One month is quite enough time spent without a real update on my life away from the great white north, not that it was all that white when I left, but it has certainly been a crazy month. I left on a Wednesday afternoon from Toronto's Pearson airport and flew west with the sun, staying in daylight all the way to Shanghai's Pudong airport. My inability to sleep on airplanes was greatly tested by this 14 hour flight, but despite the night spent packing before I left, and the cabin windows being ordered closed, I was nonetheless unable to get more than 20 minutes of dozing done. Thankfully I've been well conditioned by literary family to always have a book (or 5) in my back pocket for times like this, and was therefore able to pass the time in relative comfort. China Eastern Airlines was also kind enough to provide each passenger with our own entertainment system for the long leg of my trip, and I was able to watch Pacific Rim on my own headphones when I could no longer stand to look at my kindle. To be fair my only real complaint about this flight was the sporadic nature of the water delivery. Many of you will know that I take my astrological sign at face value and am rarely without a source to water, and although I'm sure the lack of liquids contributed to my taking just one trip to the lavatory, I was DRY upon my arrival in Shanghai and made the acquisition of water my first job upon clearing customs in China.

Because I was on a 14 hour layover, I had to pass out of security the evening I arrived and go back through again in the morning, but I'm working on filling up the pages of a new passport, so at least I got an extra stamp for my trouble. From what I've heard from other travelers, Pudong airport seems to have a much more rural feel than Hong Kong or Beijing. There are few large building sin view as you are flying in, and many of the facilities only operate during the day. The sun was now finally setting on the longest day I've experienced, I was up at 7am with the sun in Hamilton and had chased it across the Pacific until it finally set as I was passing through customs in Shanghai. Having had nearly no sleep, I decided against trying to sleep on my luggage in the airport as I noticed other western youth doing, and sprung for a quick ride to a budget hotel just down the highway from the airport. Despite my fatigue, I was watching everything go by as we zipped between tiny trucks and the scooters that I now know are everywhere in SE Asia. Despite the more rural feel of Shanghai, there was a plethora of flashing lights advertising anything and everything, and an amazing variety of very bright LED traffic control signs that seem more a hazard than a help to me.

After a healthy shot of adrenaline on the road I arrived at a little hotel where nobody spoke English, but luckily the fixer at the airport had dealt with everything for me and the driver handed a paper to the front desk who got me to my room. At this point, although my body insisted it was daytime, I managed to get a little sleep. It was worth the price of the room just get a shower and a shave and a little time to myself, but there wasn't a whole lot of real rest. I also watched a little Chinese opera on the television, which was interesting, but in my head opera means you don't need a microphone ;). Early in the morning, too early as it turns out, I packed what little I had unpacked and went to the front desk to be piled into the hourly shuttle with a bunch of locals and headed back to the airport. It was at this point that I realized the airport wasn't really a 24 hour operation. I waited a couple hours for the counters serving China Eastern to open, and read a little more James Mitchner (Tales of the South Pacific). Finally I made it through security, and got my guitar through the language barrier to someone I knew would take care of it. Then I whiled away the time before my flight wandering around the little strip mall of restaurants and duty-free stores that ran through the gates. Then I boarded a tiny little plane full of Chinese tourists and Thai nationals and took of for the Land of Smiles.

After a four hour flight to Chiang Mai international, I gathered my giant green duffel bag and my guitar, and headed out into the tropical sun to get a Tuk-tuk. A tuk-tuk is a three wheeled open air taxi powered by a big motor scooter engine and driven by crazy people. To be honest I think the driving helps, because you get a little breeze, and the adrenaline helps you ignore the fumes you breathe in when you're out in traffic here. (I don't think there's a focus on emissions tests here.)

View from outside my room at Nature's Way

The driver had a little trouble with my English, but apparently my approximation of the Thai street address was legible enough for him to make up my destination. On the way to Nature's Way guest house he asked me where I was from, (cue up mimed cold and weed jokes) and then proceeded to insist that I was in the mafia (referencing the guitar case). Eventually we cross into the Old City and two seconds later we've arrived! He fleeces me for 150 baht, (6 bucks Canadian) and I check in and get moved up to my room where I proceed to unpack and crash very hard.

The next morning I'm up at 5, and wait till six before going out to explore. The first order of business after the travel saga was a coffee... any coffee. The heat of the day hadn't set in yet so I got the only cup of hot coffee I've had in my whole month here and wandered a little. After deciding that the city was still working on waking up and getting ready for the Saturday to come, I went back to Nature's way to hang with some interesting Austrians who were on there way to Pai. Once I heard the sounds of the market bustling and scooters speeding by I went out to get my first meal in Thailand.

You may have heard that Thailand is a foodie wonderland, and you've heard right. From tiny mobile stalls built onto scooter rigs, to the four and five star restaurants on the top of world-class hotels, you can find just about everything. This morning I tried a little 15 by 15 foot place with a couple of woks and a board out front with pictures of all Thai food. I have thus-far managed to avoid all western food, as much as I was tempted by a burger once or twice, and I chose well this morning with a spicy Thai omelet on rice for 50 baht. The rest of the day was spent wandering around the old city, looking at temples, and reading at Nature's before succumbing to jet-lag and messaging Canada.

One Month in Thailand