Thai Massage and Night Market

Day 8 – June 21, 2016

Tuesday

The kids have to jump right back into soccer when we get home so we’ve been trying to exercise when we can on this trip. This morning we all went for a run by the reservoir near the house. We started our run at about 9am and the heat and humidity were punishing. The kids and I only ran about 2.5 miles (Jeff ran 4) and we were drenched in sweat so much that it looked like we had just been swimming. It was what you would call sweltering hot! We ran with our swimsuits underneath so we came home and jumped right into the pool. It felt so good!

We arranged for two ladies to come do 4 hours of Thai massage at the house today for about 40 dollars. We split it up and everyone had a 30 or 60 minute massage. I love how with Thai massage they stretch and work your muscles. It kinda hurts when you are not flexible like me. And I think they were going totally easy on me!

The kids really wanted to go see Finding Dory so we went to the big new shopping mall in Chiang Mai. It was pretty impressive actually. I think sometimes I don’t want to do stuff like that on our trips because we can do it at home, but it was probably good for the kids to see that people elsewhere also enjoy the luxuries we have at home. We got to see Finding Dory in 3D in the Imax Theater for $6 each. It was sweet!

We wanted to go the Chiang Mai Night Bazaar on the east side of the old walled city and do a little more bargain hunting and get a foot massage. We found a seedy little place that offered fish therapy and massage. So we bargained a little to get the price down to $3 instead of $5 and we all lined up and stuck our feet in the fish tanks. It almost feels like a light electrical shock when hundreds of little fish start sucking on your feet and we all squirmed and squealed for the first 5 minutes until we got more used to it. Then with our feet all cleaned by the fish, we all sat down in the chairs for half hour foot massages. So relaxing!

Jeff wanted the kids to each buy me a gift for my 40^th birthday tomorrow. They were so cute trying to hide everything from me and trying to discreetly ask if I would like this or that. I can’t wait to see what they found!

One of my favorite finds was the fresh fruit smoothies on nearly every corner. They have plastic cups of fresh fruits of all kinds displayed for 40 to 50 baht (around $1.50). You chose the cup of fruit you want, hand it to the nice Thai lady behind the counter and she blends it up with ice for a seriously delicious and refreshing little fresh fruit smoothie. I got mango...delicious!

This house is so beautiful! The woodwork is pretty amazing and the whole feeling of the house is so vintage and old-fashioned but high quality and well-maintained. I love all of the dark wood with the white walls.

The boys room. The mosquito netting is a must because the house only has AC in the bedrooms so the windows and the doors in the whole house are left open all day to let in the breeze and some of the windows (and none of the doors) have screens so there are lots of bugs in the house.

Resting in the shade after our run.

Everyone got a turn having a Thai massage.

Visiting the mall for a little 3D movie on the Imax.

Even Ronald McDonald greets you in the Thai way. This is called a wai where you put your hands together and bow to greet and say thank you. It is bad manners not to return a wai.

Fish therapy.

30 minute foot massage for 100 baht (about $3.25). 

The Night Market.

Our $1 fruit shakes.

Yesterday Kira got stung by a bee and it just keeps getting bigger and bigger. It's swollen and itchy and painful. Poor girl.