Chiang Mai Accommodation Sitch
When I first arrived to this city/accommodation I was relieved! I was so happy to be in a smaller, more quiet environment compared to Bangkok. Chiang Mai is a nice city, especially Old City. Another thing I was also happy about is the size of my group, we have 9 people! Only having 9 people has allowed us to become closer faster, travel around easier, and fit in to one “common room” that XploreAsia has provided us with at the accommodation ((which has a mini fridge and microwave))!! We are also very close to a huge market that we tend to get breakfast at every morning, McDonalds, 7-Eleven, tons of restaurants, TESCO (like Sam’s Club), and a huge mall that is nicer than my mall back at home! I was very surprised to see something like TESCO here for some reason. There are also ATM’s and 7-Elevens everywhere so you can grab anything you might have left at home! Another grocery store that is super exciting is a store that is similar to Whole Foods or Trader Joes! That is also something I was not expecting to see in Thailand! The accommodation is really nice and the lady that runs this place with her fiance is Kat (she is AWESOME). The other great thing about the accommodation is that our school is nice and close. The school is located in a very nice neighborhood and has a few very good places to grab lunch at. The security guard/gate guard waves and smiles every morning which totally makes my day! Sometimes his granddaughter?? will be doing cartwheels in the grass but the second she spots our van she is jumping up and down waving also!
TODAY: There are not words to describe the peace I felt today. This morning we started off by doing some traditional Thai painting, which was not my strong point, but I still enjoyed painting/watching the highly experienced painter paint umbrellas! We broke up in to groups and painted on a canvas type cloth. Some people had the choice to paint an umbrella, but I chose not to. Some people also walked around the corner to buy coffee in a bag, in a bag, in a bag-yes, it is a real thing! After Thai painting we headed to the Elephant Sanctuary!! The sanctuary was in the lower region of the mountains which was nice because it was hilly and cooler! The sanctuary was beautiful!!! You can sense the amount of care, love, and respect that is given to the elephants! I am not going to lie, seeing some of the elephants in chains did make me sad but I know it’s for safety precautions at times. We got to snuggle with small elephants, take pictures, and even got the priviledge of watching elephants perform! I was very impressed with the sanctuary and had an amazing time!!! After the sanctuary we all headed home to enjoy some RR time. I had my RR time after an hour, so I headed downstairs to see what was up with Kat. Kat invited me in to the little shop she has and offered me YUMMY tea, crackers, and warm Thai hospitality <3 !! TONIGHT 4 of us experienced our first Thai movie theater!! The mall down the road has an awesome theater, marble floors, elaborate bar area, and seats that LEAN BACK!
It is hard to believe I have been here for a week and a half! I honestly have loved every minute of it and would do it all over! I love the group I’m with, the instructor, the location, and the FOOD!!! 🙂
*CHIANG MAI ROCKS!!!*
