Stir fried vegetables and noodles

Thuy Mountain

Thuy Mountain

Da Nang

Da Nang and Marble Mountains, Vietnam

French Village

Castles

Rides

Tea

Ba Na Hills,Vietnam - Amusement park and hotel only accessible by gondola. French village, temples, and castles to explore and relax or jump on a ride.

Hoi An, Vietnam - “A very strong and flavorful espresso combined with the egg foam of my dreams” - from a Google review.

Lanterns and Boats

Ba Mu Temple Gate

Bahn Xeo

Hoi An, Vietnam - beautiful ancient port city with great food.

Durian, the king of fruits.

Jumbo durians.

Durian vendors.

Durian Fest - Chiang Mai’s version of Central Market’s Hatch Chile Fest.

Chiang Mai - attended a cleansing ceremony and walking meditation at the Wat Sri Suphan “Silver Temple”

Songkran Parade in Chiang Mai - สวัสดีปีใหม่ (Sà-wàt-dee Bpee-mài) Happy New Year!

I’m working on a year long stay.

Extended my visa. Now in Thailand through May. The Immigration Office is at the Central Festival indoor mall. Very efficient. It took 40 minutes.

Matcha preparation and tasting.

Completed the Asian School of Tea’s tea connoisseur program at the Raming Tea House in Chiang Mai. Excellent instructor and staff. 5 ⭐️

Kyoto latte at % Arabica

One Nimman Chiang Mai
A relaxing place for coffee in the morning.

One Nimman Chiang Mai
A relaxing place for dinner and a show in the evening.

Earthquake update - the USGS is reporting this which appears much worse and makes my earlier joke not very funny. Just some swaying in my building here.

I came to Chiang Mai to shake things up but….

More Thai street food. Pla muek yang, grilled squid with a spicy sauce.

Three Kings Monument

Karen Gallery

Mingmitr Coffee

The last few days have mostly involved paperwork to sell my condo and update my visa but I’ve still been enjoying the sites, shopping art galleries, and relaxing in cafes.

Burning Season
Air quality has deteriorated since arriving in Thailand as crop burning in SE Asia continues, compare view of mountains. Walking less and Using Grab, a Uber like service to get around.

I googled Thai language schools and I live about a ten minute walk away. The next class starts in a few weeks but I sat in today with an earlier class and it’s going to be a lot of fun. I learned one phrase today that I think I will both hear and say each week. Leum laew. It means “forgot already”.🙂

Two grocery stores in the neighborhood. The one ten minutes away in the high-end mall has many international brands, e.g. Skippy PB and Smucker’s strawberry preserves. The second, a five minute walk away, is frequented by locals and restaurants. Items are available in bulk and are cheaper.

My local Starbucks. I have not been. I much prefer the Cha Tra Mue cafe. Almost alike except better and serving Thai Tea instead of coffee. Again, better.

Sunday Night Market and Walking Street
Also wonderful scenes.

Sunday Nigh Market and Walking Street
Over 1.5 kilometers of food, clothing, art, and tchotchke.

Unless you are at a large store, restaurant or hotel or transportation hub, Thailand is a cash economy. I’m having to get used to coin change again. Since my wallet was getting old and I only need to carry three cards plus money, I upgraded to something more fun and useful.

So which one’s the popcorn button?

And speaking of food, here are three meals: 1. beef khao soi (small open air mom and pop shop). 2. black pepper tofu (high end tourist mall fast food). 3. tropical breakfast bowl and hot tea (old city cafe). Reply with your guess of how much each costs.

Thailand is known for its street food and just outside my door appears to be a popular stop for locals in the morning. I will have to try soon.

I am currently in residence at The Mirror apartments which I believe contains mostly expats.

Relaxing at rooftop infinity pool Art Mai Gallery Hotel

I hope to post pictures I find interesting and a few comments on what I discover and experience. I arrived in Chiang Mai and caught a taxi to the Art Mai hotel. Although I planned on getting the keys to the condo I rented the next day, I booked two days. I wasted no time after getting some sleep.

Status: Traveling
I've put my condo in Dallas on the market and headed to Thailand. The last 4 days have been getting settled but I've now started to explore.