Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Hong Kong and home

 Saturday, February 28, 2026

 

Today was moving day … again. We packed up our suitcases, enjoyed one final breakfast on the shore of the Mekong and then headed to the Luang Prabang Airport. We were booked on an early afternoon flight to Chiang Mai, Thailand, one more city we are so excited about visiting.

 

The airport exit process was very smooth. We were in the waiting area when our plane arrived and deplaned its passengers. It was a very short time until we were able to board and settle in for a two hour flight.

 

The sky was clear so we were able to see the ground all the way to Chiang Mai. Agricultural land gave way to rugged mountains. The Mekong River faded into the background and finally disappeared. We landed right on time in Chiang Mai, moved quickly through immigration and customs, found an ATM (another change of currency) and climbed into our waiting taxi. It was a fairly short ride to our hotel in the middle of Chiang Mai. We checked in (I was once again delighted with Jim’s ability to find wonderful places to stay.)

 

We settled into our room, unpacked once again, and I had a short but much needed nap. Then it was time to go!!

 

Our destination tonight was the Night Market, a chaotic collection of temporary shops selling all kinds of merchandise coupled with a wide array of eateries offering a wide variety of drinks, snacks and meals. The market was already packed with people and it was only about 6 pm. It remains open until 11.

 

We mingled with the crowd, slowly making our way along an aisle that was selling everything from T shirts, to lighters, to paintings and jewellery and some amazing purses, scarves and hats. We did make a couple of small purchases but we mostly enjoyed looking at all the souvenirs that could fit into a suitcase.

 

Dinner consisted of some smoky spare ribs, stir fried rice and vegetables and a lime/coconut smoothie and mango sticky rice, a favourite of Jim.

 

People of all colours, ages and languages milled around the market. It was truly an international event.

 

A tuk-tuk ride brought us back to our hotel. I was invited to sit in the front with the driver, a new experience to be sure. The driver was very cautious and the ride was fun. Poor Jim was alone in the back.

 

We are now in our room, settling in for the night. We are happy to be here and look forward to another full day tomorrow.

 

 

Sunday, March 1, 2026

 

It has been another busy day in Chiang Mai. It started with a delicious breakfast in the hotel dining room. All the things we have come to expect – fresh fruit, yogurt, fresh salads, several kinds of eggs and meats, several Asian dishes, and fresh fruit juice.

 

After breakfast, Jim went out with our laundry. He dropped it off and then proceeded to get a haircut and a beard trim. A couple hours later he returned with a fresh look and clean laundry.

 

Meanwhile, I was working on our photo books. We fly home in only 9 days and there is much to be done to finish the books, preferably before we fly. Time will tell whether I can make that self-imposed deadline.

 

Once Jim returned, we established an ambitious plan for the day. (So what else is new?) I would like to have a dress made here with fabric that reflects Thai culture. After some internet research, we identified two tailors who specialize in women’s clothing. There is a myriad of tailors in this city but most of them specialize in men’s suits and dress shirts.

 

So off we went to the tailors. The first one, while very knowledgeable, suggested that the dress I would like would be very expensive, in the range of $700.00 Cdn. It was easy to make a decision in those circumstances. He was very helpful with the idea of shopping in local stores. Thai women tend to be very tiny and usually large sizes are not available. Oh well!!

 

We continued on to the second tailor shop (yes, they are all open seven days a week from about 10 am to 10 pm.) Other stores have similar hours. The tailor, Jay, was also very friendly and helpful. I got the impression he was keen to make a Canadian woman happy. We looked at magazines; I showed him I dress I already own that I really like; I showed him photos of some dresses I had seen in Luang Prabang, in Laos.

 

We settled on a design and I asked the price. It was considerably more reasonable than the first tailor. We talked about fabric. He is recommending a fabric that will look better with a lining. I asked him how much additional cost would be incurred due to the lining. He decided not to charge anything for it. Whew!! He did not have a wide array of fabric in stock. He will send some photos of various patterns in the morning. If I like one of them, I will proceed and have the dress made. Time will tell.

 

We left the shop and walked to a large open area that was clearly being set up for a food event. The early vendors sold mango sticky rice

and fresh fruit juice. Jim ordered the sticky rice and I had a bottle of lichee juice. We both enjoyed the treats.

 

We ordered a taxi, intending to return to our hotel. But, we recalled that there is Sunday Market not far from ‘home’. So we went there instead. Throngs of people were already watching the entertainment, indulging in culinary delights, tossing money into buskers baskets, and meandering the many closed streets, now filled with all manner of clothes, food, souvenirs, shoes, artisan items, paintings, and jewellery.

