Chiang Mai

And then were 6.  How could we possibly be so far from home and not extend the journey for  4 days in Chiang Mai, the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand. Just a mere connection away from Bangkok, we checked into the lap of luxury at the Four Seasons ChiangMai and that’s when we knew then this was not a STAT trip.  This was a 6 star property 20 minutes removed from the city’s land of a million rice fields and covered with its own manicured level rice fields over thousands of acres. It is a world-class operation with impeccable service and we enjoyed every multiple hour Thai treatment at the spa they offered us.  They even have a world-class cooking school but we were too busy having Thai massages.  We ventured off property only a hand full of times to experience some local flavor.   One time to hike the famous waterfall “Doi Suthep and Sankampeang” which was stunning…just look at the picture!  Another to shop of course in the local food and night markets where our guide emphatically told us that Thai people eat everything from the ground except cars, everything from the sky except planes and everything from the water except submarines!  We even took in an authentic Muay Thai Boxing match in the heart of the city with the locals. That was quite an experience watching women kicking each other in the face for fun.  But a most memorable experience was finding Rose’s yoga Studio and taking a 3 hour class. It was heavenly and it certainly lived up to its name since ChiangMai is often referred to as the Rose of the North for its beauty and spirit.  It’s a very peaceful place to visit and take in the friendly disposition of the Thai people saying Sawatdee (hello) at every passing glance. Spirit houses were everywhere in Chiang Mai as they serve as a shrine to the protective spirit of the place.  I even tried to buy one to bring home but I don’t think it would go over well in front of my house.  I’ll stick with the mezuzah.