I told you I'd see you again, Chiang Mai :) Well now, what is there left to tell? I won't be telling you all over again about Thailand. Of all the countries I have visited, Thailand has never seized to astound me. Well, perhaps, it is the country that I have visited most. I have been to Thailand 4 times this year only! So the past week, I got to see charming smooth silky Thai girls. A mountainous city with clean and fresh air, Chian Mai is in heavy rainy season. When I arrived on Sunday, the city was waterlogged. But, it's still within tolerance limit.

I didn't get to visit Doi Suthet or the Night Safari as I did in last March. Instead, I visited the tamples which are scattered around the municipality as the visit was actually part of the programme. The first temple we visited was Wat Chiang Man. It is said that the temple was the oldest temple built in the municipality. I have lost track of the other temples we visited but they are all within the complex. Grab the map, and wander around the complex to see other temples for yourself.

How to get around Chiang Mai? You can take the trademark of Thailand, tuktuk. The vehicle can accommodate 3 persons. But, you have to bargain if you are to take a ride with it. Another type of vehicle is a small truck with opened hatch back they call, red cab. They are called cabs because they take you to your desired destination. So, in a way, they are like tuktuk, but can accommodate people up to about 10. Hence, you can use the transport cheaper. To give you an example, when I visited the night bazaar from the hotel, it cost us THB 70 regardless the number of passngers. But, with the red cab, going to the same destination, it cost us THB 20 per person. There were 3 of us. So, you see the difference? It's cheaper going by red-cab. But, I assume you have to go with more than 2 persons if are taking red cab. Look for more information on types of transportation in Chiang Mai here.

Another thing that I have discovered is the night bazaar. I just discovered that it is bigger than what I visited last March. There is this Anusarn Market, which was the market I visited previously, and there is this Kalare Night Bazaar. So, the night bazaar is quite large area to explore. If you are on a tight budget, try to bring THB 1,000 per night. Otherwise, you'll forget how much money left in your wallet and it's all over before you know it. And be a good bargainer. I mean, very good. Always aim for 50% of the price they propose. If they say THB 100, bargain for THB 50, and go up from there. If they are easy with your price, then you can bet that the price can still be lower. However, I encourage you to support local market and don't be stingy with your money if you come from developed country, unlike me :)

So, I'll be looking forward to another opportunity to visit Thailand again some time soon. Hopefully, it will be in another province and/ or another city. Kob Khun Krub. Sawasdee Krub!

MajoSoft

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