Thailand 01 First Days

I arrived in Bangkok on 2/3 at midnight, stayed at at an airport hotel, and left the next day for Chiang Mai. Steve and Marc met me at Chiang Mai airport and Steve drove us to his house about 25 miles north of the city.

Steve has a small house in a golf community called Green Valley. He invited a young lady, Dic, who had worked for Steve and his wife, to assist around the house while I was there. I stayed at his place for a few days, then moved in with Marc for 3 days.

Marc was renting a good sized apartment that had 2 full bedrooms, 2 baths and a roomy living room. It was centrally located in the city and was a good jumping off point for many points of local interest.

Chiang Mai is the second largest city in the country. It has bustling market, heavy traffic, great street food, and a nice assortment of restaurants and hotels.

There are three main ways for tourists to get around the area: walking, taxi, or tuk-tuk. The tuk-tuk (pronounced took-took) is similar to a rickshaw but driven by a motorbike. They are all over the place and super efficient for navigating the main streets and winnowing through the many narrow alleys that connect the streets. Another mode of transportation that is solely used by the locals is a bus called the Songtaew. These are red pick-up trucks with a canopy and two rows of bench seats that face parallel to the street. They are the cheapest way to get around but tourists avoid them.

Click here to see some shots taken the first days.