Go

Hi,
We survived the Night Bazaar last night. Today we went to two shopping centers with the same name and then made a non-stop dash for home.

I see that quite a few of you have retained your 70's memories. It was a different flavor of Rock but I loved it.
"In a tree by the brook there's a songbird who sings, sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven. Ooh, it makes me wonder, Ooh, it makes me wonder." Hint: Hmm, if you don't know this one, you probably should.

After I wrote to you last night, we went down to the streets to check out the Night Bazaar. Our hotel was right off the main street. Times are rough all over and we noticed prices were up and desperation was in the air. Some vendors were doing good business but those who didn't have something unique were suffering. We found some deals and watched some artists at work. Some of the photo-realists do fascinating work in charcoal and oil pastels.

This morning we slept in since we didn't have our 'Daku alarm' to wake us up. That made the trip a vacation. After a bad 'free' breakfast in the hotel we set out to find a good cup of coffee. The same street that had been bustling the night before was just waking up. Shop owners were lifting metal doors and Tuk-Tuk drivers were polishing their steeds for another day as a light sprinkle cooled the air. We found coffee and a driver to take us to our first destination.

There are two shopping centers called "Central" in Chiang Mai. We've been to the newer one (Airport Central) but we wanted to go to the original so we could check out the dance wear supply store. Our driver was really cool. We made friends on the way. When we found the store, they hadn't opened yet. They were having a staff meeting. We wandered around and noticed that there were a lot of empty shops. A sign of the times I guess. We finally got into the dance shop and found an impressive stock of dance related products. In fact, our resident ballet teacher left with a small bag and a big smile.

At Central number 2 we visited the iStudio, a tiny version of an Apple store. They didn't have a battery for my laptop so I'll have to wait until I get to America. I was able to get the little folding cart for our laptop backpack so the airports won't be such a drag. (no pun intended)

Along the way we learned that Chiang Mai has standardized some of the taxi fairs to make it easier on travelers. That was good to find out. Now we know why one cabbie wouldn't negotiate the price. We don't have taxis in Chiang Rai. The closest thing would be a Tuk-Tuk. Anyway, life in the big city is certainly different.

Our trip home was a non-stop drive through the mountains and valleys. It's 115 miles from downtown Chiang Mai to our house and it took us about 2 1/2 hours. Whew. We had our share of slow traffic on a two lane road, but not as much as the morning drive yesterday. My guess is that the big trucks take all day so they leave in the morning. We encountered local farm trucks and machines. This won't be the last time we drive south. Maybe now I'll stretch out a bit and we'll start exploring more. The car is so much fun to drive. 'Head out on the highway, lookin' for adventure...'

The dogs are very happy that we're home. We were happy to see them too. Three weeks away from them is going to be tough. Oh well.

Have a Cool Thursday.

Peace,
Danny

"Go far.
Stay long.
See deep.
And may the sun rise twice before you sleep." ~Unknown

Gettin' Funky, Thai Style
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