Sukhothai to Chiang Mai

We took a bus from Sukhothai to Phitsanulok and then waited until 12:30am for the (running late) night trian to Chiang Mai. At least we had a sleeper car so we could lie down and get a few hours of sleep. When we woke up the scenery was completely different, mountainous, covered in trees, and peppered with tiny villages, welcome to Chiang Mai! We checked into a wonderful guesthouse on the river Ping, called the Galare Guesthoue, and had some breakfast and booked a tour to Doi Suthep, one of my favorite temples in Thailand for the afternoon. Our first stop before the temple was a Hmong village which has unfortunately become a major tourist hub so it has lost all it's usual culture and character Nd just become a town full of shopping stalls. This however, was a shopping delight for Chaya, who bought a Hmong skirt! Doi suthep is on the top of a mountain and is dominated by a large gold chedi. It is very serene and beautiful and you walk on the stone floors without your shoes, as taking off your shoes is customary before entering a temple.