It's our last night in Chiang Mai, our next stop after Bangkok. It's much busier than I expected, but it's still a nice change of pace from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok. Our first day here we spent the day cooking and eating at the Thai Farm Cooking School. We started with a visit to Ruamchook Market — I could have stayed here for hours gazing at (and tasting) the culinary offerings. Turns out the folks in Chiang Mai are huge fans of pork rinds among other fried delights, and they're sold in sizes ranging from a small sack to a bag the size of a large pillowcase.  Next we were off to the farm for an orientation to Thai ingredients, many of which are grown on-site, and an all-day cooking lesson. Note to friends and family — there will be some Thai dinners at my place in your future. If I can find all the ingredients, I"ll even make my own curry paste.  This day was a major highlight of my trip, not surprisingly.

Today we spent more time in the countryside — if I ever come back to this part of the world, I hope to spend much more time exploring the countryside, including hikes in the mountains and perhaps some cycling in some of the flatter regions. My favorite part of the day was a peaceful and relaxing ride down the Ping river on a bamboo raft, with a stunning mountain view in the distance.  And now, we're off to seek out some khao soi for dinner — the local specialty.  Tomorrow we'll be heading to Doi Suthep before flying to Phuket and traveling to our final destination, an island called Koh Naka Yai. 

It's looking more and more like you'll have to wait for the pictures. Don't worry — they're worth it!

I hardly know where to begin in describing Bangkok. It's a bustling and vibrant urban center, a mix of old and new, with the dirty, gritty and run-down squeezed in next to the luxe and modern. In three days I have taken all forms of public transportation: the SkyTrain, the subway, and the public ferry, I have argued with a taxi driver about using the meter (common attempt to scam tourists), I survived a crazy tuk-tuk ride, coming within inches of a pack of scooters while making a turn, and have improved my street-crossing skills (no small feat). I have had coffee in the luxurious Erawan Tea Room, eaten street food for breakfast, had lunch at Chote Chitr, noted in my book of 500 best food destinations in the world, was given a personal tour of Chinatown, tasting along the way, and sipped cocktails 50 floors above the street overlooking Bangkok at night. I've seen temples and buddhas, some beautiful, some over-the-top gaudy. I've visited the impressive Grand Palace and the elegant teak Jim Thompson House.  I've got one more dinner here and about three different places that have been recommended to me by people whose culinary tastes I trust — may have to squeeze one more in on my way back through at the end of next week.

I'm having some technical issues getting my photos up as quickly as I'd like, so you'll just have to wait, I'm afraid.  There's so much to take in that I feel like my pictures can hardly do it justice. I truly adore it here so far. Next stop is Chiang Mai, which will be quite different, or so I'm told. Looking forward to it!