 

We joined the throngs, enjoyed fresh strawberries, watched some buskers and searched for gifts and souvenirs to take home. It was quite hot with little shade but we persevered with the rest of the crowd. At about 5:55 pm, a voice came over the speaker system, first in English and then in Thai. The voice reminded everyone how fortunate we were to be or live in Thailand and the way to honour that is to stand at attention at exactly 6 pm when the national anthem will be broadcast. It was a remarkable event … the crowd stopped moving, even the tourists, and everyone stood tall and still. As soon as the music ended, life returned to normal, people talking, walking every which way and shopping for merchandise or food.

 

At about 7 pm, we found a restaurant that had empty tables. We decided that was a good place for dinner. The food was good, the service was excellent and it was a great place to sit and watch the crowd pass by.

 

Once we finished dinner, we decided to head back to our hotel. Getting a taxi in this crowd was not an option so we walked and walked and walked. We saw more buskers, vendors we had not yet encountered, a professional singer and an exquisite fashion show. By that time, we were at our own street. Just two more blocks to walk. When we arrived, we sank into two chairs beside the pool and treated ourselves to a gin and tonic. The moon was full and high in the sky and the hot day had transformed into a pleasant evening.

 

Having enjoyed the evening, and survived a busy and hot day, it was time to be in our air-conditioned room and relax.

 

Monday, March 2, 2026

 

Today we are planning to enjoy our hotel, to explore the neighbourhood and to work on our photo books (that’s my job).

I have to admit that we are both a bit travel-fatigued and I can feel us slowing down as we get closer to the end of our adventure.

 

After another scrumptious breakfast, I headed back to our room to sort through the thousands of photos we have taken. Yes, thousands. That’s why I try to get our photo books completed before we head home and get confused about which photos went with which place.

 

I was making great headway until we decided to walk down the street and visit another tailor shop. There we met Dev who was quite excited about making a dress for me. We discussed style, fabric, timeline and colour and before long, Jim decided that I should get not one but two dresses tailor-made in Chiang Mai. So, I chose a patterned fabric and style of dress. Measurements were taken, a deposit made and the process was underway. I will have a sizing tomorrow to be sure it fits properly.

 

Meanwhile, Jay, the other tailor arrived at our hotel to pick up the deposit for the dress he is making. Both summer dresses, somewhat different in style and quite different in colours. I am very excited.

 

Only a few shops down from the closer tailor shop is a nail salon. I dropped in and they had time to give me manicure right away. It felt like pure luxury and my nails look a lot better now.

 

We arrived back at our hotel and I finally got back to work on the books. Jim went out to arrange our transportation from Chiang Mai back to Bangkok on Friday. Success!! Not on the train as we had hoped for but we will be on a luxury bus in seats near the front window. Great for photos.

 

After Jim came back, we went out and wandered the street again. A fascinating array of restaurants, several of them featuring western style food. We passed by the nail salon again and I could not resist going in and having a pedicure this time. What a treat!! And the prices were extremely low compared to prices at home.

 

Lunch came next. We passed by Indian restaurants, Greek restaurants, sports bars, Mexican, and Irish. We actually had to look a bit to find a Thai menu. But at last we did. We sat at the front of the restaurant  enjoying our Thai food as we watched the pedestrian and the vehicular traffic. Both were quite colourful and quite different from what we would see in Waterloo.

 

Returning to our hotel, we sat on the pool deck and enjoyed a beverage. It was then that we met Bernie, a Canadian from Winnipeg, who was happy to chat with other Canadians. We seemed to hit it off and we are having dinner with Bernie and his wife, Elaine, tonight.

 

Tuesday, March 3, 2026

 

This is the day of the eclipse of the moon. We made arrangements to go to the observatory just outside of town where there were displays and activities to enjoy.

 

When we arrived the sky was quite clear and we were hopeful for a good view of the eclipse. Families had gathered and were enjoying picnics. Children were sliding down the steep grassy slopes on pieces of cardboard or plastic. They were having a great time. Telescopes were set up for viewing and there were some very sophisticated camera equipment ready to record the entire eclipse.

 

However, that was not to be. The eclipse was scheduled for about 6:30 pm and about 6:15 pm clouds poured across the sky. What a disappointment that was for everyone. As dark fell, we decide to get a taxi back into the city. It is a long drive and about halfway through the sky cleared and we were able to see the final minutes of the eclipse as we travelled toward Chiang Mai. Of course, we tried to capture it on camera but that was an epic failure. Oh well ….

