We had enough of paradise and were ready to explore a new region. A two hour flight brought us to Chiang Mai, a city in the northern mountains of Thailand. Smaller then Bangkok but large enough to keep us entertained for the next couple of days.
When we arrived our knowledge on Chiang Mai didn’t extend far from the above paragraph. We might have lacked knowledge and preparation but our Lonely Planet guidebook was now relevant. The book included information on Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia and Northern Thailand. The past week we made it by WiFi hopping.
We put our guidebook to the test by taking a taxi to a hotel described as “A jungle-like garden and budget rooms in old-fashion houses”. An accurate description of the place. Feeling confident in our new guidebook we followed directions to a bar called John’s place.
We ordered a tower of beer on the roof top patio and reflected on how much we had seen in a week. After a televised Muay Thai fight and our best attempts at talking to a pair of French girls we were off. The next stop on our Lonely Planet guidebook tour of Chiang Mai was Zoes. The bar had a dance floor where Julia was able to get in some of her patented moves.
I found myself separated from the group and called for a Tuk Tuk to take me back to the hotel. Tuk Tuks are small three wheeled taxis notorious for ripping foreigners off. This Tuk Tuk driver was no different. He decided I wasn’t ready to go back to the hotel and brought me to a night club. I thanked the driver for driving out of his way but insisted I wanted to return to my hotel. I made it back to the hotel successfully evading the Tuk Tuk scam. Tomorrow we have plans to check out a National Park close by.
martyatsea 