Today we go trolling for Tommy. Let me back up. On Friday, as we were walking past the Royal Princess Hotel, on our way to the market, we met Tommy, the tour guide. Seems a bunch of tour guides hang out in front of the hotel every day hoping to get tours for the day. He offered us a full day for 800b, including gas (which is down right cheap!). We talked to him for a bit, and he said it was really slow, not a lot of people coming to Chiang Mai right now. So, he’s there from 8:30 until 11:00am, unless he gets a fare. We are thinking about going to San Kamphaeng hot springs and maybe the Mae Sa waterfalls, so, this could be an option. We tell him not today, but maybe in a couple days – and he says he’s there every day. OK.
On our walk to the market, we decided we would go with Tommy on Monday. And figured we’d see him on the way back and book him. Nope. He’s gone. So, on Saturday when we walked to the aborted morning parade – we looked, no Tommy (it was early though). We’ll probably never see him again!
We didn’t walk that way on Sunday, so have no idea if he was there or not. We just take it on faith that Monday (today), he’ll be there and we go trolling for Tommy. We head out early, because we don’t want to miss him. End up hanging around on the street for about 20 minutes, wondering what our cut off time will be, when lo and behold, here comes Tommy!
Greetings done, we tell him what we want to do. Hmmm….sort of a problem because the Hot Springs and waterfall are in the opposite directions and he’s worried about gas – because it costs so much. We sort of figured it would be an issue and it wouldn’t be quite so cheap. He ends up giving us to his “friend” so that we can use his car which is smaller and better on gas (turns out it uses LPG – too cool – they’ve got it here – obviously not a shortage as it is in the States – and it’s cheap!). So we negotiate a price and off we go with Mr. Sakon – who is the sweetest guy. Tommy tells us that anything we see on the way between or back from the waterfalls, we can tell Sakon to stop and we’ll go there. But honestly – there’s nothing really we want to do (it’s all so touristy – but I’ll get to that).
Sakon hands us a map of everything on our route, as well as his photo album of the places he has toured, along with other passengers and his son (I think). We sit in the back and just enjoy our ride. The San Kamphaeng hot springs are about 40KM out of the city, and it takes us the better part of an hour to get there. Through Bor Sang, then into San Kamphaeng where the roads are smaller and more crowded. We turn left at an intersection with elephant statues, and fly off into the countryside. Big long stretches of road with no other vehicles – farms and mountains on either side. We are really out in the country! We had no idea the Hot Springs were so far – and we are so glad we didn’t try to do the Songthaew route! I don’t think we would have made it. Plus Sakon is a doll, he points out different things along the way in his broken English – which of course he says isn’t good – but we understand 95% of everything he says – so we think it’s excellent! Heck – we can’t speak Thai!
We finally arrive at the springs –and Sakon escorts us into the complex. But first – he pulls out his camera and tells us he will take picture of us and then give us a CD with them. Really? No way! How cool is that! Not only do we have our own private driver and tour guide, we also have our own private photographer!
We pay our entrance fee (100b each – so cheap) and off we go with Sakon in the lead. He takes us through the gorgeous park – with its meandering hot stream, pretty flowers with mountain backdrop, mineral pool (extra cost) and mud baths (also extra cost). Along the way he snaps his pictures…at the Egg statue (because the tradition is to boil eggs in the hot springs). We sneak some pictures in between as well – so anything you see that doesn’t have the 2 of us together – that’s our photo skills – on the sly!
Then onto the hot spring geysers by the egg boiling pool. This is too fun! And it’s not that stinky at all – the sulpher smell is not that bad. Which is a good thing! There is an awesome rainbow at the geysers which we photograph ad naseum.
Then we go buy our eggs in their little boiling basket. And drop them into the hot spring. OMG – that is so hot! The water splashes out and almost burns us – we might have 3rd degree burns by the time the photos are done! 15 minutes for hard boiled – perfect!
So, now we hang out and wait – oh and take more pictures with our photographer instructing us where to stand, sit and pose!
The eggs are ready! Ed pulls them out – avoiding the burn!
While we wait for the eggs to cool, we go and stick our legs in the hot spring river. Ouch! It is way too hot! Sakon keeps telling us to put our legs in and kick them around, but we can barely let them touch the water!
He moves us further down the outflow – MUCH better! Now it really feels nice and relaxing and restorative! LOL
The eggs are cool, and it is time to eat. They are hard to peel, but they are totally yummy. And they give you a little plastic baggie with soy sauce in it, which we both really like! That will be our new condiment with boiled eggs – especially since I don’t even like hard boiled eggs as a general rule. My tastes have changed (yes, Ed, I hear you!).
It is so beautiful here. You could definitely spend a long morning or afternoon, just wandering the grounds and soaking in the hot springs (well, ok, the cooler part of the hot springs!). We’re lucky we are here so early – the crowds aren’t here and we basically have the place to ourselves.
On our way out, we pass little monks, what I am calling “Monks-in-training” – so sweet!
And we take the iconic Cathy picture with the fuschia flowers (look back to Mykonos – oh so many years ago).
Then it’s pictures with the King! And with the Hot Springs sign – and we are on our way!
Waterfall next post.
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