On the way back we stopped to eat at a small restaurant where they served duck. It was really good and was served with rice and soy sauce. About 100m on we couldn't resist the food on offer there, so we had another chicken dish between us!
Back at our hotel we collected our essential items for an afternoon in the sun. We were going to watch the opening ceremony of the Chiang Mai flower festival. Once again it was a fair walk to the park where it was being held. We navigated through the streets of Chiang Mai using our phones. We passed some fantastic houses and a few temples on our journey to the park.
The flowers in the park were beautiful and the scent of the flowers filled the air. There was lilys, orchids, tulips, wall flowers, chrysanthemum and loads we don't know the names of but all equally stunning. Some of the arrangements were in the shape of animals, like elephants, reindeer and pandas!!
There was a traditional Thai group playing music on stage and an orchestra in the gardens. A tiny little girl was singing some fantastic songs with the orchestra. She must have been about 6 years old! As the VIPs arrived a dance troupe and drummers started to play. They were very good and the drummers worked so hard they must have been exhausted. These were no ordinary drums, they were huge!
Trophies were awarded for the best flower displays and the Governor of Chiang Mai gave a speech. Next was the Miss Chiang Mai in bloom contest followed by an international contingent. We didn't see who won because we left but there was a lot of beautiful girls to choose from.
As it was quite a walk back we thought we had better leave the excitement of the flower show. We took some quiet roads with no one around and others with many bars playing loud music.
