Hello, everyone!

I kept silence almost for a month...I was living in a real life all that time:)

But now I am back! :) And I have something to share with you.

First of all, Happy New Year to all of you and Merry Christmas! In the next post I will tell you how did we celebrate New Year. And now, in the current post, let me tell you a little prelude.

In the end of December we have changed our location from the south of Thailand (Phuket Island) to the north - Chiang Mai city. And now I'm gonna tell you my first impressions of this place.

http://www.steemimg.com/images/2017/01/05/1_ChiangMai_panorama_LOW8e5a4.jpg Panoramic view of Chiang Mai. All Photos in this post made by smartphone, so I apologise for the low quality.

Previously we lived in Phuket 6 months, that's why I will compare Chiang Mai with Phuket.

Let's go!

First of all - climate of course. It is the north and there is no sea here in Chiang Mai, that's why air is not so wet. And ... IT IS COLD HERE! :) Really. Here you need to use your blanket when you are slipping - otherwise cold death :) When you are driving a motorbike - you need to use warm clothes (excep for sunny days). Here are popular warm jakets, winter hats, gloves... I am from Siberia, remember? In Siberia we say "Siberians are not those people, who are not freeze, but those, who are wearing warm clothes" :) But this is not Siberia, this is Thailand! :) I have a little cognitive dissonance because of I am freezing here, coz I feel lack of warm clothes (I have no any gloves or warm jakets...). Climate here is like a Siberian summer - hot daytime (only when sunny) and cold nights. But anyway, we were not ready for it:) We are trying to travel with a light luggage.

http://www.steemimg.com/images/2017/01/05/2_Temperature_LOW6df4b.jpg +17 degrees! Not too cold, yes. But this is the Thailand! It should be hot, isn't it?:) More details about this photo I will give you in the next post.

The next impression is dust. Asia is not famous by it's pure cities... But it is a fresh, clean air in Phuket, for example. No dust. And when it is raining - it is still clean on the street, no dirt. But in Chiang Mai you can see another things - much more dust here... And more dirt when it's raining. By the way, the weather is more predictable here - means here are no unexpected rains like in Phuket. Dust and "raining dirt" on the streets of Chiang Mai reminded me my Hometown...:)

http://www.steemimg.com/images/2017/01/05/3_Birds_LOW3741b.jpg I have no photo about Chiang mai dust, but I have a photo about pigeons. Here are too many pigeons... Car and motorbike covers are popular here. Owner of this motorbike never use it, but in vain...:)

Also, I can tell you about tourists here. Here are many tourists, but not as much as on Phuket Island. And most of them from Europe, China, US... I mean here are not many Russians, coz in Phuket (Pattaya, Samui also) there are too many Russians...:) As I can see, on the one side - Chiang Mai is not as touristic place as Phuket, because you still can find here a real Thai life. But on the other side, downtown (old town) of Ching Mai is a very touristic place. Especially every evening. You can find there many many markets with tents, bars, shops et.c... All of them for tourists, of course. So you can have a not bad shopping here:) Price is not very high.

http://www.steemimg.com/images/2017/01/05/4_Handmade_LOW4ff2d.jpg There are many Thai people, who are selling Handmade things. But I think that you could to be sure that their products are real Handmade only when you are able to see the process of creating. Like on this photo - a man making metal "pictures" by his hammer. Photo made on one of thhose evening market.

http://www.steemimg.com/images/2017/01/05/5_Handmade_LOW3fde0.jpg Or here you can see a man, making a beautiful soap. Not very practically, but really beautiful.

http://www.steemimg.com/images/2017/01/05/6_Handmade_LOW50a6e.jpg Here is the boy (6-8 YO) drawing Thai-style pictures. You can take something and put some money to the Tip Box. I paid him few times. One time I took sticker with his picture:) Appreciate his pictures.

http://www.steemimg.com/images/2017/01/05/5_Handmade_LOWdd966.jpg This photo made on the same market too. And those wood elephants (watch to the background) called Handmade too. I don't believe, because: 1. I did not see how they were made; 2. They are looks too professional; 3. I saw many many same elephants in different places... BUT! Watch to the creature in my hand. Who is that!? :) I have no idea, but I am sure that IT is the real Handemade.:) As I can understand Thai woman, who selling it, it is Rat or Pig..I did not understand, her english was too bad. Anyway it looks interesting and a little creepy.:)

And, of course, we can not stay away from temples of Chiang Mai. There are many many Buddhists' temples - more than 300 temples! They are built so close to each other in the Old Town... Really one by one. All of temples are beautiful! But, honestly, I don't understand aything in Buddhism, so we have visited only 5-6 temples and got bored... Apologise to all Buddhists.:)

http://www.steemimg.com/images/2017/01/05/8_Temple_LOW2ac3b.jpg

http://www.steemimg.com/images/2017/01/05/10_Temple_LOWa07a8.jpg

http://www.steemimg.com/images/2017/01/05/9_Temple_LOWfdb87.jpg Unfortunately, I dont know the names of these temples.. But all of them looks like this. Of course there are more beautiful temples, but as I told upper - we have visited only few of them. In the internet you can read about great White Temple in Chiang Mai. Let me clarify - this temple is really beautiful, but it if near 170km from Ching Mai in the other city. That's why I am not sure that we will visit it - too far...

Actually, there many other interesting places in Chiang Mai. I will try to tell you some more stories next time

Thank you for your attention! Thanks to all of you, who read all this text :) Appreciate your perseverance :) Would be happy to receive some feedback from you!

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