When we arrived back at our hotel, Bernie and Elaine got out of the taxi but Jim and I had one more thing on our agenda. That was to check out new dress number 2, and arrange for any alterations that might be necessary. It was a quick stop, especially after we went to the wrong tailor’s where we had actually dropped in during the dress shopping. We decided not to order from him because I did not care for any of the fabrics he had. So, there we were in the wrong shop, asking about the dress I had ordered. Talk about embarrassing!! He reminded us that we had been in his shop before. Oops!!! We finally found the correct tailor, Jay, and happily went to see my dress.

 

Wednesday, March 4, 2026

 

Today was an extremely quiet day. I had a touch of the flu or something and spent most of the day in bed. Jim came and went, providing me with ginger ale in hopes that the sugar would help me regain my strength. We have been very busy throughout the last few weeks, savouring every moment of time we have here and filling the time with a broad range of activities. I think it finally caught up with me.

 

One thing I did do though was visit the dressmaker close to our hotel to try on one of my new dresses. Not surprisingly, it needed some minor alterations so we left it behind with the tailor to adjust it. I would be able to pick it up on Thursday, a good thing since we are leaving Chiang Mai on Friday.

 

Thursday, March 5, 2026

 

Today is our last day in Chiang Mai. And I was still under the weather. I rested for the morning, had a nice nap in the afternoon and then felt well enough to head out to explore a new part of the city.

 

Our son, Iain, had a work term here in Chiang Mai during his university experience. He recalled where he had lived and his favourite coffee shop. So off we went to find both places. His directions were pretty good and we quickly found a coffee shop in his neighbourhood. It was not the one he had frequented but another more modern one of the same chain, Wawee.

 

Then we set off to find his apartment building. Again, we knew we were in the right vicinity but not totally sure of the building. One of the unique features of the building was that it had a swimming pool. Not many buildings have that amenity so we asked a security guard for directions and we were at the exact building we wanted to find. Of course, photos of both are now in our camera.

Back to our hotel because Jay, the tailor, was going to deliver dress number two. It fit perfectly. I can hardly wait for winter to pass so I can wear both dresses.

 

Jim has gone out to have some dinner and a massage. My stomach is still queasy so I have stayed in our room and once again, worked on the blog and the photo books. Realistically, I am not going to get them all done before we get home.

 

We leave Chiang Mai by bus early tomorrow morning and arrive in Bangkok about dinner time tomorrow evening. On Saturday, we fly to Hong Kong. On Monday we fly to Taipei, San Francisco and Toronto.

 

It will be good to get home after such a wonderful experience and a very long flight.

 

Friday, March 6, 2026

 

Today featured a long and very comfortable bus ride. Perfect for me as I am still fighting a tummy bug. Sitting down and enjoying the scenes that pass by the window was a perfect antidote – small towns, large cities, agriculture (mainly rice and bananas) as well  as some pretty significant factories. I might have had a little nap en route as well. The bus was filled with mostly Thai travellers. There was one other couple from Italy so we tried to figure out what the Thai announcements were all about. There was a hostess on the bus but she did not speak English and her seat was in a small, closed chamber beside the driver. The door was a very real barrier.

 

We arrived in Bangkok just about dinner time. The bus station was a madhouse. So many people going to or coming from somewhere; probably one hundred busses at the ready to take these people where they wanted to go. We had all our luggage with us and, independently, we made our way to the taxi queue. No carts within sight. Maybe 50 taxies lined up. Because we had so much stuff, we needed a car with a large trunk. In the end, the largest suitcase was in the trunk, fastened with a bungie chord. Talk about secure!!  Lol

 

But we made it to the hotel we had previously stayed in (highly recommended Best Western if you are ever in Bangkok). Jim has gone to a nearby laundry to get our clothes washed one last time. We can pick them up at 10 am.

 

Tomorrow, we will go to the Saturday Chatuchak Market in the morning (one of the largest markets in the world, apparently). It is adjacent to the hotel. And then early afternoon, we will head to the airport to fly to Hong Kong.

 

We truly are coming home.

 

Saturday, March 6, 2026

 

We enjoyed our final breakfast at our hotel. When we get home there will not be the array of items that are available here, both Thai and American. Jim went to the market this morning and, although it was a very large and interesting market, he came back empty handed. I had spent time in our room working on this blog as well as repacking our luggage so all the additional things we have acquired can fit. We were only one pound over our weight limit for the airport so we felt confident we would not have a problem.

