chiang mai

Amy and I are now in Chiang Mai, a very nice city in northern Thailand that has been in the national news recently because of the stubborn haze hanging over it that refuses to dissipate and give relief to its residents and tourists.
We did our time in the southern part of the country and definitely enjoyed the gorgeous beaches and clear water, but we soon became ready to escape the rampant tourism that dominates everything down there.
It's slightly less touristy up here and we've enjoyed exploring the temples and shopping at the night markets. Tomorrow we're heading out on a jungle trek, complete with elephant riding and river rafting on a bamboo boat.
After our return, we'll probably chill out here for another day or two before starting the three-day excursion to Laos. That should be interesting.