As Chiang Mai is our first stop, I thought I’d give you a brief idea of the city (I can read guide books – how clever).

Chiang Mai is Thailand’s second city (in importance rather than population), and is found in the north. From what I’ve read, it has embraced modern development over the years, but apparently has a well preserved identity.

Because of the city’s status, and handy compact centre, it is very popular with tourists. And because of this, it’s a natural start to our journey. It is bound to be an odd experience for the first few weeks so, as a ‘soft’ introduction to the country, it made sense to go where there are a lot of other tourists (consequently, there are a lot of internet cafes). Plus, it is also meant to be cooler than Bangkok – because of being surrounded by mountains – as well as being Thailand’s “course” capital. You can take courses in cooking, the language, massage etc.

To be honest, I’m still really unsure of what the city will be like when we arrive (8am Thai time), and to get to our little guesthouse – Julies – we will get our first taste of Thai transport and the fact you have to negotiate the fare for every trip – can’t wait.

Does anyone have any “taxi’s abroad” stories they’d like to share? Dante and I will probably invest in push bikes which are recommended as the easiest way to get around.

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