Mountains and temples
Trip Start
Sep 28, 2005
1
73
103
Trip End
Jun 24, 2006
Chiang Mai,
Thailand
Thursday, April 27, 2006
Miles travelled: 70030
We're now in the northern part of Thailand, at the second most populous city, Chiang Mai. It has a different feel than Bangkok, more manageable and compact, and not as hurried. There seem to be a lot of tourists in this area, and we've run into some groups several times as we made our way north. This is the center of some fast-disappearing industries such as handmade umbrellas & parasols, silk weaving, and teakwood carving.
Our accommodations have been great -- deluxe hotels with nice buffet dinners. We're enjoying it while we can, as the next leg through Laos & Cambodia we will be staying at "simple hotels" and taking "varied forms of local transport", according to the brochure. Translation: dives and probably no air-conditioning.
Over the next few days we'll be headed toward the "Golden Triangle", where Thailand, Laos, and Burma meet. This was (and perhaps still is) the center of the opium trade and smuggling, but it is also known for its scenic beauty and traditional hill tribe peoples. Then we fly back to Bangkok just in time to pick up another tour which again passes through Chiang Mai and then crosses the border into Laos.
