I'm having a lovely time in Chiang Mai. It's a great city! I'm staying in the old town which is in the center of the city surrounded by a wall and a really pretty moat! It's easily walkable with lots of Temples poking out above the houses, yummy food and some pretty good shopping.
BEAUTIFUL TEMPLES
Every Sunday from 4-midnight several streets are shut down in the old city to make way for hundreds of stalls selling their local and handmade wares, parking lots set up as massive makeshift food fairs, streets are lined with rows of chairs for massages and there is every different type of street performers as far as the eye can see. The energy is palpable. It's like every member of the city is here to mingle and shop and eat! You can buy everything from cotton candy to fried crickets, outfits for your dog to a self portrait by a resident artist...and at super cheap prices. It was amazing! Luckily my hotel is right on one of the main streets it runs on. Since I had arrived in town before any set up had occurred I go to sit in the outdoor restaurant and watch the traffic suddenly stop and hundreds of vendors filter in to set up shop, complete with sparkly lights to light their store in the night....it was site to behold. The next morning there was no sign of it though...it was hard to believe it was the same street!!
SUNDAY MARKET SETUP AND IN FULL SWING
Today I had another lazy day. I wondered around town and did a little shopping....I had to buy new shorts. I've somehow managed to lose so much weight since I left Calgary that none of my pants fit...they are practically falling off my hips. So, I am now on a bulking up weight gain regime and trying to eat more and calorie it up....hope I can get back into them soon. My new favourite late night snack is mango with coconut sweetened sticky rice...SO good.
Today I have a full day. I am spending the day volunteering at an elephant sanctuary about 1.5hours northwest of Chiang Mai on 2000 acres of land that rescues and treats the mental and physical wounds left on the endangered Asian elephants forced to work for illegal logging and in treks and shows for tourists. I'm really excited to get to see the elephants up close.
THE BEAUTIFUL LOBBY OF MY HOTEL
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