We're in Chiang Mai!

We were up early at Chai Lai Orchid to pack, have breakfast and check out, then take a "troop carrier" taxi for an hour to our hotel for the night in Chiang Mai, near the Night Market in the old town. Buddhist temples, beautiful fabrics, tantalizing restaurants and shops are everywhere here! We walked the streets to get a feel of the area before meeting our friends, Jeannie and Ross White, and heading for Bosang where umbrellas and other handcrafts are made. Took the public minibus (troop carrier style) and explored lots of shops as well as the Umbrella Centre. We returned to downtown Chiang Mai by minibus again (Ross enjoyed hanging off the back like a local!), enjoyed a very nice Thai dinner and then wandered through the Night Market back to the Tapae Place Hotel. More room to manoeuvre here than in the Serene Bungalow and better WiFi. Tomorrow we join the rest of the group at the Parasol Hotel not far away. We are hoping to fit in a city tour in advance to get a better understanding of Chiang Mai as a whole.