Chaing Mai: Things to Do

Although I was really just in Chiang Mai to hang out, if I had wanted to keep really busy, I had a lot of options. A partial list:

Chiang Mai is a craft center, and one of the tourist things to do is go to the 'factories' to watch things being made by hand. Most of them are in villages that specialize in a particular craft. Thus you go to the 'umbrella village' or the 'celadon village'. I've been scouting out things to do here, and came up with the following list of factories to visit.

Hand painted umbrellas
Celadon ceramics
Woodcarving
Pottery
Papermaking
Laquerware
Weaving

In addition, the tribal women selling in the markets and on the streets pass their time making new items to sell. So while I am taking photos of bags with beaded patterns, a woman is sewing away on a similar bag, while she checks to see if I have questions or want to buy something.

I could also take some classes.

Thai cooking
Batik making
Thai boxing
Thai language
Massage (Thai, Ayurvedic, aroma therapy)
Climbing

Or go adventuring

Treks in the hill to visit supposedly remote hill tribes
White water rafting
Climbing
Ultralight flights
Caving

Or do not very adventurous things

Ride an elephant
Float down a river on a raft

Or just go to see stuff

Elephant Showgrounds
Hill tribe museums
The International Flower Show
The buffalo and cattle markets










There are wats (temples). Literally hundreds of wats. Wats everywhere. Little, insignificant wats, big important wats. All different. Most of them bright and shiny and colorful and, well, a bit garish.

Then again, I could just get pampered. Chiang Mai has the means.

Massage
Facial
Manicure
Pedicure
Day-long spa treatment
Steam room
Sauna

And then there is eating, in restaurants, on the street, or in the markets.

Thai
Lao
Chinese
Italian
Greek
Middle Eastern
German
Belgian
Japanese
American
French


Or I could just sit by the pool and take an occasional dip. Maybe reapply the suntan lotion. That sounds good.

Chiang Mai: It's Part of Long-term Travel

My last few posts haven't been full of sunshine. For a few seconds I considered just not writing anything about having a down period, but that's the reality of long term travel. It isn't wonderful and fun and interesting every day. Even during the years when I actually traveled, moving from place to place, seeing new things and meeting new people every day, I had what I called my "What am I doing here?" days. I learned that just writing that in my journal made me feel better. It reminded me that it has happened before and it will happen again and I should just get over it. It's not working this time, but that's OK.

There are no major issues here, just things that aren't going the way I want.