Chiang Mai

Hard to keep track of the days, hard to keep up...

Night train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai was fun.  We shared a small compartment with two Danish twenty-somethings, delightful fellows both, who have been traveling around Thailand for several weeks.  Spent a long time chatting, then they disappeared to the party in the dining car and we went to bed.  Arrived here mid-morning.


Although smaller than Bangkok, this is still way too urban for us.  It's very popular with western tourists (mostly Europeans), and chock full of small guest houses, bars (Irish, Belgian, German, you name it).  Although the town's core is a UNESCO World Heritage site, it's hard to tell with all the commercial activity.  The big attraction are the numerous historic and truly magnificent wats. Orange- robed monks are everywhere and in the wats we were able to hear them chanting.

We have not found the courage  yet to rent a motor bike as the traffic is heavy, the lanes non-existent, and the driving is on the opposite side of the road. We will probably wait for a smaller place to try our hand at this.  Fortunately most of the town is walkable, and we've been mostly fine on foot.

As befits a major tourist destination, there is plenty of shopping and plenty of eating.  In addition to the ample tourist infrastructure of  restaurants, shops, and tour outfits on every block, there is a large daytime market (mostly for locals) and a very large nighttime market area with all kinds of things to buy.

Today's big outing was to the wat at Doi Suthep, one of the holiest spots in the whole country, at the top of a hill just outside of town. We cruised up in a songthieaw (?), a small pickup with two benches down the back.  Given the twisty road, not a trip for the faint of heart or weak of stomach.  The wat itself is magnificent, especially if you go in for gold-coated everything and Buddha images by the score.

Tomorrow we head out on a two-day trek into the mountains north of here.  Will try to catch up with picture posting after we return.