A few more places we like

Of course, we have to start with the place that EVERYONE loves in Thailand:

We've been in Thailand previous years, and we fondly remember when we discovered that 7-11's are a big thing here. It was really unexpected. As you know, 7-11's are usually not the first place you think of when you need "anything", including delicious food. Back in Hamilton, in my youth, it was the place to go if you wanted to get into fights, meaning, we rarely went to them. The last few years have been ok, but that is because we inadvertently went to them on July 11... 7 11! On those days everyone could get a free small, or was it medium, Slushy. Yumyum, and since everyone AND their mothers were there, there weren't any fights. But truly, 7-11s have almost everything.

Years ago, when Van was maybe 8 years old, he slipped walking on some concrete and really scratched his leg up, like, deep gashes. We hopped on our scooters and zoomed over to a 7-11, and what do you know... they had all kinds of bandages and disinfectants and wipes and everything! It really saved the day! Nowadays, we use it for milk runs, for snacks, to get packs of ice, to pay water bills even!

When we first moved here last summer (2024) we spent a few days eating food that some friends had brought over. After that though, we began to get hungry. We were still battling jetlag, still not familiar with the various grocery stores, and of course, busy adapting to the school schedule. One day we saw this, not too far from our house, and decided we should try to eat there one Saturday morning. Well, well, well, what do you know! It has a perfect blend of Thai food, and western dishes like salads, burgers, and onion rings. So, it quickly became a regular spot for us, and remains a family favourite. Plus, it's a nice feeling to go into a place and have people greet you like regulars!

There are local grocery stores with names like Big C, Lotus, and Jampha SaveMart. You can buy pretty much anything you might need or want (from home). There is also a higher end supermarket called Rimping, and in there you can find foreign import food. It is, of course, quite pricey. A bag of chips, for example, can be close to 20 bucks! So, if you want something different, you head to the local outdoor market. The one closest to us is quite famous, and it is called Mae Hia Market. The picture above doesn't do it justice at all. It is fairly big, and very busy, most of the time. On weekend evenings it gets even busier! Going there really makes you feel like you are in Thailand - the sights, the smells, the sounds! We love it!

I mentioned in a previous post one restaurant that has noodles dishes similar to the ones we loved back in our old place. The restaurant is another, and it specializes in Lanzhou noodles. These are evenly tubular, whereas the other place (Qin) makes thick, irregular noodles. This place makes the noodle dishes very spicy. It is also frequented much more by Chinese tourists, meaning, IT IS LOUD. So you can both eat like you are back in China, and feel like you are back, too.

The first months we lived here we drove the most direct way which Google Maps showed us. Partly because we didn't want to get lost and be late for school. But over time we have become more familiar with the main routes, and thus have time to try new routes. The video here is one of Michelle's favourites routes. It takes us home, part way, but is often almost empty. But you get to drive past rice paddies, and the traffic noise is dimmed, and you can see the mountain. We all love mountains. Whether that comes from being in the shadow of the might Nanshan range for years, or from BC when we studied at seminary, or south France with the Pyranees, we don't know. All we know is one of the first things we look for, and see, is Doi Suthep, the Suthep Mountain. In the video above the clouds are hiding the uppermost peak, but it is always a beautiful view!