Chiang Mai

January 21-26th

Chiang Mai is called 'the rose in the North'...a small city nestled in the mountains...hardly.  It was a sprawling suburbia that would make L.A. proud, smog and all.  Our guest house was beautiful, and much to our horror on checking out, twice the price! We rented bikes and explored the old city, surrounded by a mote and full of small alley ways, Wats, and cafes.  We then decided that bikes were much too slow and rented motor bikes...

Well one bike because I (Amanda) was too scared to pull out of the rental shop... Ben drove and quikly took a liking to it...much to my chagrin because the thing scared me even more when I was on the back.  Exploring the countryside around Chiang Mai was well worth the fear (I got over it eventually).

We went to Doi Sutep, a National Park on a Hill with two Wats (Wats everywhere!).  We tried to take a small hike but that was not possible, as we soon learned was the case at every park, because the maps were inaccurate, the trails were nonexistent, and Thais don't hike...We then went exploring up to the north of Chiang Mai to the Mae Rim Valley, Ben enjoying driving fast around tight curves and me finally relaxing and enjoying the view from the back of the bike.

Doi Sutep

Orchid at the Orchid Nursery