Being a tourist in Thailand is exceptionally easy, every other shop is a travel agent, the only hard bit is getting a reliable one. Seeing as one such travel agent had done a fine job of my laundry, we returned, left some hard earned money (well, earned), and went away with that warm fuzzy feeling of knowing what you are doing for the next few days.
The guidebook listed Doi Suthep as a must see, but at the top of the rather large hill there was just a decidedly hungry elephant, the usual tourist stalls, and a pleasant temple (albeit with a “Foreigner must buy ticket” sign outside). But then it could just be that we are temple-d out, and have been spoilt by Sukhothai. Back in Chiang Mai, we tried to find something else to do, but since everything exciting started in the morning, we opted for a river cruise. The commentary left a lot to be desired, with only two announcements, one of which was to point out a block of flats. Still, it was a nice way to pass the afternoon, even when the engine cut out and we drifted backwards for a while.
In case you wondered why there is a picture of a cow attached, these are seen all over Thailand, but up until I saw this statue today they’ve just whizzed passed a minibus window. I like to call them camel cows (species bovinus dromadarius), due to the big floppy lump on their backs. It was either that or a picture of the king sweating (seriously, can you imagine a huge poster of Queen Elizabeth II with a drip of sweat hanging from her nose?) It’s been a slow day.