An early start and skipped breakfast as today I catch the bus down to Chiang Mai at 13.00 and I want to see a few of the famous temples in Chiang Rai before I go. A short walk via a coffee shop on the peaceful streets of Chiang Rai brings me to Wat Phra Sing the C14 temple named for the famous Phra Sing Buddha image, a small and delightful temple.

A short walk away is Wat Phra Kaew, famous for being the place where the revered Phra Kaew or Emerald Buddha image was discovered. A lightning strike on the Chedi behind the ubosoth blew the masonary apart, revealing inside the now famous and revered statue. Made of green jasper and about 45cm high, the image is the most sacred in Thailand. Legend has it that it was crafted in India many thousands of years ago and during a long sea voyage where, after the boat carrying it sank, it was washed up on the coast of Cambodia (the Kymer empire was bigger in those days) it has been owned and fought over throughout the centuries finding a home in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. Laos seems to have the strongest claim and it resided in Luang Prabang for two centuries not long ago, only to be stolen back by the Thais. The "real" image is now housed in the temple of the emerald Buddha in the grand palace in Bangkok, but the royal palace in Luang Prabang also has an "emerald Buddha" A copy was made of Canadian jade in China in 1991 to honour the Queen mother's 90th birthday and this image was installed at this temple the same year. It is housed in a pavillion behind the ubosoth and the chedi and the walls have paintings that depict its travels over the centuries. Unlike the image in Bangkok, you can take pictures of this figure.

The wat was originally set in a bamboo forest and there are still large stands of bamboo around, also in the temple grounds there is a newly built museum containing many beautiful old Buddha statues and other artefacts, with a very chatty monk in residence.

From here to the last temple of the morning, Wat Phra That Ngam Muang, a short walk from Phra Kaew. The temple is beside the stupa that was constructed by the son of King Mengrai The Great - King Chaisongkhram - to house the remains his father. The king died in 1311 at Chiang Mai after being hit by lightning in the city's market during a thunderstorm. Wat Ngam Muang is suposedly Chiang Rai's most historically important temple because it houses King Mengrai's ashes, but the tour buses outside Wat Phra Kaew would give lie to that idea and i am the only visitor this morning. First constructed in 1489, the temple was renovated in 1677, thereafter declining in importance and eventual abandonment for many years. The most recent restoration occurred in 1952. The statue of the king is freshly decorated with offerings and umbrellas.

From here I walked back to the hotel through the market, the usual colourful sights and smells engage the senses and passing the golden clock tower again, I zipped into an optician to get my Raybans repaired... I had just dropped them at the last temple and the right lens fell out, luckily not breaking, unlike last year in Chiang Mai when the same thing happened. A quick fix later, they wouldn't take any money bless them, and I left and had some noodles for breakfast on the corner by my hotel. Then I gathered together my stuff, settled the bill, said goodbyes and caught a tut tut to the bus station 10 minutes out of town for the bus to Chiang Mai.

I had bought my ticket to Chiang Mai when I arrived, the choice was VIP bus for 263B, 1st Class for 155B or ordinary for 120B. I chose the VIP as it makes no stops on the 3 hour journey (loo on board) and is the fastest. As always, the air-con was turned up to full blast, if you'd needed to take a bag of frozen peas on the journey, they would still be frozen when you arrived! I broke out the cashmere jumper and hunkered down for the trip.

The road winds gently down to Chiang Mai passing a varied landscape of flat lands full of agriculture, small towns and jungle clad hillsides, although it was hard to remind yourself this was tropical jungle from the comfines of the icebox... Soon the bus pulled into the Chiang Mai bus station and it was out to grab a tut tut to my residence for the next 5 days.

Frangipani serviced residences are located just behind Wat Chiang Man in the north of the old city. A small block of apartments on 4 floors, I have one of the small ones but it's a goody. Large bedroom with ensuite and desk, a huge living room with kitchenette and dining area and another toilet in the hall, topped off by a full length balcony with views north te Doi Sutep. A great find.

The rest of the day was spend wandering the city and catching up with Chiang Mai again, I won't bore you with the details... preparations for Yi Peng, the Loy Krathong festival in Chiang Mai are in full swing and lanterns hang everywhere.

It's nice to be back in this charming place