The Warmth of Tranquil Chiang Mai

While Bangkok assaults the senses, Chiang Mai greets you with a warm, calm and tranquil welcome. Bangkok boasts the great Chao Praya, Chiang Mai offers the more sedate Mei Ping. Bangkok is aflood with taxis, Chiang Mai has 30. Chiang Mai invites you to stroll to take in its many sights. (When you tire, there are tuk tuks available for hire).

At once, this town evokes familiarity - even to the first time visitor. Chiang Mai encourages you to explore. It's not intimidating. It's easy-going - much a reflection of the Thai people here.

Woke up to a crisp cool morning in Chiang Mai and set out early to discover the secrets of the old town behind the Tha Pae Gate. On the tuk tuk ride over to the Old City, we meandered through tiny nooks, crossed the bridge over the Mei Ping...I felt like Katherine DeNeuve out of a scene of "Indochine."

Did away with the map obsession. Did I think my foray into this new world would be any different from my penchant for "losing myself?" Thank God it's just my physical dimension that has no sense of direction...Besides, the more I burried myself in my maps, the less I saw of the things that really mattered! So, I chucked the maps and decided to be guided by whim and fancy - turned out to be a terrific strategy .