and was to arrive at 8:55 the following morning. It's a 750km ride so we decided to do it over-night so we could sleep most of it. We rode second class in a sleeper car where our seats folded down into beds. It was quite an experience...my first time on a train. You could see the tracks going by though the toilet hole:o) It was not one of the best sleeps I have ever had but, what can you do? The hostess warned us that there could be "delays" on the way there, but we didn't actually arrive until 12:30pm (5 hours late). Oh well, we occupied ourselves with lots of card games and checking out the scenic jungle and villages that we were passing by. If only we could have come a little more prepared with breakfast or something...instead we made breakfast out of last night's snacks...chips and oreos:o) But, now that we're here, I hardly remember the painful train ride up here....it was so worth it. Chiang Mai rocks!!! It's a bit cooler which is so nice and it's got a very small town feel to it. It is quite geared towards tourists..I think it might be the main industry...so it makes it easier to get around (alot of signs and menus items in english) and some little comforts too (this morning we had eggs and bacon and pancakes for breakfast:o) ). We have found a great place to stay here for 250 baht/night ($7.50 CAN)...and I think we'll stay here for at least a week...maybe longer. We are also able to rent scooters from our guest house for 100 baht/day ($3) so our transportation is taken care of also. All the more money to spend on Thai massages, milkshakes and elephant treks....I love Chiang Mai!!