Chiang Mai, Thailand

Whew! Has it really only been a few days since we last talked? So much has happened, it seems like ages! In a nutshell, I love Thailand. We arrived in Chiang Mai on Friday and I’m happy to say it’s much smaller and much chiller than Bangkok (even though I loved Bangkok!). Since my last update, we’ve checked out the many day and night markets of the city, gone trekking up a very steep mountain to have lunch with a hilltribe, gotten massages at the Chiang Mai Women’s Prison Spa, and wandered through the wild in the morning mist alongside Asian elephants. Fabien is more daring than I am, so has brought me out of my comfort zone a bit (how much of a comfort zone can you be in anyway when you’re sitting on the floor of a bamboo hut at the top of a remote mountain, eating spicy unknown things with people who speak a language only they can understand?). Because of him I drank water from the mountain runoff and tread barefoot in the rushing brown river with the elephants. I ate the mysterious wild greens that our guide picked from the mountainside and boiled in the village for lunch. So far, still feelin’ fine. Amazing how even here, even now, tiny fears can keep me from experiencing amazing (and yes, scary) things. Fab helps a lot with that. And as brave and independent and etc etc as some of you might think me to be, I can honestly say that after 6 weeks of travelling solo, it’s pretty nice to have a travel buddy. It does feel strange / good to be on the other side of things; being one of those “couples” that I looked at often with envy throughout my travels. Of course people naturally think we’re an item (…are we? They might be right!) 🙂 and it’s definitely a different experience than going it alone. But we travel very well together and seem to have a natural affinity for the same experiences. We’re off to the little town of Pai on Thursday morning, to check out the live music scene there before our Tuesday flight to Phuket in the south. I know, it sounds busy, but honestly…it’s been soooo relaxed. I am however unhappy to report that I forgot my memory stick tonight, so photos will have to wait until the next update. Until then… PS – a belated but heartfelt thank you to Simone G for being the first person to “support my travels” through Travelpod! As a donor Simone will receive a postcard from abroad (as soon as she sends me her address!) PPS – Can you guys believe I’m actually doing this? Nuts.