I want some Thai-some-ness

Lots of people have been visiting Chiang Mai lately... 2 friends and the parents of a friend. It seems like I'm always going with the crowd. When I last went to Taiwan, whole lots of people I met went too.

I'm going specifically to Yi Peng this year, to see the lanterns floating into the sky. That must be surreal! Whereas in Bangkok. they celebrate the same festival (Loy Krathong) by setting off lights on the river. I have not planned anything really except getting the accomodation and flight booked. It is time to look at how to get to the festival, what to do over the 6 days... One of my friends did the Thai cooking school, that might be an idea... but I'm more tempted to do a day at the Elephant Park where they guide you to take care of an elephant. People tell me it's smelly and dirty, and do not understand why I want to do that. I just want to experience it, to be close to animals, to nature... to know how simple life can be. Isn't that how life was in the beginning...!

I saw the pictures from my friends' trips, and I can be sure that the night market's going to keep me real busy. I should bring a book there, sit at a cafe, daydream or read. That'd be awesome :)

An ice cream cafe, iBerry, found by the friend who went!