Chiang Mai

Hello,

so after 12 large hours in an overnight bus I arrived in Chiang Mai last morning. I am staying in a very nice hostel called Malak where a single room with bathroom is 150 Baht (3 euros), a good recomendation from a guy that I met in Bangkok

Chiang Mai is very different than Bangkok, I am really enjoying it more here, it's very quiet. The old town is surrounded by canals, so it is like an island. There there are a lot of temples. But this is a place where you can buy almost everything, it is plenty of markets! And when they close when the sun sets, then the Night opens until midnight and it's huge. You can find there all the handcrafts and clothes and it's really cheap. But it's a pity that I can't buy anything. I don't want to be carrying different too many things in my tiny backpack.

Yesterday, I spent almost all the day around the city center, nothing special, just walking and relaxing after the 12 hours trip from Bangkok. At night I met some people in the hostel and we went to the night market and to chill out in the terrace of the hostel. It's amazing I met people here that have been travelling for two years!

Today I've been in the Doi Suthep, a hill where you can see all Chiang Mai and there is temple, too. It took me one hour of bargain with the sawngthaew (pick-up trucks where you sit behind and they bring you where you want) to get there. They wanted me to pay 500 Baht. Finally, trying to get a reasonable price I met there an American girl, an Argentinian girl and an a guy from Israel, and we've been together for all the day.

Tomorrow I am going for a trecking in the mountains for 3 days. I'll be sleeping in a tribe village, riding elephants (I am a little bit scared...). I hope it will not rain, these week is raining a lot here! I'll keep you udpated.

And how are things in Cork and in Bellpuig?

A lot of hugs!

A monk in Chian Mai



Inside the Wat Phra Singh



People working



Night market