Wait, there's more

During my last couple of days in Chiang Mai, I revisited some of the places I'd particularly liked, did my final Christmas shopping at the Sunday night walking street market and the Warorot Market market, largest in Chiang Mai, 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fF_4BtH2_c

splurged on restaurants (by Thai standards, cheap by Canadian) and enjoyed cycling around the circuit of little alleyways called sois that thread through the old town.  

No matter how crazy the traffic is on the major streets, it's usually pretty quiet on the sois and fun to follow them just to see where they go.  It doesn't take too long to become familiar with the network. 

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The temple that I liked best around Chiang Mai was Wat Palat, the one on the slopes of Doi Suthep reached by cycling to the end of Suthep Road and hiking up through the forest for about 40 minutes.  After working up a major sweat on the way, the coolness up there at the wat was most refreshing as was the tranquility.  A nice respite from the heat and bustle of the city.  I made this trek twice in the last three days of my stay, sitting on the rocks just breathing, lulled by the music of the stream that cascades down the rocks.  

A few of the critters flitting about