Chiang Mai = Love part 1

After flights and layovers for over 30 hours when we arrived in Chiang Mai we were exhausted! But we hurried over to church first thing.We had about 20 minutes to get there after we were dropped off at our hotel. Miraculously we found it just in the nick of time and we knew we were in the right place when we saw a Thai sister with an Ensign in her hand. The LDS church always feels like home to me no matter what part of the world or what language it is in.


Chiang Mai= Scooters



Everyone and their dog rides a scooter in Chiang Mai. We were told that the best way to get up the mountain to the Doi Suthep temple was to take a scooter or a motorbike, but we were a bit nervous about driving one. We just randomly bumped into a couple guys (hot guys) who offered to let us ride on the back of their motorbikes with them up the mountain. I was a bit nervous, but I couldn't pass up such a unique opportunity (and I mentioned these guys were hot right?). The scooter ride was thrilling! We rode up some winding mountain roads covered with green trees. It was breathtaking! The guy next to Christine in this photo is the one she rode with, sadly my guy is not pictured, but trust me he was hot.

Chiang Mai= Monks

There are lots of monks in Chiang Mai. This is my favorite photo with one.


Chiang Mai= Temples

There were temples almost on every corner in Chiang Mai (It's kind of like Starbucks in America). This one is the Doi Suthep. Side note: there are also lots of stray dogs in Chiang Mai, which you can also see in this photo.



Chiang Mai= Green

When we first got to the top of the mountain the view was obstructed by clouds, but after being there for awhile(because Christine and I are obsessed with getting the perfect photo) the clouds parted and we got to see an amazing view of the city. It was a Christmas Miracle!


Chiang Mai= Generous People

We sat in the back of a taxi with this little family. They were so sweet. They gave us some of their baby corn and handfuls of boiled peanuts. Whenever we would run out of food they would just hand us more. It was so kind of them. The man could speak a little english, so we communicated the best we could. I was amazed with how kind they were to pretty much give away all of their food to us, who were complete strangers! And their little boy was adorable!





Chiang Mai= Huge street market

By the end of this first day in Chiang Mai we were exhausted, but we had to see the night market. At first we thought it was just this block or two of tents, but then when we were trying to leave the market we went down a side street and realized the market filled all the streets around this block. It was huge!


Chiang Mai= Yummy Fruit Drinks

Last but not least, we drank several fresh fruit drinks in Chiang Mai. They are so delicious. I couldn't get enough of them.