DID: Early flight out to Chiang Mai via Bangkok. Slept the entire way to Bangkok so can’t say much about Thai Airways other than it’s very colorful (purple and orange color scheme). Bangkok airport is beautiful and efficient. Transfer to Air Asia was smooth and uneventful. Air Asia basic but totally fine (similar to Easyjet or Jetstar).
Gavin showed off his navigation skills – he can get us to a bathroom or a boarding gate anywhere.
Rhys’ language skills leaping by the day. Put together a 6-word sentence today “Look at that one over there!” Also can count to 15 in English, 11 in Italian.
Left a key component of the stroller on the airplane (a bar that goes across the front, works like an armrest). Hopefully the airline will locate it and get it back to us, without it Rhys escapes from the chair quite easily.
Got to the hotel, check-in process interrupted by Korean magazine travel writers doing a piece on Chiang Mai, featuring our hotel. Asked us for an interview and some pix of the boys (and even some with us for a change). Hoping they just use photos of GnR – or give a major airbrush to my in-transit-since-4am look.
Quick dip in the pool before the skies opened up. Waited a bit for it to clear up but there was no sign of it stopping. Instead left in search of a night bazaar mentioned by our guidebook, supposedly in a covered building. No taxis available for half an hour, so instead ventured out by tuk tuk. Not the driest mode of transport, especially because all the streets in our area were flooded! It seems one-handed motorcycle driving is a required skill here with all the people driving + holding umbrellas.
Tuk tuk dropped us at an uncovered night market in center of city. Filled with touristy kind of crap and no food. Asked around for directions to the covered bazaar, found another tuk tuk and we were off. More touristy crap and lots of seafood restaurants. Not the noodles we were after. Found tuk tuk number 3 and asked him to take us to his favorite noodle shop. First one was closed but second one was a hit!
Same driver came back an hour later to bring us back to our hotel. Had a bit of tuk tuk trouble (wouldn’t start) – Jason came to the rescue with a push for the jump start.
After having driven around a bit, can see that there’s quite a bit more catering for Western tourists than the places we’ve been thus far. Up to now we’ve been able to delude ourselves into thinking there weren’t many tourists around because we very rarely saw any other whities. Not the case here, will have to navigate around the fish and chips shops and Mexican cantinas! Loving the neighborhood of our hotel though, lots of nice little boutiques, spas, noodle shops, bars, coffee shops etc. Looks like it might be nightlife central once the rain clears (most everything is set up for outdoor seating).
Called it an early night and picked a movie from the hotel’s extensive collection. I was asleep before the opening credits!!
ATE: Breakfast – croissants in Taipei airport (blah). Jason had airplane breakfast (noodles and chicken) which he said was also blah.
Lunch in Bangkok airport domestic terminal food court. Gavin wanted thai chicken/noodles (pad see ew) while the rest of us went for Popeye’s chicken (haven’t eaten at Popeye’s since the last time we went to Lakenheath Air Force Base in the UK!) Everyone happy except for Gavin…I had to order pad thai because they didn’t have pad see ew and he did not like the substitution. Fortunately there were more than enough chicken tenders and fries to go around.
Dinner – noodle shop along the river in the historic part of Chiang Mai. Gavin was ecstatic with his pad see ew, I couldn’t stop eating my chicken soup (tom kha gai) in spite of the fact that my mouth was on fire, Rhys devoured his chicken fried rice, and Jason polished off his pad kee mao (spicy noodles with chicken) in 30 seconds flat. Total cost of four dishes plus beer and poppy water = $5. We spent more on the tuk tuks!
SLEPT: AT Niman Conceptual Home Boutique Hotel, along Nimmanhemin Road (north of the historic center). Kind of Morocco-meets-Thailand décor, oozing charm through the cracks and crannies. Tall blue glasses of iced tea to welcome us on arrival. Room is spacious, bed is very comfortable, and we have a chair swing on the balcony overlooking the pool. Hope the weather clears up so we can enjoy it!
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