We've Arrived In Thailand

After Malaysia, we both realized we had been living our lives in black and white.  Just our short stay in that beautiful country with its sounds and smells and colors... has changed us.

We are really going to miss Malaysia.  Sonja was actually very sad when we were in the car headed to the airport.  We made some amazing friends there.

Kumar

Diana (from Maldovia)

And, now, the adventure continues in Thailand.

Chiang Mai, Thailand

As you step off the plane in Chiang Mai, you're immediately hit with a wave of "hello!"s and "welcome"s from the friendly locals. It's like they've been waiting just for you to arrive and share in their warm Thai hospitality.

Arriving after dark, we didn't have a chance to see much but what really stood out to us... on the plane, on the streets around our Airbnb and also in the lobby of the building... were the amount of white people here!  Thailand is by far the most popular tourist destination in Southeast Asia and people from all over the world travel here for holiday.  

For those of you living in these highlighted countries, "Holiday" is the word for vacation.  

Our first morning was an early wake up, shower and get dressed before heading out the door for a 7am walk.  We want to hear the sounds of Chiang Mai coming to life and have our first Thai breakfast.

She's retired.  She can have beer for b'fast!

The old town of Chiang Mai is like a time capsule where ancient temples and modern coffee shops coexist in a delightful chaos. Picture this: you’re strolling past a 700-year-old temple while trying to dodge a group of tourists who are more interested in their selfie sticks than the stunning architecture. It’s a place where you can sip on artisanal coffee brewed by hipster monks, and if you listen closely, you might just hear them debating the merits of oat milk versus coconut milk. With its charming streets lined with boutique hotels and massage spots, Chiang Mai’s old town is the perfect spot to enjoy—unless, of course, you get caught in the middle of a filming of Survivor! (Which we did).

We will be staying in Northern Thailand for two weeks.  We're taking things slow here.  Our first day was spent getting the lay of the city, figuring out the best ways to get around and sampling the food all along the route.

The only thing we had planned for the day was a couple of hours of sheer bliss.  Massages!  

In Chiang Mai, you can get a massage on almost every street corner.  Thailand is world famous for their therapies and we felt it was our duty as respectful American tourists to contribute to the local economy and partake.  You wouldn't want us to be disrespectful would you?

We chose a very high-end spa next door to our Airbnb.  If our first experience is any indication, it won't be our last display of respect.  A two-hour massage ranges in cost from $20 - $65 and we feel that we could endure that burden...  as often as possible. 

While we were wandering through the old town, we met three young Chinese students who were here to support their competitors in an international kick boxing tournament.  

We had never been to a kick boxing tournament before and this trip was going to be many new experiences, so "what the hell?"  We bought a couple of ringside tickets for later that night.

And are we ever glad we did.  We had a blast!  

The atmosphere was unique, an outdoor ring amongst several bars including one where a midget young lady tried to make her moves on me right in front of Sonja.  Who, by the way, was almost doubled over with laughter.

The bouts were only 5 rounds each and the competitors were from a few different countries, but primarily they were Thai and Chinese fighters.  

A really good first day 

Zipping around in tuk-tuks, feeling like VIP's.  Swerving expertly past street food stalls where the aroma of sizzling skewers and spicy noodles nearly knocked me out of my seat.  Treating ourselves to a traditional Thai massage, which was less about relaxation and more about discovering just how many knots my body could hold—let's just say I might need a map for all the new aches!

A Muay Thai kickboxing tournament, where the fighters danced around the ring with more grace than I had shown all day. Watching them deliver punches that could probably knock the socks off an elephant was thrilling, but I couldn’t help but wonder if my tuk-tuk driver was secretly one of them, given his wild driving style!

We'll post more during the upcoming days in Northern Thailand.  We're planning on renting a motorcycle and heading up to Doi Inthanon National Park along with some other side trips and a couple of unique experiences are planned as well.

Thanks for reading.  We'll catch up in a few days.