We made our way to Chiang Mai, Thailand today! I booked our flights, hotel, and elephant day a week or two after we arrived in Singapore and then never really went back to make further plans. I began the day wondering if I ought to have spent more time actually planning this trip out! (I actually began my day on a run which was a really great way to start off a vacation.)
We took a taxi from our apartment to the airport and everything went so smoothly that we arrived super early. (A nice change from when the van came late to pick us up when we moved here last month!) We had to change planes in Bangkok which ended up being a fairly long walk (but riddled with travelators so it wasn't bad even for Henry). Thai Airways was really nice (we flew coach) and the kids were all great. Of course, the two flights were so short (2 hours & 1 hour) that it was no big deal.
Once we arrived at the arrived at Chiang Mai it was harder to get a taxi than it ought to have been. We took a number from a lady and then she called a bunch of numbers and we all walked away from the terminal toward the parking lot where we waited again for our number to be called as the taxis arrived. Finally we arrived at our hotel and had dinner there and decided it was best for Sarah & Henry to get to bed as they looked completely exhausted from the day. Craig & Anna did go out to the night market tonight though (only on Sunday and Saturday). They rode in a tuk-tuk taxi (Anna loved this!) and they saw people lighting lanterns at the temple. If I had looked out the hotel window, I probably would have seen some the lanterns over the city! Tomorrow night ought to be a good night to do that, too (New Year's Eve).
