Changes in Chiang Mai

I've spent the last week in the north of Thailand, mainly based in Chiang Mai. The city has sprawled beyond my 17-year-ago recognition, and is now full of traffic and noise. However, I stayed at a very friendly guest house and had a good time, hiring a motorbike to get out to sights in the lovely surrounding countryside, including to an umbrella making village and to a wat on top of Doi Suthep hill.

There's a great weekly night market which I enjoyed visiting.

I organised a trip with two fellow travellers to Doi Inthanon, the highest mountain in Thailand, which was very cold at its peak. I had to wear all my clothes in layers to keep warm, and my leech socks had an outing again!