~~~~~~~~~~~~~~𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗕𝗔𝗕𝗟𝗬 𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗣 𝗕𝗘𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗜 𝗗𝗜𝗘~𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗚 𝗠𝗔𝗜, 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗜𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗗

                                                        

As my life nears its end, I've not seen quite enough of Planet Earth, mostly just 45 or so of the 50 states and across Canada and Mexico, then my trip to Asia in 2018.  I'm no world traveler to be sure.

Yes, there are direct flights from Houston to Chiang Mai, but I want to go to Bangkok first, a metropolis of 17,400,000, then take the scenic train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. I'd probably splurge and opt for a sleeping cabin for about $30.  

Three months in Chiang Mai, Thailand would satisfy that remaining travel urge, with side trips to Laos and Cambodia.  A short stay apartment in the Old City of Chiang Mai runs around $500 per month or less along with about $10 per day for local street cuisine.  A motorbike would set me back about $7 per day, but that would just be for long trips as most days I'd be well occupied walking Old City.

Street food?  I trust it more than restaurant fare as vendors buy it fresh in the A.M, then cook on a 500F wok until they're sold out.'  The freshness and cooking temperatures are safeguards.  I've never gotten sick on Asian street food.

Most anything in Chiang Mai is old with the city founded in 1296 C.E., so when you touch the city's outer wall, moat or temple furnishings realize its far older than anything in Brownsville or the U.S.

Sure, I'm comfortable with expats, folks from the U.S. and Europe, about 30,000 of them among Chiang Mai's 1.3M, but I prefer interacting with locals and some English is spoken there.  Typically, I smile and they smile back.