Return to Chiang Mai

After a few relaxing days in Chiang Rai, it was back to Chiang Mai to rendezvous with another familiar face.

I was excited to meet up with Corinne for our end of the year portion of the trip which would entail the border crossing into Laos, Gibbon Experience and New Year’s weekend in Hanoi. She didn’t arrive until late Friday night, so we took it easy the following day with a few temple highlights ending with a delicious lunch at Wee’s Restaurant, including the always delectable khao soi with chicken that I will never tire of eating.

Gentlemen, start your engines!

Later that night, the Chiang Mai Cabaret (or more crudely named ladyboy show) was both hilarious and provocative. Where else could you see a riveting, gender-bending lip-sync of a ladyboy removing all their make-up and finishing the song as a man or a male audience member getting more than they bargained for with a peeled banana? I’ll leave the rest to your imagination. Other highlights included a spot on impression of Rihanna’s S&M and the closing number We Are Family. DREAM!

The Sunday Walking Market

Our hotel’s prime location next to Tha Phae Gate afforded quick and easy access to the craziness that is the Sunday Walking Market. Delicious street food, cheap magnets and claustrophobia were only a hop, skip and jump away. We stopped by the food vendors to grab some shrimp fried rice, tom yum soup to nurse Corinne’s cold, and mango sticky rice.

Who Run the World?

It was a nice few days back in Chiang Mai to give Corinne the whirlwind tour of all the sights and sounds, but it was time to head up to Chiang Khong in order to cross the border into Laos and prepare for the awesomeness that would be the Gibbon Experience. More to come!