Top North Guest House Chiang Mai

I keep having to update these blogs in three's! Finally got our bus from Vientiane in Laos on sunday 29th, fu\irstky one bus which we had to get on and off the cross the border (which entailed us getting into the wrong queue about 5 times!. Luckily thought you don't need a visa for Thailand so we pretty much got straight through. We then had to get on a lovely overnight bus from the Thai border with strange reclining seat, not quite beds but they recline almost horizontally. Sarah was sat by ...

oh my. All through my travels people from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and fellow travelers have asked who I thought would win or who I wanted to win. Every single person I met wanted Obama to win. But that didn't really surprise me as it was the same in Germany. I upgrade to a hotel double the price ($10) to get a room with TV. And even then I had to change rooms 3 times until I got a satisfactory TV with good reception and CNN and BBC. I thought I might go to a bar to watch the results come in,...

2/15/05: my last night in Ao Nang, Krabi I stayed up quite late talking with Laughing Gecko owners Nui and Patricia, and a German couple (Sven and Nadine). Nui and Patricia recounted stories about the Tsunami. Two island near Krabi (Ko Phi Phi and Ko Lanta) were hit quite badly, much worse than Phuket and Ao Nang. Because there was a fear of aftershock tsunamis in the days following the waves, the Thai authorities did not immediately send in the army to affected areas, and as a result many ad...

After a relaxing stay in Pai, our couple boards another bus to city of Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai is one of the centers of culture for the Thai people, and as the guidebook states (Lonely Planet, SE Asia on a Shoestring) "an important symbol of nationhood". Comprised of an Old City, within the ancient walls of the first Chiang Mai, and a more modern city with shopping, residential and business neighborhoods, Chiang Mai has perhaps the highest concentration of Wats in Thailand. Capital of the old ...

KT: What a long journey we had travelling to Chiang Mai. Our journey started at 7am and we didn't arrive in Chiang Mai until 7pm. quite an adventure - the usual waiting around for over 3 hours starting in a minivan and then being transferred to a big coach which then went to the bus station! Only 5 westerners on the coach so weren't surprised to be watching 3 films in Thai on the way - Steve was gutted after all the trailers were shown in English - such a tease! We really enjoyed our time in ...

October 20-24, 2007 Chiang Mai is one of Thailand's largest cities, with a population over 1.6 million. I'm not sure if that includes the many retired Western Male Ex-Pats and their young Thai girlfriends (or she-boys). It is located in Northern Thailand, near the base of some highlands, so the weather is slightly cooler. The Old City section is a perfect square in the middle of town, protected on all four sides by a moat and the remnants of a midevil wwall built in the 13th century. The Old ...

Chiang Mai Our departure from Laos airport was quite an event. First, we were charged $10 each for airport tax to add to the $30 each visa on arrival fee. Then I walked up to the currency exchange with my remaining half million or so of Kip to be told that I could only buy Kip. If I wanted to sell Kip, I would have to head back into town; something I did not have time to do. I know that in these situations, particularly in Communist countries, the best advice for travelers is to stay calm. Ho...

So I arrived in Chiang Mai on the 30th at about noon (my overnight train was delayed) and from then through today, June 8th, I've been chilling. Just chilling. Nine solid days of no sight seeing, no challenging my boundaries, no packing and carrying stuff, no big decisions on where and what to do next, no paperwork for permission to go wherever and do whatever, no coordination, no negotiation, no planning, no reading brochures, no stress, no nuthin'. I've been chilling by the pool, sleeping i...

The Padaung people are actually from eastern Burma, close to the Thailand border. A few families of Padaung have settled temporarily as refugees in Thailand. They escaped from the Kaya State in Burma to Thailand in the mid 1900's. They belong to the Karenni sub-group of the Karen People, who are still fighting for their independence in Burma. Many though not all of the Padaung women wear brass rings (actually one long brass coil) around their necks which distort the growth of their collarbone...

Chiang Mai Cooking School: Day 1: June 13th: Course 1 Tom Yam Goong: Thai Hot and Sour Prawn Soup Gaeng Kheo Wan Gai: Green Curry with Chicken Tord Man Plaa: Thai Style Fish Cakes Phad Thai: Thai Fried Noodles Nam Prik Ong: Minced Pork Northern Style Salad Tab Tim Grob: Water Chestnuts with sugar syrup and coconut milk So I love Thai food. It's so unique, the flavors are great and unlike any of the American/ Italian/ Mexican/ French and even Chinese food I'm used to eating back at home. I che...