chiang mai

im in chiang mai right now. it's the main city of the northern part of thailand.

i stayed here for a year some years ago. i studied my thai language here. this is really my first home in thailand. i love this place. it's a small city. very cultural. very colorful due to the arts and crafts of the northern hilltribes. very oriental.

school summer break has just started and there's no better way to start it than hop on a train and go upnorth.

i love the train. although budget airlines have sprouted like mushrooms, and can get to any place in thailand (or southeast asia for that matter) at a cheaper price, i still preer the train when going around thailand or going to malaysia. the sleeper type. the seats facing each other can turn into two-decker beds. with curtains for privacy. i took the lower berth, although a bit more expensive than the upper berth. i made a little mistake though. i forgot to bring a sweater or a long-sleeved shirt. so i was freezing the whole time. there's always a blanket provided but the airconditioner would still require you to wear something taht could keep you warmer.

i like the long train trips. it affords me to think, make plans, read a good book, write a blog, or just sit and look at the scenery.

my first day here is almost over. i have already been to few familiar places. cool. really cool.

one amazing thing is that i dont sweat here at all. as long as you avoid direct exposure to sunlight, the atmosphere outside doesnt feel hot yet. in bangkok by now, i sweat even if i dont move. here, ive been walking around and i dont sweat at all. pretty amazing huh? (of course it gets hotter in april, but for now, it's still ok to move around).

so yeah, ive been having a good time already...