First, I shall apologize to any of my readers in the past for not publishing for a long time. No excuses.
The good news is that on a positive note there are so many more wonderful venues to hang out and eat in Chiang Mai.
The bad news is that it is increasingly becoming more congested with motor traffic. The noise levels vary depending if a new bar has opened nearby or not.
A couple of weeks ago I heard reports that there was a persistent thief at ,”Mountain View Guest House “. It is difficult to determine rather this thief is part of the cleaning staff or other staff members who have pass keys to your room or one of the residents who is skilled in getting through looks. In one case about $250.00 was taken and a week later $500.00 in cash that was well hidden was stolen out of a locked room.
I’ve stayed in guest houses in Chiang Mai for the past 22 years without an incident. My experience is that if you stay at a small family owned business the chances are slight as they keep an eye on the place.
Mountain View is a rather large building with many rooms. It is also near in a busy tourist area near Thapee Gate.
A new PunPun opened last March near the Y.M.C. A. on Sanithan Rd.The food and the people who gravitate there are a great addition to a wonderful experience in Chiang Mai. This PunPun has been renamed ImmAim.
In all there are 3 other restaurants that are called Punpun at the moment. The original one was at Sundock Temple. I have dined there . I prefer ImmAim ,the former Punpun near the Y.M.C. A. I have not visited the other PunPuns but I heard from someone that the one near the mountain has a good menu and food.
I mourn my beloved ,”Goat Coffee” which has been relocated near the ,”Forest Monastery” to be replaced by a huge bar, the bane and scourge of any decent neighbourhood. The noise and type of folks they often attract do not increase the quality of life in any place. Alas, like the mosquitoes, too fast cars, noisy Tuk Tuks, and crawling traffic they too will always be part of the landscape here in Chiang Mai.
There are many new wonderful coffee houses that have opened up in the area nearby Central Dept. store.
The area is also going a huge building boom as the Bangkok money movies North to Chiang Mai which is a much more tolerable place to live than the huge hot city of Bangkok.
Will Chiang Mai suffer the same fate as Bangkok with its’ unregulated sprawling growth without any regard to human habitation.
There you have it folks , the beginning of my new postings.
Have a great 2013. The best to your health and wealth in the year of the Snake.
