In a shock to all our bleaders, we know, we are taking a week of relative rest and calm here in Chiang Mai. Literally, there is nothing on our agenda besides hanging out, walking and eating good Thai (and other cuisine) food.  The last few weeks have been non-stop go, go, go – and as we are still recovering from the creeping crud – or as our favorite Aussie couple would say – the Dreaded Lurgy – it is a perfect time to rejuvenate and relax and prepare for a more strenuous Antarctic adventure.

With that in mind, we sleep late and hang out on the porch all morning sipping our coffee.  The forecast calls for rain, and you can see it is threatening, so we aren’t taking a chance of getting caught in a downpour.  Good decision as the downpour starts around 9am and continues for an hour or so.  A day in works perfectly today.  Lunching on a salad (oh, we’ve been missing salads since the ship!) and snacking on egg tarts!  Yes, egg tarts – totally forgot we bought those yesterday at Rimping.  Just like the Portuguese Pasteis de Nata, same, same but different!  Blogging, reading, generally just relaxing.

Later in the afternoon as the skies cleared, we make our way to the park for an afternoon walk.  Then over to the Saturday Night Walking Street Market on Wui Lai Street.  We liked this market so much better than the Sunday Night Walking Street last time we were here – and we went on New Years Eve, so that should tell you something!  Tonight it is pretty crowded, but we are early, and have a strategy:  Eat first; shop later.  Finding a table in the food court was easy pickings tonight – it was virtually empty, as opposed to 2 years ago – wo we grab a 2-top, I hit the beer stand and get a bonus of wine!  Yay. And it is the same wine box I have at the house, and it is equally horribly hard to get open.  The guy is having a time with the brand new box, just like I did.  I feel so vindicated!  Finally, success, and he gives me a huge pour along with a beer for Ed.  We feel like we never left the Noordam!

Then it is off to wander through the offerings, but really? Why mess with success? I go right back to the same stall for Pad Thai that I did 2 years ago – and it is equally as good and filling and yummy.  Ed opts for grilled squid – grilled to order, as you can see from the pictures – and it is equally yummy.  As we are finishing the place is really starting to hop – nary a table to be found.  We scurry out into the bedlam that is the market, and make our way all the way down the ¾ mile of stalls offering anything and everything you could imagine in the way of crafts, food, clothing and general tourist and other paraphernalia. 

Ending up with a great haul of those sweet rice crackers we always bought at the store by the food market near Outlaws (the store, btw, is no longer there), banana chips (really cheap), those huge grapefruit slices Ed adores and a really cute reusable bag with Chang (elephants) on it.  Day done! 

Back to the house, A/C on, Lincoln Lawyer on the TV.  Our kind of Saturday night in Chiang Mai.