Chiang Mai

Took an overnight train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai 2 days ago - and had interesting conversations with an austrian couple next bunk over. They were surprise by my mention of Jorge Haider.

Chiang Mai is a more relaxed city, ringed by mountains. Lots of lush forest surround the region. There are traditional Thai massage salons everywhere where you can get a 1 hour massage for only $2.50. There are more bookstores, coffee shops and night markets as well. Nonetheless, it is the 2nd largest city in Thailand. There is traffic, exhaust fumes and but less of the hustle and bustle of Bangkok.

Our first day, we had some northern curry and rice for lunch and then toured temples inside the old city moats. Then hitched a red taxi up to Suthep temple up the mountain. The drive up made me car sick but the views and sights at the top were worth it - as was the cool mountain air. One of the girls in our group almost fell out of the back due the steep and curvy climb.

I took a cooking class yesterday - we made 6 Thai dishes and were completely stuffed and comatose by the end of the day. Tomorrow, I will start a course on traditional Thai massage. It'll be a nice change to stay put for a while and learn a few things.

Staying at a cheap hotel near the moat (with a pool)!