Chiang Mai 2

Yesterday we strolled around Chiang Mai. There is a 'Wat' (Buddhist Temple) on every corner. Perhaps it would be the same for a Thai person visiting Ireland, to see a Church on every corner. But these temples are very ornate, decorated with gold and dragons, and totally photogenic. Lunch was at a local Northern Thai cuisine restaurant, where most of the food was spicy, perhaps reflecting the Indian influence. Luckily they had fried chicken and spare ribs for the kids. We were given chopsticks as well as spoons and forks, which the girls could use fairly easily (if not correctly) with the sticky rice that practically has to be torn apart. Fiona's technique was to roll the rice into a little ball with her left hand and stick one chopstick into it with her right.

After lunch we visited the most ornate Wat in Chiang Mai - the Wat Chedi Luang - the buildings feature really life-like waxworks of past monks. The main template was being repainted so we could watch them repainting the intricate designs and applying golf leaf.

In the evening we went to a "Traditional" entertainment evening - obviously packaged for the tourists with food, dance show, hill tribe music etc. Very touristy but at least not tacky, lots of food, and didn't cost the earth.

Today after another big breakfast (sticky sweet rice, poached eggs with satay sauce, banana pancakes, fresh mango and watermelon, smoothies) at the hotel, we went to the excellent Chiang Mai zoo and went around it twice with the hop-on-hop-off bus. The distances were too far and the weather too hot to walk. Kids were getting a bit worn out.

One more night at this hotel and then we move a few km outside the town for 5 nights. We'd be very happy to remain at the current hotel which is lovely, but the idea was to "do" the town and then see the outskirts. And the next hotel has a POOL!