Jerry from Chiang Mai

It’s an hour bus ride from Chaing Rai, to our final Thailand destination, Chaing Mai, Thailand’s second largest city and the center of activity in Northern Thailand. Good roads through scenic countryside, but still four hours.

The Mandarin Oriental Dhari Dhevi (I put in its full name to make it sound important) is an over the top resort. We have a suite (suits and villas are all they have) that has literally almost as many square feet as our entire condominium. We don’t need this much space, including two bathrooms, but it gives you some idea of the place.

We arrive Saturday night and skip the Mandarin Oriental’s five restaurants in favor of going into town to a Thai restaurant. We were not disappointed. Great tastes and flavors, and about $100 a couple, including wine.

On Sunday morning Giules is not feeling well (head cold), so she stays behind while I go off temple-viewing with the group. Good temples with lots of people watching and photographs to take.

In the afternoon we have a luxurious couples massage for two hours. This is Thailand, so the rates are reasonable and the Lanna massage (this area was the Lanna Kingdom at one time) consists of a warm oil massage, tapping of the body with a special tool made from the bark of the tamarind tree and then hot compresses. After that, all we want to do is relax.

We had another dinner out with friends in Chaing Mai on Sunday evening at a Thai restaurant Giules found. More wonderful Thai food, inexpensive Australian wine, and then . . . on to the night market. This is a local equivalent market, i.e., not designed for the tourists. It’s full of clothing, jewelry, shoes, and food for consumption on the spot. These markets are always fun and colorful and this one is no different.

There are six of us. So how do we get back to the hotel? The type of cab that took us downtown is no where to be seen. One option it to use tuk tuks, the three wheeled sort of carts that are ubiquitous. However, we instead use the Chaing Mai version of a bus, in effect chartering our own, a small pick up truck with roof over the back and benches on both sides. We pile in and back to the hotel we go. It’s not very comfortable (or in the least bit safe), but it works.

On Monday, our last full day in Thailand, we skip the group trip to the hillside tribes with the women who have many rings around their long necks and instead go in to find the local market. We wonder amongst the shops and stalls for about two hours—being about the only westerners to be seen. It’s a street photographer’s paradise and we take in every minute of it.