I’ve found it! I’ve found it!! The Holy Grail!
Yes–I found a HOT SHOWER!! Not a *warm* shower, but a HOT one…the kind that’s almost too hot, where you actually want to turn it down just a notch, where you can stand under the paradisial flow and enjoy the heat running like lava down… [...]
So, today I went to San Kamphaeng Road (I may have the spelling wrong there, but since I’ve seen at least three transliterations today, I’m not sure it matters), where the craft factories/showrooms are. In fact they’re more showrooms and demo sites than factories…there’s precious little actual production going on there, but it’s great for [...]
Chiang Mai is amazing. Also heartbreaking. It’s the second largest city in Thailand, the tourist center for Northern Thailand, and it is *crammed* with the most exquisite woodcarving, silverwork, and weaving imaginable. All on sale for an absolute pittance. As a craftsperson, it makes me want to cry.
For example, for about $45, you can buy [...]
Chiang Mai, in northern Thailand, has quite a different “beat” from Bangkok. It’s still busy and tourist-friendly (in fact I’m ecstatic to report that I’m using a super-fast satellite connection from the Internet cafe attached to my hotel), but not nearly as crowded or as mercenary. (The tuktuk drivers, for example, only want to charge [...]