Chiang Saen Historical Park and Chiang Rai Night Bazaar

As it began getting dark, the long day that had begun early that morning at the White Temple was nearing its end. Our last stop before the long drive through the countryside back to Chiang Rai was the Chiang Saen Historical Park.

The historical park is part of an ancient city that time has forgotten. There's really just a crumbling old wall now, and the main stone chedi.

I admit that by this point, I was feeling exhausted, so I didn't learn so much about this site. We only stopped for pictures for about thirty minutes or so. Our guide was a great photographer, and he helped us to have a really awesome time!

Everyone was quiet and sleepy on the way back to town. When we arrived in Chiang Rai, it was already dark. We were feeling exhausted, but also hungry, so before turning in for the night at the hostel, we walked to the famous Chiang Rai Night Bazaar, the big market in town, for some fresh, delicious northern food.

There were a lot of options! Everything from grilled fish to northern sausage, and even vendors selling plates of fried bugs (a northern specialty)!

 We did not opt for bugs, but instead bought barbecue pork and sticky rice. After spending a brief time exploring the market, it was back to the hostel. Tomorrow would be another early morning, and we still didn't know exactly what we would be doing!

This trip was an experiment for us! Normally we plan far in advance, but schedule changes and visa issues forced us to stay in Thailand instead of following our first plan and going to Vietnam, so once we got to the north, we just took things one day at a time, deciding each night where to go the next day.

We wanted to do something really unique and special though, so the next morning we were up early, heading once again to Chiang Rai Bus Terminal for a ticket out of town...