04.02 Day 20 Chiang Mai

Sunday 4th February - Chiang Mai

I’m still regularly waking up early ahead of the pack so I sneak out at 6:30am to explore the Old Town more. The roads are mostly empty, company comes mostly from flocks of pigeons scourging the streets and some orange robed monks brushing and cleaning their temples, the tops of which are already glistening as the sun starts to rise. 

Glancing hopefully in a cafe, the owner arrives on his bike as I do so offering me a coffee. Chiang Mai had dozens of ‘proper’ coffee places and I’d tried and been disappointed by a couple - which hurts a little more when they cost at least as much as a meal. Many have had the same influence and have been sparsely fitted out with grey polished concrete floors and walls. But with few customers they are lacking warmth. Thankfully 3rd time's a charm and I continue my mooching about as the town starts to wake enjoying the early morning cool and quiet. 

I wind my way back to all the festival floats that have been left on the road by the park and admire their intricacy close up. Back at base we focus on some school work before Kate and Sienna wander back to the floats and park joining forces with Team Canada. 

We take them back to our lunch venue of yesterday, the busy lunchtime rush not causing the chef to change his methods as each piece of herb or slice of meat is added in meticulous fashion with chopsticks. 

The kids are keen to hang out more so we split the afternoon at our Hostel One Art & Gallery (the name of which is still a mouthful and is, was and ever shall be, a mystery), with the kids settling down to watch their first screen time with a proper TV for 3 weeks, whilst Danny and I try and fail, just to exact revenge in the Euchre stakes. 

We all then troop over to their place for a final swim in their still cold pool. At this point we say our farewells as they slip out of our story, disappearing to Cambodia and Hong Kong. Seb is already asking to go to Canada so he can see Emmett again, upon whom he’d grown a very soft spot for. 

After the late night last night I venture out to my normal breakfast market to find it perhaps unsurprisingly closed but across from it a small disorganised parade of food stalls have popped up so I gather food from 5 of them, one for each food type for each family member and another for drinks which is then all eaten in the hostel communal dining space - one table (it only has 3 family or double rooms plus one, almost out of place, dorm of 12) lending a required early night.