Happy Halloween! Another day of transition for us as we leave beautiful Phuket for the northern charm of Chiang Mai. We were so fortunate that the weather cooperated for us in Phuket. The rains held off on our boat tour to James Bond Island and other islands and we were able to walk the streets without the weather hampering our exploration.
Air Asia was again efficient getting us on board and giving us an eventless flight -- landing in Chiang Mai right on time. A short taxi ride later, we were at our hotel, “Loghome Boutique.” Wood is the style here and each room is like a little log cabin. While the inside of the room is a very simple with few amenities, it suits our needs just fine. Clean, quiet, and providing a unique experience, this hotel attracts people from all demographics.
Once our things were in the room, we hit the ground running. We went to one of the wife’s and my favorite local eateries, Sailomjoy Restaurant. I was craving the local favorite noodle dish, Khao Soi, and Sailomjoy did not disappoint! My wife had the same along with some other things, so I finished her Khao Soi as well! Outstanding to say the least.
After lunch, we decided a massage was in order. (Note to self: Massage is best done when not full of Khao Soi.) We went to Lila Thai Massage. This is a place that has worked with a government program that rehabilitates female prison inmates by teaching them a skill – massage therapy. While many places in Thailand have people who can give a massage, most of those people are not actually formally trained to do it. They learn technique from a co-worker or just wing it. These women, released from prison, are taught a skill and then can be placed at Lila Massage to provide a service. What a great concept! They are quite skilled and the massage is 100% professional. They ask you to rate your masseuse after the experience. The four of us had a semi-private area -- which was great so we could occasionally make comment to each other. For the most part, everyone remained mostly quiet. I even nodded off a couple of times. An hour later and we were finished, drinking herbal tea, and rating our masseuse. Including a generous tip, the massage cost approximately $10. Yes, you read that right…
We pounded around one of the night markets during the evening – just checking things out. Food was abundant at a “food court.” I opted for some Indian food. Dahl (lentils) in curry with garlic naan (flat bread). I think it was about $2.75. After dinner, we found an open-air bar next to the night market that was showing American country music videos from the 90’s and 2000’s. A few rounds of George Straight, Alan Jackson, and Toby Keith later, we grabbed a tuk-tuk and headed back to the hotel. The wife and I grabbed a nightcap up the street from our hotel and then hit the rack. Plenty of touring the local area was scheduled for the next day – temples!
I hope you have enjoyed today’s journal…. Leave a comment (or just a name) if you did! Cheers.
