I hope you've had an enjoyable
week. I've been having internet problems of late. Not sure what's going on, but I'm determined to get to the bottom of it. I have some great pictures to share, but I'm not able to send any of them due to this internet problem. Sorry~
How are things going so far?
How are things going so far?
The Good ~ This week I only got really lost once! I'm finally
learning my way around this city and getting involved in activities that I
enjoy. I'm re-learning that you need to know how to say landmarks
in Thai in order to be sure of getting where you want to go. Otherwise - lostness:-(
The best way to get around here in Chiang Mai is in a songthaew. I wanted to include a picture but if you're interested, you can put "picture of a songthaew chiang mai" in a search engine and get the idea. It's really just a pick-up truck with benches in the back for people to sit on. If there are other people already on board, and the driver says he's going near/to your location, it only costs you 20 Thai baht (THB) or about 80 cents. What I've also learned is that sometimes the driver will still only charge you the 20 THB even if you're the only one riding. Sweet!
The best way to get around here in Chiang Mai is in a songthaew. I wanted to include a picture but if you're interested, you can put "picture of a songthaew chiang mai" in a search engine and get the idea. It's really just a pick-up truck with benches in the back for people to sit on. If there are other people already on board, and the driver says he's going near/to your location, it only costs you 20 Thai baht (THB) or about 80 cents. What I've also learned is that sometimes the driver will still only charge you the 20 THB even if you're the only one riding. Sweet!
Another good thing about this week
was that I went on two bike rides with a group called Grasshopper Adventures
(http://www.grasshopperadventures.com/en/tours.html). They are
well-established in Bangkok but have just opened up an office here in Chiang
Mai, and they needed people willing to go on trial bike rides. I'm not
much of a street or city bike rider, but I went anyway. Both tours were
free, plus they provided bikes, helmets, two guides, water, snacks and dinner
for one of the tours. Still debating whether or not I want to use a bike
to get around here...
Massages are really cheap, so I
had my first one this week. It cost me about $8 for an hour. Not
the best massage I've ever had - not the worst either. Nothing like Alan
in Tucker, but I will return!
The final good is that I have discovered the pool at my place of residence. It's really nice on a hot day:-)
The Bad ~ Traffic in Thailand can be a bit wild. They have
zebra crossings, but it takes a miracle to get the traffic to stop for pedestrians! So...on my way
to meet up with the bike group, I decided to cross at a zebra instead of an
actual traffic light. What was I thinking? I was almost hit by a
not so marvelous songthaew driver! I had to run fast to avoid getting hit. I think I'll
be avoiding crossing at zebras without traffic lights during the rest of my stay here!
The Ugly ~ I went to a yin yoga class. I've been taking
a Gentle Yoga class with a wonderful teacher, Angela, off and on now for
several years, so I thought..."OK - in yin yoga they hold the poses
longer, but that shouldn't be a problem!" Well...let me tell you -
it was a problem. #1 - I couldn't even do the first pose. #2 - the
poses only got harder as the night wore on (a whole 1-1/2 hours) - and the
harder they got, the more I sweat (no air conditioning). #3 - I wasn't
invited back! Well - that's not technically true, but the owner of the
yoga studio said that this was the easiest class of all of the classes that they
offer. I don't think I'll waste anymore of their time by returning.
I'm trying a Gentle & Restorative class this week...hopefully it will suit
me better! I'll let you know.
Hopefully I'll be able to share pictures in my next post.
Have a great week!
Have a great week!
