Chiang Mai

Our journey north to Chiang Mai starts typically: we arrive at the bus station @ 9:30AM, hurried along to buy tickets that seem a bit expensive and rushed to a bus that is about to just about to arrive.  Turns out it's the wrong bus, and we end up waiting until 11AM. What a perfect time to grab a snack and get some ready done, right? Eventually we board a double-decker with a bit of AC going and 5 hours later we roll into Chiang Mai.  The biggest city in Northern Thailand, Chiang Mai is definitely more manageable and less overwhelming than Bangkok.  Over the next few days we'll come to find that it's definitely the cooler, more progressive big city in Thailand.

From the bus station we share a sawngthaew across the moat that encircles the old city with a few other European travelers from the bus.  We arrive in a central location and proceed to the guesthouse where we reserved a room the night before.  Unfortunately, it's a bit of a dump with ants all over the floor of the room and windows that wont open, so we politely decline the room and set out on foot to find a more suitable spot.  On our 2nd try we find Rama Guesthouse--nothing flashy but for 300B a night it will do for now.  The rest of the day includes our first non-Thai food of the trip (burritos and falafel) and a bit of wandering just to get our bearings.

The next morning we roll out of bed a bit later than normal and stroll down the street for some great iced coffee and a chocolate croissant.  Not bad for $3. We intend on taking it slow today, but after about an hour of pouring over maps and guidebooks we come up with a plan for the afternoon instead.  We rent a scooter for 200B for 24hrs. (about $6.60) and Sadrah pilot's us up to Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep, a Buddhist temple that sits in the mountains overlooking Chiang Mai.  It's a tough ride at first with tight, steep curves and various trucks, buses and other scooters flying by.  Thais can be wild drivers--crossing over into opposite lanes of traffic on tight turns and passing in your lane--so you need to stay alert.  Not to mention that it was Sadrah's first time with a passenger, and my first time on a scooter EVER! There are a few wobbly moments, but eventually we get the hang of it.

The temple sits partway up the mountain with beautiful views of the city below.  We hang out for a while, grab some food and wait out a passing rainstorm. Before descending back into the city we procure some gasoline from a very peculiar source: at the back of the market a guy is selling empty whiskey bottles full of fuel for 50B.  Way overpriced (30B at the pump), but when the gauge is on E it's better than nothing.  We dump a liter into the tank and hit the road.   

The view from Doi Suthep

Every Sunday evening in Chiang Mai there is the Sunday Walking Street, a massive market that starts at Thapae Gate and runs along the length of Ratchadamnoen Road through the heart of the Old City.  We spend nearly five hours in the market, wandering and munching on all manner of strange foodstuffs and browsing all types of clothing, trinkets and handicrafts. We manage to buy a few small things and finish the night off with a 1/2 hour foot massage for $2 each.  We shuffle off to our bed content with our first full day in lovely Chiang Mai.

Black bean ice cream!

Sunday Walking Street