A Nice Change

I am sitting poolside in the heart of Chiang Mai. Yesterday, we woke up in Bangkok. The difference is bigger than the one-hour, very turbulent flight would suggest. Chiang Mai has a beach-town feel and a nice, slow pace. Bangkok pulsed like the ten million person city that it is. We were all ready for the change.

We have heard the advice that for the most part a city is a city and that most of the real exploration lies outside of their limits. This has been true in some ways and false in others. It is foolish to say that Saigon and Singapore are anything alike. Saigon has its third-world feel and character while Singapore's futuristic nature and impeccable streets have a vibe all their own. But they are both crowded and busy and move with the speed and anonymity of a metropolis.

Aiding my overall desire for a change was our last night in Bangkok where I got desperately lost only ten minutes from our room. It took me three hours, four taxi drivers and countless tut tuts to find my way, all the while being grabbed by transexual prostitutes.

So now I sit, very much not lost and feel the tension ease. Uwey is lying by the pool reading her kindle and Danny is dozing next to me. Half a dozen travelers blanket the poolside. There is an energy here, an open and hopeful wind that dries my skin and beckons another dip in the pool.