Arrival and first stroll in Chiang Mai

The night during the bus tour over hill and dale, with occasional stops at various spots, passed quickly, even though I didn’t sleep much or well. We arrived at the bus terminal in Chiang Mai just before 6:00 AM. It was still dark and quite chilly, so I even took out my long jacket and put it on. The locals were partly dressed in long pants, thick jackets, and winter hats. It wasn’t that bad for me, though. I decided to move a bit, walking the nearly 5.5 kilometers to my hotel while already exploring the city and looking for a breakfast option. Initially, I wasn’t successful, as everything along the way was not set to open until around 8:00. However, I could observe the bustling activity on the school paths of the local youth and the student traffic wardens equipped with uniforms and loud whistles, who were directing traffic in a staccato manner... After about an hour of walking, as the sun had risen, I finally found a nice place that was open. They offered plenty of omelets, fruits, and especially two delicious coffees. This revived my spirits and felt good. Then it was off towards the old town to my hotel, where I wanted to temporarily store my luggage, as check-in wasn’t until 2:00 PM. This worked well. I quickly signed the formalities, and knowing that my travel backpack was safely in hand, I set out again for the next five hours to explore some sights/temples. So, it was once again a 'Wat tour'. Since there is always something new and different to discover, I am still finding it exciting; as the snapshots hopefully convey... At 2:00 PM, I strolled back to the hotel. The 18-hour overnight bus ride and 17 km of walking around the city under the sun had indeed worn me out, so after a long hot shower, I first relaxed on the bed for a bit. I noticed that the planner did not think much about the electrician regarding the installation of the sockets. There is only one in the bathroom on the ceiling for the fan; in the living room, there is one on the ceiling for the TV and one at floor level in the corner for the fridge. I found none at the desk, nor - as is usual - next to the king-size bed on the right and left. I then pushed the bed toward the center of the room; and indeed, behind it, there was one for the essential phone charging... Always something new, but as long as these are such small things, it’s quite funny... After another little evening stroll for food, I went to bed rather early. I slept wonderfully, which was confirmed not only by my now functional fitness watch but also by my well-being that morning... And this despite the fact that my hotel is quite noisy, someone seems to have fun moving furniture, and I could hear the drain when someone relieved themselves in the adjoining rooms. The local air conditioning rattles like some trucks on site, so this will also be turned off at night... With a good spirit, I’m off to the day now...