We arrived in Chiang Mai around 7PM after a delightful Bangkok Airways experience (they had a lounge at the Mandalay airport with FREE SUSHI – I can’t tell you how life changing that is after 2 weeks of Burmese food). Took a cab directly to Rosa Place, our guesthouse a couple blocks outside the ancient city walls of Chiang Mai’s old town area. Rosa Place was recommended by our friends Matt and Brooke, and I could not wait to meet Rosa, who had been described as nothing short of really, really fun.

Well, the rumors were true. The first night we arrived Rosa threw a party for some of her friends who had just won a motocross championship. One minute it was just Aleksiy, Rosa & I, the next, we were joined by a dozen excited local kids and about 20 platters of food Rosa whipped up out of nowhere. After decimating the food, we moved on to meet some of Rosa’s other friends at an expat bar down the street. I was absolutely delighted to discover that Rosa’s crew at this bar was a pack of gorgeous, outgoing and witty lady boys. They were in 4 inch heels and miniskirts, kicking everyone’s asses at pool and talking smack. I sincerely regret having no photographic evidence of this evening, but I do remember we finally got sent home when our friend/fellow Rosa Place inhabitant Dylan attracted a cop’s attention for playing his guitar outside the bar.

The next morning we woke up and went on a self-guided (aka aimless wandering) tour of the Old Town, which is filled with restaurants, shops, bars, hotels, and other tourist attractions and activities.

 

 

When we got back, Dylan was gearing up to meet some friends at Huay Tung Tao, a lake about 20 minutes north of the city. With some encouragement from Rosa, Aleksiy and I decided to join. We borrowed a moto & some helmets from a friend of Rosa’s, and after Aleksiy took a few practice laps, we were off.

I was initially very hesitant to rent a moto for street driving – I had read some horror stories – but once you start traveling you realize that those stories are exceptions to the norm. Renting a bike is inexpensive, they’re relatively easy to drive, and once you have your own means of transportation your possibilities for exploration are endless. All it takes is a little homework to find a reputable rental company (or just get one from your hotel/homestay).  I am grateful to Rosa & Dylan for calming my fears because the rest of our trip has benefitted immensely (not to mention we’ve saved a TON of time, money and irritation by avoiding all-day, all-inclusive tours).

The lake (once we found it) was awesome. Little bamboo huts hovered just over the waterfront – you could help yourself to one and lounge there all day, ordering food & drink from nearby BBQ stands. There were people hanging out everywhere, playing guitar, flirting, eating BBQ, playing with friendly stray dogs and drinking cold beers. The lake looked kinda dirty so we didn’t swim, but we stayed until the sun started to set and headed back to the city before it got too dark.

The next day we went about 45 minutes outside of Chiang Mai to hike Mae Sa Waterfall, which is actually 10 layers of waterfall with pools that you can chill in at the base of each one. It was great fun for a hot day, albeit a little bit crowded – being a popular picnic spot for large families.

We returned to the city and went to bed early in order to be up bright and early for an excursion I had been eagerly looking forward to for months: ELEPHANT DAY!! (which deserves it’s own post, so stay tuned…)