Day 14 - Saying Goodbye

Trip Start Dec 17, 2007
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24
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Trip End Feb 14, 2008


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Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Tak was returning to Japan today so we got together before he went. We didn't spend a lot of time together as we both like to do our own things. I found a package tour for the next leg of my trip. Tomorrow, a min-van will pick me up and take me to Chiang Khong, on the border of Thailand and Laos where I will stay the night. The next morning, I will take a boat down the Mekong river to the city of Luang Prabang. Almost everything is included so it was a pretty good deal and I didn't have to worry about making arrangements.

After eating lunch and saying good bye to Tak, I took it easy and finished reading a book, wrote in my journal and walked around town. I ended up at the famous night market as it was beginning at around 6 pm. I ended up buying some new socks and a watch, which sure is probably a fake (new Swiss army) but my cell phone battery died so I needed a way to tell the time. The night market in Chiang Mai is huge with block after block of small stalls. I made a discovery when I was walking around. Sure, there are hundred of shops but there are really only about 15 to 20 types of shops. For example, the watch shop. There was at least five watch shops but their line up was all pretty much the same. The shop keepers probably buy from the same wholesaler and then sell. so the tourists think they have lots of choices but in fact the choices are limited. I was reading something a few months ago that Chinese clothing factories are making a limited number of styles so it is easy to mass produced. This is leading to fewer choices in the world.
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