My first two weeks here are pretty much a blur. Though my senses all worked and I was out and about, I could see, smell, hear, taste and feel but very little of my experiences resulting from my senses penetrated my mind. My mind had a moat around it. The only discerning thought my mind could formulate those first couple of weeks:
"What the fuck are you doing here"
My first five days in the guesthouse felt like a nightmare only because of the room I had, the room I got stuck in because I failed to make a reservation. My windows faced the main street around the inside of the moat. A street with lots and lots of traffic.
Do not make the mistake of showing up without a reservation for accomidations. Do not listen to anyone telling you to "wing it" and not to get "ripped off" by the online travel agents".
I probably would not use any online travel agents for guesthouse accommodations. That much is true. You can contact the guesthouses direct via the Internet and make a reservation. Read reviews of the guesthouses. Plenty of them online. Get it in writing that you are making reservation for a "quiet room" if that's what you seek. King size bed or two double beds. Whatever. You should pay no more than 300 baht per night ($10 US) for a nice room in a guesthouse. I paid 450 baht.
It might not be such tradgy to "wing it" if you show up during the off season. I showed up at the busy time.
The Cool Guesthouse offers free pickup and drop off to and from the airport. They offer free bikes to ride around on in the city and the food is said to be excellent. I only had breakfast consisting of a plate of fresh fruit and a croissant. It was the best croissant I've ever had and it was in Thailand. ------ About the bikes, you take your life into your own hands by riding around here. There is lots of busy traffic.
On the topic of food, days later I had dinner at an Italian restaurant and had the best Ceasar Salad I've had in over twenty years. The food here is mind-blowingly good and it's not just the delicious Thai food. You can have New York Style pizza here. Any type of food you desire (just about) can be found in Chiang Mai and the quality is outstanding.
The Cool Guest House is inside the moat. Because of this location it is considered to be in "old Chaing Mai".
There is lots of history to Chiang Mai because the city is 700 years old. ------- Let that thought marinate in your head for a minute. America is a little over 200 years old.
The moat is a square of approximately 1.6 km (1 mile) on each side. There was a wall around the city years ago that is deteriorating due to lack of maintenance and lack of need. The moat is a man made water barrier serving as a line of defense. The name "Chiang" means "walled city", whereas Chiang Mai means "new walled city".
There is a fragrance emanating from the moat once exposed to it you will never forget it. That part of the city is filled with the hustle and bustle of tourist and tourist driven commerce. The busy aspect of that part of chiang mai remind me of downtown Chicago.
I arrived to Chiang Mai experiencing the worst case of jet lag I've ever known. This combined with the culture shock made the hustle and bustle feel all the more overwhelming. Tourist come from all over the world to experience this. This is desired by many. Not by me. I'm a suburb kind of guy. I like peace and quiet. I want to take things nice and easy. No rush and no crowds.
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