Thailand- Travel to Chang Mai

Today, we travel to Chang Mai! 

Breakfast and quick packing to get us the the airport early... As usual! 

This is the cutest airport. It reminds me of the one in palm springs where everything is outdoors and super cute.

Ok, I just looked at these pictures and it is way cuter than these picture give it credit for. I guess I need to work on my photography skills.

 

We arrive at Chang Mai and head to our hotel. The driver arrives (per Google map instructions) and can't seem to find it. We look around and John googles it too. The driver flips U-turn and there it is across the street inside a coffee shop! Ok. What!!! We've seen several "rooms for rent"situations above restaurants, etc. None looked amazing. We get indoors and find that there are a few entrances for the hotel. We get taken next door to the reception area and find some small amount of relief. We are checked in and taken to our room. Think...New York boutique hotel- meets Thailand. We walk to the back hallway that leads to a beautiful secluded garden and tiny but efficient and clean pool.

We are then lead up four flights of stairs to get the the third floor. I know...I did the math too!  No elevator! I was embarrassingly out of breath. We get to our room and it's very stylish, modern and totally unexpected! I forgot to take pictures before I unpacked and blew it up so I'll do that tomorrow after they straighten it out. You are going to be impressed!

The place has only 9 rooms and has as many private area to enjoy. There is a bonsai garden on the roof ..

 An antique Louis Vuitton luggage collection....

And a beautiful library....

Gorgeous artwork (and dead animals) in the stairwells to make you forget your pain of walking up without an elevator....

Night market! 

We head to the night market for dinner and shopping. As I may have mentioned previously, my stomach has decided that it's done with the spices and exotic flavors and I've had a hard time eating due to this. Options for bland food are limited. We end up at the hard rock cafe for a hamburger. We end up sitting by some very loud tourists having a great time. I smile for them while I'm inwardly wishing I'd sit further away.😬

We head to the night market next and I'm amazed by the colors, noises and varieties of things sold. What really astounds me is that these folks do this every night! They arrive late afternoon to start setting up their booths along the street or in designated courtyards. That are finished setting up and the crowds starts to arrive around 7pm. The people are so thick that you can hardly move. 

We found a food courtyard that looks super clean and reminds me of something we'd see back home at a food festival with live music and everything. It felt so nice to just sit and enjoy the music and eat good food. John got a banana and strawberry crepe. I got coconut ice cream.

It is still at hot and we walked so much that my hands are swollen and I need to stick them in a bag is ice. We get a tuk tuk and head back to the hotel. I stick my hands in the tiny freezer is the mini fridge. ahhhhh! ❄️