I’ve been hanging out in the northern city of Chiang Mai over the past few days. It’s the second largest city in Thailand, but it’s still got a very small town feel to it. Chiang Mai seems most noted for its large number of Buddhist temples and Buddhist monks running around. It’s also considered a good base for exploring the northern reaches of Thailand, near the Myanmar (Burma) and Laos borders.
Tomorrow I’m setting off on a three day jungle adventure with a half dozen other people from my guesthouse. It will include a bit of hiking, a bit of swimming, some bamboo rafting, and, of course, elephant riding (as one does in Thailand). We’ll be sleeping in traditional huts in hill tribe villages (with those people with the elongated necks from wearing too many necklaces) up in the mountains.