On the road

Chiang Mai, Thailand
19:26 Thursday 19-Jan-05

This is my second stop of three here in Thailand this year. Unlike previous vacations where I have started in Bangkok, I will end this one there, having started this time in Pattaya. That was a mixed bag of delights with my main problem being one of knowing little to nothing about the street layouts and the Baht-bus routes. I was staying at a guest house in the "middle of nowhere" (which is an exaggeration) and it took me nearly the entire week I was there to figure out how best to navigate between the guest house, Jomtien Beach, and Central Pattaya. By the time I did it was time to leave. I usually purchase detailed maps of places I visit but this time I did not have one of that city.

On the plus side anyway, Pattaya's night life is very active and possibly better than that of Bangkok. On the negative side, the city, though smaller, seems much more congested with its narrow and twisting streets. I am not a beach person so I did not go swimming but it was pleasant to sit in a deck chair and watch the passing scene. Also, vendors of all types bring you this and that. I did eat lunch on the beach twice but did not partake of the various massage services available. Even a legitimate massage (there aren't any other types available on the beach anyway) was not appealing as I still consider it somewhat of a private affair and I would want to take a shower immediately afterwards to wash off the cream or oil used and that would not be possible under those circumstances.

Now I find myself in Chiang Mai once again, a city I have liked very much in the past but now it has its problems with one of the main streets (Thapae Road) from Thapae Gate to Chang Klang Road torn up for utility work along the curbs and sidewalks. As a result it has become one huge obstacle course. Also, the flooding last August and September disrupted the Mae Ping River substantially and its method of feeding water into the city's ancient moat, part of which is nearly dry now. Other parts are low and muddy. One major plus of being here is that it is cooler than down in Pattaya which was almost unbearable even on the beach.

So today Ben and I went down to Lamphun and to Lampang, two smaller cities to the south and those were very nice. We visited some temples there and took in an elephant show and road a horse & buggy (he called it a "horse cart") through the streets of Lampang. Tomorrow we will go up to Doi Suthep and I hope the atmosphere is clear so I can see Chiang Mai from the top of the mountain, something I could not do four years ago when I first came here. The temple up there is under the King's patronage and is one of the most beautiful in the country.

I am still not sure what I will do once I get to Bangkok although I am scheduled to have dinner with one friend at Cabbages & Condoms (yes, you read that correctly) and at the buffet in the Bayoke Tower, Bangkok's tallest building. Hopefully I can make contact with a couple of others. Pin has been job hunting so I do not know what his schedule will be like but I do know where to find Rick during Happy Hour on Fridays anyway.

So that is the latest from this part of the world for now.