Chiang Mai Airport

I scheduled airport transfer at the hotel. I failed to realize that it only takes 10 minutes to get around town and am somewhat early for my flight. If I was more ambitious, I could have tried to jump on an earlier flight that was leaving when I arrived. Oh well..... Save my "stand-by" tactics for United. In the meantime, I'm just killing time at the Chiang Mai airport.

If you ever visit Chiang Mai, consider a couple of things. Being the capital, it reminds me of Sacramento in size. Somewhat small and public transit non existent. It has more of a nightlife than Sac town though. If you are adventurous enough, renting a motorbike is an excellent way of getting around town and its outskirts. The zoo and national park is within 10 to 20 minutes from downtown as well as a host of spa facilities. There are a number of locations where car rentals are advertised and I would only advise renting a car if you are planning on travelling much farther like Chiang Rai. Otherwise, you can probably negotiate a taxi to be your driver for the day. There are a number of tour operators in the area. If you like to have things prearranged or not worry about transportation, you're gonna have to ask around to see who does a good job. Most things can be set up quickly but you have to be aggressive on your first day in Chiang Mai about setting things up or things can quickly slip away.

I received some news today. One, the ladies I met on the train up from Bangkok are back in Bangkok. Kanjanee was kind enough to call to make sure I was still OK and offered any assistance when I get into Bangkok tonight. She also owns a house in Phuket...gonna have to maintain the line of communications with this lady. :) Two, about 3 or 4 people have quit at my work. :( One of them is a pretty good friend, one less lunch buddy.

Ahhhhhhh, reality is sweeping in. ETA in LA in 36 hours......

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