Hello all. spotty internet connections have persisted in Chiang Mai, in the north of Thailand. Here’s an email from a few days ago:
Bangkok was wonderful. The Oriental was wonderful as well in a
different sorta way. We had a lot of fun running around the city and
then coming back to our opulent luxury hotel room. I don’t know what
i’m missing more: the room, the breakfast or the concierge services.
The weekend market was amazing and huge and I wish the tianguis in
guadalajara had half the cool, cheap clothes they have here. the
palace and temples were amazing, but the coolest ones were the ruins
up in Autthaya (the old capitol). we took the sky train all over town.So we’re now in Chiang Mai which is in the north of Thailand. We
arrived here tonight, by plane, dropped off the bags at the hotel and
hit the streets to check out the scene. The hotel is a bit expensive,
$30/night, and it’s a bit dingy, so tomorrow we’ll hit the bricks and
look for something a bit more charming.Over all, I thought Thailand would be more charming, but i’m not sure
in what way. bangkok was nice, but it was also very impersonal. I
guess we got spoiled coming off of Bali, which is just so funky and
everyone is so friendly and then staying at the Oriental was kinda
like staying in an ivory tower. it was also so hard to take photos of
people in bangkok, everyone was so shy and inhibited. In Bali people
were jumping into the frame, in Bangkok it was the opposite. It made
me feel very self-conscious. But the signage, cars, cityscapes etc…
was rediculous, so much good stuff. I hope Chiang Mai is easier.So I think we’ll stay here for a few days and then move on to Laos.
not sure, but we’ll either take a 3-4 day travel, by river or we’ll
fly. i’d kinda like to do the 3-4 day thing to see the countryside,
but it’s cold up here in the mountains relatively speaking. it’s actually like 65 degrees (20 celcius) right now, which isn’t that cold,
but seems so for us. we’re acclimated and all.It’s hard to believe we’re only 18 days in to this trip. so much seen
and done, yet so much to go….anyways, i gotta go research hotels and the trip to Laos. i love ya.
and miss ya. and i’m glad i’m not dead. i’d love to send photos, but
it’s so ridiculously hard. just checking my gmail is torturous.love you,
// masha y mundo.
