Chiang Rai

Ahhhhhhhhh. That is me breathing a deep sigh of relief at having found a more relaxing place post Bangkok. Chiang Rai is infinitely more chill than our previous location, which is great. Unfortunately Jazmyne got a pretty bad fever the last night in Bangkok, and has been recovering for the past couple days. She is doing much better, and keeps talking about steak, and the steakhouses we will be eating said steak at, so her appetite is definitely back. We both miss good Western food a little bit. Her more than me, but honestly, I'd kill for a good burger and an IPA.

Anyways, Chiang Rai is relaxed and very focused on food. It's easy to explore on foot, and not intimidating to ride a scooter around town. I like it here a lot.

Thailand light is the best light.

Took my rental scooter up a totally crazy washed out road path thing since I kept seeing signs for a viewpoint. I was not expecting my little 125cc scooter to be so off road capable but it got me there. Mountain biking skills are a plus for Thailand roads. They get a bit.. dicey.

This is a tea farm. It felt like the Asian version of the Willamette Valley in Oregon. Very pretty.

If you find yourself in Chiang Rai, and hear about the White Temple and how cool it is, don't be fooled, it is a tourist trap. If you have been to Chiang Rai and enjoyed the White Temple, we see the world in fundamentally different ways. It is representative of Thai culture the same way that Trump tower is representative of NYC. I still like this picture though.

If you follow any road long enough here, it eventually goes up a jungly hill and turns into an off road adventure. It's a lot of fun.

Cow crossing.

Chiang Rai has a pretty amazing night market every Saturday. It felt like the whole city turned out to shop and eat. Markets in Thailand are the best. Great people watching, and you can find some super weird stuff, like snails and fried bugs. Also, any conceivable meat you can think of is served on a stick.