No entrance fee (or at place earlier; I guess only the most touristy do) but shoved 20 in some collection box thing.

Anyway, touristic duty done for the day, back to hostel via 7-Eleven (water, orange juice, Magnum) and much needed shower, probably a bit of illicit laundry then out later. Probably try Lampang Bar along road towards (past, I believe) clock tower and say Aroy One Baht (sp) for tomorrow night.

1657 Fruit stall near temple, bought what might if I'm lucky be grapefruit segments (though they look a bit big, possibly pomelo? meh) for 40. There is a fridge in the room so don't have to consume all this tonight.

1734 Back at hostel. Showered, still no hot water. Didn't get an ice cream 'cos I'm just so healthy. Had an apple instead.

1911 At Lampang Bar, west of clock tower. About 5-10 mins walk from hotel. Had a look at side street by hotel on leaving and a fucking dog was sitting right by where I think the fucking entrance is, not that I've ever gone down the street yet to check because there's always been a fucking dog there and even during the day I feel disinclined to risk provoking any reaction which might make me worry about the night access even more. Fucking hate this. Seriously spoiling things to feel under this kind of curfew. So I need to be super sure to get back for 11 with plenty of safety margin.

Food menu not extensive here but getting a 'curry chicken' and a bottle of Leo. Seems a nice enough place. 65 IIRC for Leo (guy asked if I wanted ice, I said no, not on health grounds just on avoiding that watery taste) and 99 or 159 (however the fuck that works) for food, which seems not too bad. Probably don't intend to have more than two bottles tonight, that is still too much on medical grounds of course.

They don't have curry chicken or green curry chicken, so having tom yam goong whatever that is exactly, with rice since the guy asked, but I expect rightly or otherwise to eat the rice completely independently of the soup.

1952 Nice, pleasantly spicy except I bit into a chilli part way through and still haven't recovered. I'd probably have done it anyway but the fact it's pretty dark doesn't help see what you're spooning up. Didn't help that staff are super officious about topping up my glass from the beer bottle, so I didn't always have my drink handy when I wanted it. Still, was good and as the burning in my mouth subsides I will feel better still.

2003 The officious glass-topping-up is getting on my nerves a bit. They might have done it a bit at bar last night, not sure, certainly not this much. Already on second bottle. I hope this topping up is not making me drink faster, I suspect not, if anything probably trying to counteract the burning in my mouth hastened consumption of first bottle.

2019 Bloke with a guitar and a woman who I assume is going to sing on stage.

2112 They were quite good, though didn't pay huge amount of attention. Mix of English and Thai, I think. Nursing this beer slightly and will go when it's done, on dog and gross-alcohol-consumption grounds this night, while perfectly pleasant, isn't so fantastic I feel a massive urged to run into excess.

Thinking I need to book a flight back from Chiang Mai to Bangkok but unless laptop magically starts to work on hostel wifi it will probably have to wait until I am in Chiang Mai. I guess if push comes to shove I can do a 10h-ish (IIRC) coach trip, but I'd rather not if it can be helped. (I'd probably get the train but that isn't an option at present, and I don't want to faff getting a coach to eg Sila At and then train, the lack of convenience is palpable.)

2118 Quite nice out. Bit of a cool breeze verging on slightly strong, but it is welcome in its way.

2123 Musicians back on. Doubt I will see the end of it. Shame but under circumstances and medically circumscribed as I am I can't justify staying out for a third (gasp! the decadent horror of it!) beer.

2152 Waiter noticed bottle was empty and my glass nearly is. Getting the bill. Slight shame but not so great a night worth pushing it. Phone battery v low, have been reading book on it but still. Shall try for a slash before go just to be safe. I have plenty of time to get lost or forcibly diverted on way home, but my bladder may otherwise interfere.

2200 The bill is elusive. Am sure it will turn up but as a somewhat ugly and premature Cinderella (she, at least, had until midnight - I must be home by eleven) I am a little disconcerted.

2203 Fuck it, I'm gonna go up to the bar and ask for this fucking bill. Guy with guitar is singing but I can't relax and enjoy it under these constraints. Man, I wish I had a fucking gun. Actually, a taser would be better. Keep the bastard dogs off without any unpleasant bloodshed.

2220 Back at hostel. The cunts were putting up the shutters, despite nominally being open til 11. Of course there was a fucking dog sat in the side street. Back here no thanks to guide book, which aids comprehension of its maps by simple-minded fuckwits by LEAVING HALF THE FUCKING STREETS UNLABELLED. (Obviously GPS has not decided to resume functioning on my phone.) Fortunately I recognised the 7-Eleven I went to earlier.

Bill was something like 260 and I made it something like 290. Fucking hell, for all the fact I had to go ask for it at the bar ten minutes after asking for it at the table I shouldn't have tipped anything. Hell, even the over-obsequious beer pouring all night wasn't really worth a tip, it was just annoying and I can pour my own fucking beer out.

Super super not happy. The dog/curfew thing predominant, but still, in general.

2307 Wifi still doesn't work on laptop but have USB tethered the phone to use the wifi from that. Bizarre. Anyway, neither ITA's matrix or expedia will offer me a cheap or never-mind-the-cost direct flight Chiang Mai-Bangkok. A Google search directs me to AirAsia's website. They seem to be sold on on that day; the Wednesday I can do it from 39.95 GBP if I fly at 8pm or 50-60 quid if I fly nearer middle of day. Given inability to fly back on the Tuesday I am inclined to just travel back overland. Guide book suggests several airlines do that route so may check other options. Anyway, it says the bus to Bangkok takes 10-11h, which would be tolerable I guess. Also tempting is perhaps breaking the journey for an overnight in eg Phitsanulok and continuing back to Bangkok by train from there.

opodo can't offer me anything direct either. I find this odd, you'd expect there to be seats free even if only at business travel rates.

domesticflightsthailand.com (IIRC) which turns into travelstoremaker.com does offer me a direct flight (the non-direct ones aren't cheap, of course, or fast, since they go via Hong Kong or whatever), but the cheapest is Bangkok Airways for £270.64. So I either pay 30-60 quid for AirAsia the Wednesday or (probably my preferred choice) I do some kind of overland trip, be it direct to Bangkok or breaking somewhere like Phitsanulok. Can sleep on it, overland shouldn't be booked up too badly I think.

Actually, I tell a lie. That wasn't direct either, it was via Koh Samui, wherever that is. How bizarre. Anyway, clearly the flight situation on the Tuesday is not good. While I think the Loy Krathong celebrations finish by Sunday, just maybe they continue to Monday so loads of Bangkok residents are wanting to fly back that day.

Did wonder if I could write off my existing flight to Singapore and fly direct from Chiang Mai, but not investigating. I don't want to spend more than the three nights already booked in Singapore, better to have the Tue-Thu in Thailand even if I spend some of it on buses and/or trains.