Birthday blog (Day 66 of the world tour)

09/11/2019

Now it's my turn to write a birthday blog for Ann Katrin :D Since I had arranged a group chat with Wiebke, Dennis, and Ines at midnight so that they could congratulate Ann Katrin live and it was unclear when we would be reachable on Saturday due to the time difference, I suggested to Ann Katrin that we celebrate her birthday.

Previously, we had already walked along the "party mile" of Chiang Mai one evening and it looked quite appealing from the outside, so I could take Ann Katrin there to dance. On Friday evening at 8pm (I always refer to Thai time = +6h German time), we set off. When we arrived, it was clear that we had to take a round around the block because there was absolutely nothing going on at that time. After our round half an hour later, the situation was different. The bars slowly filled up and we also took a seat at "Zoe in Yellow".

There was a bar with a dance floor in front of it, maybe 4 square meters in size. There were plenty of tables with benches all around, some of which were already occupied. We were welcomed by a waiter who showed us to a table and handed us the drink menu. Ann Katrin tried the cocktail "Yellow Submarine" and I treated myself to a large Chang beer (620ml).

So we sipped our drinks and enjoyed the scene. The party crowd here is naturally international and very diverse. The nations with the most representatives here are estimated to be Australia, USA, Great Britain, and Germany. We talked about this and that and watched as the dance floor slowly came to life over time. After about 2 hours and my 3rd drink, I was also ready to hit the dance floor.

So, with my drunken enthusiasm, I pulled Ann Katrin onto the now crowded dance floor of Zoe in Yellow and danced my heart out. The group of Chinese people next to me, immediately impressed by my rhythmically flawless dance moves, promptly offered me a straw from their 4-liter drink bucket and I took a big sip. After giving high-fives and cheering with the Chinese people, I turned my attention back to Ann Katrin, who had meanwhile disappeared. I saw her standing a bit further away from the dance floor and shuffled over to her. After a few shouts in her ear, it turned out that Ann Katrin was feeling dizzy from the wild flashing strobe light and declined another attempt to go onto the dance floor.

Fortunately, there were plenty of alternatives in the neighborhood, so we went 20 meters further to the next bar, which didn't rely so much on white flashlights. We ordered another large beer and spent the rest of the evening on the dance floor until the lights went out at midnight. Unfortunately, the clubs here are not allowed to stay open longer, so they have to close their crowded places at prime time. For me, this was the sign to take out my phone and turn on the Internet to receive the call from Wiebke, Dennis, and Ines. I handed the phone to the confused Ann Katrin and we found a quiet place in a parking lot outside the party mile to listen to their congratulations :) Deep in conversation, we slowly strolled home and on the way back, we quickly grabbed a midnight snack for the microwave at 7/11, which I immediately devoured as soon as we arrived at the hostel. The video chat lasted until about 1 am before I said goodbye and went into a coma, and Ann Katrin went to bed.

In the morning, we were already awake at 7:30 am and around 8 am, we made our usual trip to 7/11 to get breakfast. Impressed by my midnight snack a few hours earlier, I longed for it again for breakfast.

After breakfast, we packed our backpacks and left the hostel for the bus trip to Chiange Rai. It took about 4 hours. After checking in at the new hostel, Ann Katrin dealt with the numerous birthday greetings she had received via WhatsApp and made a few phone calls. Since it's Saturday, there is, of course, another evening weekly market here, which we mainly visited for food.

For the first time, we stumbled upon grilled maggots and roasted grasshoppers. A cup full for about 10 Baht is incredibly affordable, even by Thai standards. But we didn't dare to try these delicacies yet and settled for a visit to the stand with a few photos.

In addition to the kilometer-long market, there was also a big stage in the center. A band played folk songs there and a large audience of several hundred people celebrated it with what we assume are traditional folk dances. The dances were mastered by all participants, and it almost looked like a rehearsed choreography. It was wonderful to see how naturally the many people present danced along to the folk dances. There was no dominant age group. From young to old, everyone was well represented and they all shared a good time. Fascinating :D

After a few small meals at the festival area in front of the stage, we went through the market stands. It's almost a shame to be so limited with backpacks in terms of luggage, as there are many cool things to buy here that we would have liked to take home under different circumstances. After about two hours, we reached the end of the market and went back to the hostel. Here, Ann Katrin dedicated herself to her birthday wishes again, and I was sentenced to write this blog :D Let's see what she thinks of it °_°

Ann Katrin's addition: She is very happy ;-) <3