We hit Chiang Mai with high hopes. Everything we'd heard and read about the place seemed right up our alley - lots of culture, good food, easy to get around and a relaxed pace - and a few minor hiccups aside we had an awesome three days. I was a little sick but we hired a motorbike and I braved the crazy city traffic techniques (red = go, orange = go, green = go fast) and managed to see a whole lot of sights in and around the city while Sonya bought up half the silver jewellery in the province.
We did markets and bazaars and temples and bridges and even the rambling, shambolic Chiang Mai zoo (great to see Pandas but the rest of the place was pretty run down) and enjoyed the colourful and friendly characters we met. Chiang Mai is touristy but in a much more relaxed, less in your face than Bangkok , and with the bike it wasn't hard to get off the tourist track and see more of the real city, like the amazing Wororot day market. The people were wonderfully friendly and a common recurring conversation was whether we'd been to Bangkok and whether we liked Chiang Mai more ("Yes, yes, of course"). I couldn't help but make the comparison with the way Wellingtonians feel about Auckland, and the exact same things Melburnians say about Sydney. Maybe Sonya and I are culturally hardwired to love the second biggest city in any country. What's the second biggest city in Holland?
Like I said, I was a bit sick but it was a perfect place to relax and refresh - its a cheap place in indulge yourself and we could easily afford a nice place with a pool. While I recharged by the pool Sonya got a nice haircut to match all her new silver and last night we even splashed out for a relaxing massage. Luxury.
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