Flower Power

Packed. Check.

Checked out of guest-house. Check.

Met with the others and breakfasted. Check.

Stuck in Chiang Mai due to Flower Festival Parade. Check.

Kick-boxer XXXVIII: Beer & Boxing

I have been in Chiang Mai for a few days now a highlight of which was a visit Doi Suthep which is a stunning Wat at the top of a mountain overlooking the city, the approach to which is a flight of 300 steps flanked by Naga (who once shaded the Buddha), at once very impressive and totally evocative of the style of the Angkor complex in Cambodia. The views from the Wat show Chiang Mai off really well, and the old city shows up nicely from a couple of thousand feet.

It hasn’t all been day time action, I have had some fun evenings since getting here and meeting a few more people from the Thailand/Laos/Cambodia/Vietnam 2010 Facebook group has really helped. I have now met 8 people from the group and enjoyed several good nights over the past 2 weeks with them. On wednesday night I met up with Luke, who has been travelling through Asia for a good long while; on thursday Anna, Luke, Mat and I met for dinner and visited the Night Bazaar – it is more fun with people, afterwards 3 of us ventured out into Chiang Mai’s night life and got roaring drunk in some pretty good bars on a sub soi near my guest-house including Roots & Heaven Beach. Good music, good company and cold drinks – perfect.

However of all the nights we have enjoyed last night has to be the best one so far. We watched 9 matches of Muay Thai at Kawali Stadium, after enjoying some good cheap thai food near the stadium.

The fighters were not just Thai – we were treated to fighters from England, Spain, Chile & Austria, with the Chilean giving us the best fight of the night, despite losing due to injuries to his wrist and leg. However the Spaniard on the other hand just proved to be a sore loser who just bled over everyone from a gash on his forehead. Including me.

The fights themselves lasted between 3 and 6 rounds however why some were suddenly called when it looked it like things actually hadn’t happened I do not know, I suppose having an idea of the rules of professional Muay Thai would have helped, but honestly it didn’t really ruin the fun of being in an arena, ringside too, watching people try to kick the crap out of each other.

TUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh the memories!!! Brilliant tune, really bouncy, used to hit my nights during my “up” times and just blew the roof off!

Michael Jackson Dies…

… The never beaten King of Pop, a guy whose influence stretched beyond his own borders and affected so many current musicians died yesterday at the age of 50. Regardless of the stories surrounding his private life, the man truly deserves the the respect of all us for his musical ability.

Babylon 5

I have just started this half-year’s rerun of this wonderful sci-fi epic, and so it is not lost to posterity am posting the watch order, as I see it here.

Movie: The Gathering
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Movie: In the Beginning
1st 3 disks of Season 4
Movie: Thirdspace
Remainder of Season 4
Season 5 (all but the last episode)
Movie: River of Souls
Movie: Call to Arms
Season 5 (final episode)

In case you have never seen it, its a show about a space station in the future and the intrigue – political and personal – that surrounds it during a time of upheavel across the galaxy.

For those who have seen it, I leave you with Gkar: