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We publish an article each week about life, change and all things connected with our Life Change and Life Coaching Holidays in Thailand.

What It's Like In Thailand....Right Now

At the moment we are just coming out of the "winter" into what must be the best time of year to visit Thailand. It's hot, with clear blue skies and warm in the evenings. You need never wear anything more than shorts and a T shirt.

So, what's it like here right now. Well, it's 9am and I have just watered the orchids in the garden...it wont rain here until April at the earliest. The sky is absolutely blue and clear....there is not a cloud anywhere to be seen. The air is still and warm, scented with the smell of flowers, foliage and wood smoke from the cooking fires over in the village near to our office. A friend said to me that he likes to get up really early at about 5am just to be part of these perfect mornings. I know exactly what he means. In the still, warm morning air, tropical bird song carries for miles across the rice fields, mountains and forests which surround this part of Northern Thailand. If you listen carefully you can also hear the soft chanting of Buddhist monks drifting through the open windows of the numerous temples in the city.

Once the sun has risen the city comes alive with people eating breakfast at thousands of street stalls. Nobody eats breakfast in...it's too expensive.There are of course all the usual breakfasty things to be had from places catering to hungry tourists, but also all kinds of things for locals that you might like to try; chicken noodle soup, Chinese deep fried doughnuts and syrup, hot rice porridge with roasted garlic and coconut, spicy sausage and sticky rice....as I type I realize the list is pretty endless so I better stop, but you get the picture. There can be few more pleasurable moments than watching the sun rise outside a small traditional breakfast place with a big bowl of steaming hot and spicy chicken noodle soup, overlooking rice fields and mountains. It really is a wonderful start to the day.

Once underway the temperatures begin to rise sharply, warming the swimming pools for a mid day dip.

At the moment there is a kind of party atmosphere in Chiang Mai. Several things have happened at once, there was a big SE Asian film festival showing premiers attended by celebrities, Chinese New Year last Thursday has been celebrated almost every day since and there has been a huge Flower Festival which more or less closes down Chiang Mai for 2 full days. It's a big event in Thailand and lots of people fly in from all over SE Asia. The main attraction is a 3 km procession made up of floats dressed entirely with flowers. Unless you have seen it before I can confidently say that you have never seen so many orchids and other tropical flowers in your life. It's hard to imagine where they all come from. Imagine a line of buses stretching for 3 km each one covered with tiny blossom and you might just come close to picturing the shear volume of flowers. It is quite incredible.

As evening approaches the bars and restaurants all buzz into life lit up with millions of twinkling fairy lights. It's lovely and warm and everybody usually eats outside under the stars. There are wonderful things to try from fragrant and creamy coconut curries to hot and spicy grilled sea food. There is also a wonderful tradition of northern Thai food, or "Lanna" food, as it is called that you might like to try; little steamed parcels of minced fish or pork wrapped in coconut leaves, fruit rice baked in a pineapple or deep fried crispy catfish for the more adventurous. Whatever you like you'll find it here in Chiang Mai somewhere.

I better finish and pop over to the Puripunn Hotel to welcome a new guest who arrived this morning for their Counseling Retreat Holiday. I'll say hello before the lovely Son takes them off for a private tour of Chiang Mai and introduces them to the delights of Thai markets.

Have a good week.

Bye for now.

Alex.