So long Siem Reap; Landing in Thailand

After two days of jaunting around the temples of Angkor, we intended our last day in Siem Reap to be one of relaxation. First, we slept in late (8 o'clock!) Then we made our way to breakfast (no buffet again, but ordered from the menu) but dressed in our swimming suits. That way, after our leisurely breakfast (researching and blogging), we could slip right over to the pool. It was a little chilly in the morning, but, wonderfully, it was a salt pool. 

After about 45 minutes, the lap of luxury called when our masseuses arrived. We had ordered them just before breakfast. They came to our double room and gave us a traditional Khmer massage on the bed (sorry, no pics. Busy being massaged) Mine was fine, Mer couldn't feel much (she's a pro). They also talked, giggled, and answered cell phones during our 60 minutes. They also weirdly clapped their hands after certain rubs. However weird, offsetting, or ineffectual they were, the whole shebang cost $10 each. Yes, an hour massage for a Hamilton. Even Lin Manuel Miranda can't get that. 

After dissecting the merits of our bourgeois morning, we showered, checked out (but stowed our bags), and got out the door for lunch. We had already agreed to return to the Khmer Kitchen Restaurant. Mer loved the Fish Amok. I tried the sweet and sour peppers. 

We then set out to find our artwork souvenir. We had previously discussed the wood carvings and knew the medium sized circle would be unique and easy to carry on our travels. We zipped through the market ignoring the hawking around us for t-shirts, fake gems, and elephant pants until we found our woodcarvings. We decided on a flower shape and set to bargaining on the $15 offer. We got to $7 and called it a deal. 

We then made it back to Tanei Hotel to collect our things and await Won to take us to the airport. It was a decent ride out to Siem Reap's airport. I was glad to see the non-touristy side of where people actually live. We had decided to give our remaining riel plus a healthy tip to Won for driving us around for two days at the temple, plus ride from the bus station on arrival, and now the airport on departure. He's got a heart of gold with a smile to match. 

Upon checking in hoping to check 1 bag with our liquids and lotions, we found out that Air Asia charges more for bag fees the day of the flight than days before or online (Mer tried, it wasn't working on phones when she booked the flight.) It was $36 … per leg of flight for our Siem Reap to Babgkok to Chiang Mai. GRRrrr goes $72 from our budget. Our plane even featured a jet bridge to board. 

Our short, hour-long, bumpy flight to Bangkok led to so much misinformation and troubles upon arrival in Thailand. Leaving the international gates, an Air Asia employee held out a sign with other domestic destinations on it, but he didn't have the English to explain what we were supposed to do. So we continued walking. We were fairly sure we didn't need a Visa on Arrival (as we did in Vietnam), but we needed to get stamped into Thailand. So we waited in a slow-moving 'foreigner' line for 45 minutes, only to be told we were in the wrong line. We needed to go to domestic departures (what the guy was supposed to tell us). So we went there only to wait in another 30 minute line to finally get stamped into Thailand. 

Now, we were hoping to get dinner during our 2 hour layover in Bangkok, but that time evaporated in queues. We past familiar McDonalds, Burger King, and even Krispy Kreme! We tried for a 7 Eleven stop for snacks. We got some sandwiches, which the employees offered to warm up for us, only to find out they only accept Thailand Baht, not the US dollars we only had. Sorry, no soup for you! 

We found our gate only to find they hadn't boarded yet. I sent Mer back to an ATM to pull out Baht, but then boarding started, so no food. 

Our hour-long flight to Chiang Mai went much more smoothly. Once we landed, we had to track down that expensive checked bag. I then suggested we eat at the airport for time sake. We found our Golden Arches. It was comfort food for us both after a rough day. McThai even features Ronald McDonald, but in lieu of waving, he does a traditional bow. 

After dinner (finally!) we found fixed rate taxis to take us to our hostel. Mer noticed the steering wheel in the right side of the vehicle. I noticed us driving on the left side of the road. How did we miss that Thailand drives like a Commonwealth country? Our driver was super friendly and chatty and told us all to do in Chiang Mai. My Google Maps came in handy again as he knew neither the name on the hostel nor recognized the address from Booking.com. But I showed him on the map and he instantly knew where to go. 

He dropped us off in front of Chiang Mai Noble House. We checked in, asked for info on elephant tours, and then headed up. This place had strangely wide hallways & large rooms. 

(Mer said the hallways reminded her of the hospital.)

I insisted on getting water, and our host told us of several nearby 7 Eleven's (so ubiquitous here in Thailand). It was a block away. Perfect. 

We settled in for the night and plotted out our only full day in Chiang Mai tomorrow. Lots to do in our only Northern Thailand stop.