For the final installment of the Chiang Mai Market Guide (don’t miss Part I and Part II) here are three more markets to explore. Saturday-Sunday Flea Market I actually don’t know what this is called, but every Saturday and Sunday in the morning  to early afternoon this is the place to be for second hand […]

While I’m not a big shopper, I do enjoy meandering through the Chiang Mai market streets taking in all the lights and colors and doing a bit of people-watching.  It never fails to amaze me how much stuff is available and how  everything is completely set up and taken down whenever the markets runs, whether […]

So doing my taxes, I realized how much money I actually made teaching in Thailand for 2012…it’s laughable.  Ready? $6,000 After I had a minor freak out (I made more money when I was a teenager!) I took a step back to look at how I could still be so comfortable after making such a […]

I could go on all day about how beautiful Northern Thailand is.  Lakes, mountains, rivers, caves, waterfalls and jungles are everywhere just asking to be explored and the weather is usually some of the best in the country – cooler, yet still clear and sunny. That is, until February and March. While November, December and […]

Last month I wrote about the Saturday Walking Street in Chiang Mai and am currently working on a round up of all the Chiang Mai markets – there’s a lot!  There are different types of markets in different parts of town opening up and shutting down throughout the day and night.  A few are well […]

Chiang Mai has many markets running throughout the day and night.  You could find an open-air market crowded with people at any hour if you knew where to look.  The most well-known night markets for travelers include the overbearing Night Bazaar which is open nightly and geared solely to tourists, the quieter (though still busy) […]

It’s no secret that I love all the Buddhist temples or wats.  I go to new ones every week, can’t stop taking photos of the same ones over and over, and have even gone on a 7-hour motorbike ride to visit one that’s supposedly special for my birthday.  On New Year’s Day I spent the […]

Despite my last post being a little…questioning…I love Chiang Mai – I mean, I’ve stayed here about a year longer than I initially expected.  I’m kind of a fan.  But the town it itself can be…dingy.  There are some really charming, even beautiful, spots and the city is relatively clean, but there are also a […]

I first visited Thailand more than three years ago for a quick trip.  Before those two weeks were even up, I already knew that I wanted to return and spend more time soaking up this country.  It felt so alive – dirty and beautiful – somewhere that felt completely new to me but where I […]

Unexpected mini trips, Christmas, computer problems…the past few weeks have kind of been odd and now I need to get back on the blogging bandwagon and figure out what I’m doing and where I’m going in 2013.  A quick look about what’s been going on lately… Northern Thailand is filled with mountains and jungles – […]