Yesterday morning I arrived in Chiang Mai on the 6:15 a.m flight. It was the first flight in which I had flown all the way in Business Class.
It made such a difference traveling with a business upgrade. It cost me 100,000.00 Aeroplan mile but it was worth every point I used.
This is my 20th winter in Thailand with Chiang Mai being my favorite place while being in Asia.
In spite of the troubles in Bangkok last year, it has not deterred travellers from all over the planet from flocking to the warmth and hospitality for which the Kingdom of Smiles is well known.
I was able to find a place to stay at Finlay’s Cottage, a pretentious name for for rooms put up next to an old traditional wooden Thai house.
Yesterday at Juice 4 U , one of my favorite eating places I met an interesting man exactly my age from Spain. He has been coming here since 1982. We had an interesting conversation and he provided some good advice on a number of issues I need to deal with such unlocking my Nokia phone that I bought in Ecuador six weeks ago.
Later yesterday afternoon, I had a two hour Thai massage . Unfortunately, Nong who I usually is on holidays all this week . I had an excellent session with the sister of the owner. She will not be available this week again so I booked a session with another therapist that I had not used before.
Yesterdays’ session was necessarily brutal to open up the energy channels according to my therapist . According to her another two or three sessions of brutality should do the trick.
Today , I booked a room in another Guest house. There I met a young -young is relative when you are 66. I am older than her dad according to the conversation we had. I sensed that she is most likely late 30’s or early 40’s. She is well traveled. She mentioned that there is a woman Thai massage therapist that will do an hour session in your room for 150 Baht.
I presently pay 600 Baht -including tip for a 2 hour massage. This comes to about 20 Canadian dollars. A steal ,given the price and quality of something similar in the Western World.
Presently, I am typing this at the ,”Blue Diamond ” vegetarian restaurant where they serve a great avocado salad. I did notice ,however, that there were less avocados than former years.Maybe it was the chef today. Time will tell.
It is nice and cool outside beside a running waterfall with red and golden fish swimming lazily in the canal two feet from my table.
Chiang Mai is cooler this year and this suits me fine. Amanda , the Italian lady I met this morning told me it was downright cold two weeks ago. This is a testimony that the climate is drastically altering all over the planet.
There are presently an English couple on a 6 month Asian holiday , a young family from the Czech Republic traveling with two adorable girls ages 5 and 6, and a single Aussie man in his late forties are staying at Finlay’s cottage. The English couple take an overnight train to Bangkok today at 4:30 p.m on route to Phi Phi Islands the following day.
Phi Phi Islands is where I had one of my most romantic holidays.
I hope to enter daily postings.on my new trusty MacBook Air.
See you tomorrow while I take a break and sip my Japanese green tea.
