I have just returned from a short trip to Chiangmai. The picture above is taken at their famous Doi Suthep temple. I think the one sight you cannot missed in Chiangmai is this giant golden structure in the Doi Suthep temple. It is so golden and glaring under the sun that I couldn't open my eyes when I have my first glance at it.

Furthermore, I had this feeling of "finally seeing something" after having landed in Chiangmai for 24 hours and all I have done was shopping - first at their day market, then at their big shopping mall, then at their home industies factories. Ok, I did see something before this - guys who are more beautiful than women :P

The visit to Chiangrai the next day was worse. You travelled 6 hours (back and fro) on the road just to see a hotspring (which is nothing to me after I have seen those in Hokkaido) and some place for tourists to see samples of hill tribes' people, get "cheated" to board a tiny boat without shelter in the rain just to go across the Mekong river to a tiny market in Laos selling souvenirs for tourists, and touch the northern most border of Thailand and Myanmar. The worst part is when I returned to Chiangmai, the shops in the shopping mall near my hotel were already closed and the next morning, I'm already flying back to Singapore

Ok, I would not say that this trip is without its merits. It was a new and probably once-in-a-lifetime experience for me go across the river in an unsheltered tiny boat, wearing life vests and poncho, with the rain beating down my face while I fought hard to keep the hood of the poncho on my head, and ended up with 3/4 wet jeans. When I reach the land, I was actually smiling... because I survived the scary ordeal and being already drenched, you won't mind the rain as much as before.

Remember, you need the luck to get this experience. The rain won't always be there for you :)