Goodbye Chiang Mai....

Today we bid farewell to Chiang Mai. I started the day with a walk down to the market and around the block to warm up for my final massage. The monks are out and about getting their food for the day and the market is in full swing, I am going to miss this place. I headed off for my massage a little early but was right when I thought Rose would be eagerly awaiting my arrival. She greeted me in the usual welcoming way and in no time she was prodding and pushing every pressure point known to man. Alila came to check on me and told me that today I would be enduring 3 hours instead of 2.....ok, whatever you say boss. Rose is very good at what she does and was looking and feeling and commenting on my issues. When she was finished Alila showed me the stretches that I need to do every morning to strengthen my neck and protect my back. She is very concerned and caring, she wants to make sure I do the right thing when I leave and I have assured her that I will. With that said we were off to find some breakfast which has now turned into lunch as it is 11.30am. Coconut water is first and then we head for our favourite little cafe for our last chai tea. Alvo asked Laura if she can make my chai with coconut milk, she wanted to experiment with it so was obliging and told her that it will be on the house in case it doesn't work out. It was delicious and we also ordered a plate of raw veggies and guacamole which was really fresh. We bid Laura farewell and good luck, telling her that we will keep up with the cafe on facebook and see her next time we visit Chiang Mai. I am glad we stopped at her place, she has a nice bathroom and as usual my massage didn't skip a beat. We walked a little and asked a couple of drivers a price for the trip to the airport this afternoon and came across a lovely taxi driver who gave us a better price for his air conditioned taxi than we got for a tuk tuk or red truck so asked him to pick us up from our hotel as we have left our bags there. We found an Irish Pub and treated ourselves to a cider and the fact that it cost us more than our nights accommodation made it even more enjoyable. Ok, time to head to the airport and our very nice taxi driver chatted as we drove telling us that he spent 3 months in Australia studying English and working in a Thai restaurant. We got his business card and assured him that we would call him next time we are in Chiang Mai and let friends know about him if they travel up this way. We are flying with Thai Airways so are allowed to put luggage under the plane for free and decided to do so. We watched an episode of Winners and Losers as we waited to board and soon enough we were off to Bangkok. Our friend from Childers, Tamara, is living and working as a teacher in Bangkok and we cannot wait to see her at the airport. Waiting at the luggage carousel was novel as we usually just waltz right through and sure enough Tamara was there waiting for us at Exit A. We were soooo excited to see her and can't wait to spend time discovering Bangkok with her in charge. Tamara lives in a very fancy apartment block and we feel very spoiled being able to stay with her. We got settled and headed off to a restaurant Tamara recommends, on the way down in the elevator we stop off at the pool floor.....yep, there is a pool floor.....with a gym. It is beautiful and we will be spending a little time indulging in the luxury. I can even start in the gym...woohoo. Just a short walk down the road we arrive at the restaurant. It is a fusion of Japanese and Thai food and we ordered a few dishes to share. There were lots of people there and for good reason, it was very nice. Tamara needs to work in the morning so we headed back to the apartment. Tamara is excited about us cooking for her so we talked a little about where to go for ingredients and then retired for the night. It is nice to be here with a friend and will be sure to enjoy our time here. Tanya xxx.