A wat in Chiang Mai at night, all lit up.


View from my hostel in Chiang Mai.


About a week ago, I woke up before dawn in Bangkok, and I rode the skytrain to the bus station, and caught the first bus of the day to Chiang Mai in northern Thailand--a 10 hour drive. This bus was 2nd class, but it had particularly good service; we were given two meals, including one at a cafeteria somewhere along the way. I had the best seat in the house, on the second level of the bus, directly above the driver's head, so I had plenty of leg room and a 180 view out the window. I like riding the bus for long distances during the day (instead of at night) so that I can see each little town that we go through during the trip. It was a beautiful drive to Chiang Mai, winding through lush hills as we neared the city.

I arrived in Chiang Mai on a Sunday night, and the city was totally alive: every Sunday evening there is a "walking street" in which many of the main streets of the town are closed to traffic and hundreds of vendors set up stalls selling clothes, food, hill tribe crafts, jewelry, etc. This market is not just for tourists--there are plenty of thai people there too. And the most surprising and wonderful thing is that this market also has fabulous used and vintage clothing--who knew that Chiang Mai, Thailand would hold this treasure?