Orientation Week

As incoming students we had a orientation week that consisted of long days filled with tons of information. Waking up at 8 am every morning was painful, but in the long run it was completely worth it. When we were not in the classroom our program directors brought us on guides of Chiang Mai. We went through the old city, markets of all shorts and temples that are individually older than the United States.

Chiang Mai is a beautiful city busting with youthful energy. To give you a brief history, Chiang Mai is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand. It is Thailand's second city, but in terms of quality of living, tourist attractions and development potential, it's second to none in Southeast-Asia. It is famous for its friendly people, beautiful women, refined handicrafts, cool climate and stunning mountain scenery. There are more than three-hundred temples, among them some of the most beautiful and revered in the entire Buddhist world, give the city an atmosphere of calmness and timeless elegance.

I obviously could write pages about Chiang Mai but I feel the best way to get a message across is through pictures. Below are pictures of the tours of Chiang Mai and the markets we went to:



-Markets are essential in Thai culture. Food, clothing and all goods are sold at these markets. They are amazing, completely overwhelming, but in a good way. The best times I have had here so far have been going to these markets and getting lost in the labyrinth of hallways and small streets that are filled with the best food you could ever imagine.



-here is another picture of one of the markets we went to. This was just a small part of the market but it shows how crazy and packed they are.




-you must understand that a market in Thailand is very different from one in the states. Thai markets take up 10 blocks and have no structure. This picture I took from a bridge that crossed over one of the streets. Be careful when you cross the streets, the drivers do not care if they hit you!



-these food stands/ bikes can be found on every street in Chiang Mai. I personal love them because if your hungry you can just walk a few steps and have amazing food for extremely cheap.

If you want to see all the pictures of my market trip I uploaded them on my facebook.