Good coffee – check. Ready to explore the Old Town – check.
I like to wander, without a rigid plan, and Chiang Mai seems perfect for this. 10 minutes of walking, and I’m already staring, mouth open, at Wat Lok Molee.
Buddhist temple dating to at least the 1300s & featuring a prominent chedi (stratified tower)
Then, across the road is a giant buddha:
And next door is Wat Kuan Khama:
After a cold drink (yes, it is 34 degrees outside and 99% humidity), I wandered past the Three Kings Monument.
Sculpture of Kings Mengrai, Ramkamhaeng and Ngam Muang, purported founding fathers of Chiang Mai:
and finished up at Tha Phae Gate.
Tha Phae Gate dates back to the beginning of Mang Rai Dynasty (1296-1558 A.D.) when King Mang Rai founded the city of Chiang Mai in the year 1296:
Afterwards, I was really keen for some real Thai food, pork with ginger (THB65) and found some at Aroon Rai:
The heat in Chiang Mai makes me very tired. I think I am not used to it. So rather than walk back, I took my first songthaew (shared red taxi) back to the other side of town, which was THB20.
Oh, and I found my first undrinkable coffee. I stopped at Bitter Sweet, and it was definitely bitter. Rating 2/10.