Day 31 Wed 28/07 - Arriving in Chiang Mai and Stay the Cheapest Guesthouse so far

Today Distance: 4.7 km     Total: 2014.4 km
Today Temp :  23 - 32c
Today Spending: 588 baht   Total : 13002 baht

The train arrived in Chiang Mai station at 9.45pm as scheduled.After claiming my bike from the luggage carrier and hooked up all the bags,I grabbed a city map from the tourist information center and spent about 20min on it.The directions to the city center looks pretty direct and easy.I rode for about 5km and came across plenty of guesthouses to choose from.As the day is still early,I have the luxury to go merry hunting from one to another.The prices went down from 350,300,250,200... and finally I found the cheapest so far in Inter Inn at 100 baht for a fan room,but the low price comes with a burden to carry all my stuffs up to 4th floor,leaving only the bike at one corner in the reception.Recap the last time I came here (actually stop by maybe 12 yrs ago) with my ABM trekkers,hiring a van from Betong to the most northern tip of Thailand - Mae Sai, didn't really know much about this city. A walk around in the city,there is no high rise towers,hypermarkets or any big huge modern buildings, what you see mostly here is very ancient,historical wats ( temples) . The most prominent structure surely belongs to the 4 ancient gates built in red bricks and form into a square pattern,surrounded by an outside canal,so as to protect the city from enemy attack.You will find more guesthouses than hotels. This is where backpackers from all over the world love to hang around. They enjoy the simple,easy,relax atmosphere here and yet on a very low budget.