So we have spent three nights and two full days here in Chiang Mai and the city has really charmed the both of us. It has a spiritual essence about it with Buddhist temples around every corner and you are just as likely to bump into a monk as a fellow traveller on the street. If you like me are searching for healthy foods, but on a backpacker budget, you won’t be disappointed either as you can find organic cafe’s and healthy fruit smoothies all around old town. We found our favorite lady here that serves us our breakfast every morning – in one smoothie she puts one banana, one mango and the juice and meat from half a coconut – blend that together with a handful of ice (no sugary syrup!) and you are set for hours!
If I was going to give any fellow traveller a good advice from our experience here so far is to rent a motor bike and buzz up the mountain and walk the 200 steps up to the Buddhist temple there. Yesterday we got up really early and was there before seven. For one hour we where the only visitors, it was so nice walking around without noisy tourist and as the clock went past eight the place slowly filled with local people praying as they walked around the grand stupa in the middle of the temple grounds.
The credit for the photo of me at the bottom of the steps goes to Chris Geiler. Have a look at his blog for some more wicked shots.
