Lanna Bonita Chiang Mai, Take 1

After a quick but sad flight (sad because of the remaining stewed durian that Ava and I just couldn't fit down our gullets at Koh Samui airport security), we made our way to the Lanna Bonita Boutique Hotel, where the 5 of us occupied a 6 person shared hostel kind of room with 3 bunk beds. It was super nice and comfortable, and perfect for our single day in Chiang Mai. 

(Though I didn't appreciate the third of the first 3 files broadcast everywhere in the hotel... The first rule was no mangosteens. That one nearly sent me packing. Ok, not really. As if any mangosteen I've ever purchased lasted all the way back to home base.)

We were ready to find some lunch pretty shortly after arriving so we left our bags since it was a bit too early to check in and started walking. We got as far as about 4 minutes from our front door before the skies opened up and it was POURING. Chubby rain. So much rain. Luckily we were in front of a little strip of shops with an awning (leaky but existent). We hung out for a good 20-25 minutes before realizing it might not let up quickly and we had to make some choices, taking into account wetness, hangriness, and several other important variables.  

The rain became ever so slightly less chubby so we decided to make a break for it back to the hotel. We got there, soaking wet, got it bags to the room and walked briefly to the closest restaurant about 45 seconds down the alley bedside our hotel. When we walked in it was somewhat like in American Werewolf in London when Jack and David entered the Slaughtered Lamb the first time... Heads turned, pins dropped and we set down at the only one of three tables left in the joint, built around a tree leading to lots of room in the ceiling for the rain to continue showing us while we sat there fully observed from all angles. 

However, it all turned out ok. After 5-7 min of intense awkward, a group of men left and we were invited to sit at their table. It was delicious and quite pleasant from there on in. Possibly the best laab we've had on the trip too!

After lunch, a few of us ventured out after the rain died down to find some Thai ice teas. It was about a 15 minute walk and we made it almost all the way back before we got caught in another downpour. We had already been broken earlier that day so just kept walking. Ah well.

That evening, the rain died down and we decided to check out the market area we saw earlier when we were waiting for the rain to subside. oulevard of the street of our hotel! 

Turns out it was a small but delicious variety of all kinds of food and fruits! Fresh fruit smoothies were 20thb and they had fresh peeled pomelo, mangosteens, mango sticky rice, spicy soups, banana crepes with sweetened condensed milk, ... Basically all the good things we've tried and craved, all in a single area set up in a little park in the boulevard.

Our first really rainy day turned out to be quite the perfect food tour. A great way to spend our first night in Chiang Mai before heading to the Bush Camp the next morning.  

Before we left in the morning, we did get to try breakfast at a nearby guesthouse that had stunning garden seating.