 

We booked a taxi and thoroughly enjoyed the ride to the airport. It took about an hour on freeways that took us through many sections on Bangkok. One last look at this amazing and enormous city.

 

Of course, we had some wait time at the airport after check-in because our flight had been delayed. Browsing the shops and purchasing some additional items filled part of our time. The rest of the time we were comfortable in the Cathay Pacific lounge, lots of food, beverages of choice and, of course, great internet.

 

We will arrive in Hong Kong just before midnight tonight. We have, yet another, very full day ahead of us. We are looking forward to seeing friends.

 

Sunday, March 7, 2026

 

What a remarkable day!!! It was a one day whirlwind visit with friends in Hong Kong.

 

The day began with a breathtaking view of a new area in Hong Kong, deliberately developed near the new airport. Our room was on the eighth floor of our brand new hotel and the view from the window was amazing. We were surrounded by apartment buildings that stretched high into the sky. Our hotel had twenty-two floors but other buildings towered above us. We also had wonderful views of the waterways around Hong Kong, many new and beautiful bridges that connected our area to the older city. Ships in the harbour, cars on the freeways, the gardens on the grounds of our hotel. One thing we regret is that we did not go to the highest floor in our building (floor 22) and see the view from that height.

 

Our hotel was connected directly to a large high end shopping centre. That was where we planned to have lunch with friend, Savio Wong, a fellow traveller from Waterloo who, coincidentally, was also in Hong Kong this weekend.

 

We met in the hotel lobby and entered the mall directly. It was crowded with people browsing the many, many shops and simply walking along the concourse. Restaurants had long line ups, awaiting tables for groups of friends and families to enjoy a noon meal together. We were amazed at the crowd but, according to Savio who has been to this area of Hong Kong frequently, this is how thousands of people in Hong Kong spend their Sundays. We waited our turn and enjoyed delicious food. Thankfully, Savio speaks Mandarin so he was able to order our food from the very extensive menu. We enjoyed our visit and chuckled about how it was easier to get together in Hong Kong than it often is in Waterloo.

 

Later in the day, we met up with some other friends who live in Hong Kong. Several years ago, Amy and Jaime Liew lived with us in Waterloo while they attended university. In total, they spent five years in our home. During that time, their parents, Carmen and Alvin, visited several times. We also had the pleasure of spending time at their home in Hong Kong.

 

It was a delight to see them again today. We met at the church they attend in the core of the city, St, Andrew’s Church in Kowloon. The church has undergone a bold redevelopment project since we were last there. It was in the planning stages then and now the entire project is completed and offers many opportunities for members and guests to be involved in a range of activities. Carmen and Alvin have been instrumental in bringing the new facility to life and we thoroughly enjoyed seeing it. The original sanctuary remains in use but there is a much larger and flexible-use sanctuary as well. The church now offers at least five services each Sunday and the one we attended at 5 pm had about 300 people in attendance, mostly young people and families, ages 20 – 35 ish.

 

After the service, we walked along very crowded streets to an amazing restaurant, also filled with people. We enjoyed an amazing meal, ordered by Carmen and Alvin who wanted to share several amazing dishes. The conversation flourished while we indulged in delightful foods and a bottomless pot of tea. We were grateful for the opportunity to catch up with them as they transition into retirement. It was a heartwarming way to bring our adventure to an end.

 

We spent one last night in our hotel and had an early start in the morning as we continued our journey home.

 

 

Monday, March 8, 2026

 

This was a memorable day which began at 6 am in Hong Kong.

 

Off to the first of many airports and flights …

 

1.   Hong Kong to Taipei – EVA Air – approximately 2 hours (sadly, we did not have time to explore Taiwan)

 

2.   Taipei to San Francisco – approximately 11.5 hours across the Pacific

 

3.   San Francisco to Toronto – approximately 5 hours

 

It was still Monday when we arrived in Toronto just before midnight. Thankfully, all of our luggage arrived with us. We were relieved not to have to wait or search for anything. Our day on March 8 had actually been about 36 hours long … and we had crossed the dateline and gone back by a day and transitioned to Daylight Saving Time. So it was still Monday when we arrived in Toronto. And we were a bit confused as well as exhausted.

 

We stayed overnight in an airport hotel and will visit our Toronto family on Tuesday before we actually head back to Waterloo. That will bring us joy and renewed energy.

 

Thanks for travelling with us on this amazing journey. Now we can all get some sleep. Until next time …

 

Donna and Jim