Blogs from North-West Thailand, Thailand, Asia - page 2

The best way to start the day is with a foot massage. I can't recommend it more! Right across the alley from our hotel is a small massage parlor, run by a very sweet woman. I have to note here that so far we find the Thai people to be very friendly, open and helpful. Especially with the aid of Google Translate! Anyway, back to our foot massage. It started with a foot scrub with fresh limes, included a complete workout of our feet and legs, and an extra good rub of our back, shoulders and arms. Feels great! So, back to the car and on with the journey. Next stop - a fabric-weaving village on the way to Nan. We found two shops that sell local embroidered clothing, not cheap, and nothing really interesting. But ... read more

I'm so excited to be planning a road trip to Pai this coming November! My husband and I are planning a trip for his family when they visit from Australia, and I'm so excited to show them around! We'll be driving from here in Chiang Mai to Pai where we will spend three days. Finding a Big Car and Baby Car Seats First things first, transportation. We need to rent a bigger car to accommodate my in-laws, as well as my two little niece's. Luckily there are quite a few car rental places in Chiang Mai, so it'll be easy for us to rent something for our trip. We also will be needing a car seat for our nieces. We have been doing research and found this car seat, Daiichi’s First 7 that meets our standards ... read more

It's a Monday morning in Chiangmai ...... and my last Monday here for this trip. The sands of time are visibly running out now and each day is precious. How shall I fill it? Well, Monday morning was filled with finishing off my last blog and downloading photos. I sat under the old house and had good company from the dogs. Nui was watering her garden and Kong was tidying up the empty rooms. The only guests this week are me, Ronda ( who leaves on Wednesday) and Richard who is a long term resident. The water on one side of the house (where Ronda and I are staying) has been turned off as a crack developed in a pipe last night, and a water feature was created behind the building! So the sisters are waiting ... read more

I'd only got a 30 day 'Visa on Arrival' when I entered Chiang Mai. Partly because I wasn't sure if I'd go off somewhere else for a few days or so anyway. But having settled into life in Chiangmai I didn't feel I wanted to arrange anything else. The alternative is to go to the Immigration office near the airport and apply for a 30 day extension. I expected it to take a good two hours, and all the advice on the internet was that it would be less crowded after 1pm. So I started my day by walking to the acupuncture clinic for my dose of needles in the back. Hardly feel them going in - it's just a pin prick. And then there's the gentle throbbing, almost like a pulse, when the electrical current ... read more

Chiang Mai airport seemed much more techy this year ...... and I was very soon through Immigration and waiting for my bag beside the carousel. It was late afternoon and the sun was still shining ...... the hazy mountains a great backdrop for the airport.( although I understand that hazy probably means that it's a bad day for air quality!) It seemed quiet and it took no time at all to get a taxi. But of course , then I realised it was Sunday and traffic was sparse. No weekday homeward bound workers. The taxi driver dropped me off by the front steps of the condominium across the road and I trundled my bag down the familiar dusty alleyway towards Baan SongJum (translates as House of Memories) , where the purple bougainvillea spills over the top ... read more