It's hard to believe, but our four month stay in Chiang Mai has come to an end! We're both very sad to be leaving, but the time is right for us to move on. We had been told that in March the farmers around the city set fire to their fields, burning the remnants of their last crop in preparation for a new planting. As a result, the air quality in Chiang Mai (not very good at the best of times) deteriorates significantly. Yesterday morning, we awoke to the smell of smoke in the air and our view of Doi Suthep mountain completely obscured. As we locked the door to our condo for the last time this morning, we were both struck by feelings of melancholy and almost regret for having to depart. We're leaving behind many new friends who will doubtlessly remain in our lives as we continue our journeys. We have said our goodbyes to our favorite fruit vendors, who looked as sad to see us go as we were to leave them and their wonderful produce. Unlike every other winter we've lived through, neither Brenda nor I wanted this one to end.

Fortunately, we aren't heading back to the frozen North just yet. As I type this blog we're sitting at the airport waiting for a flight that will take us to Penang, Malaysia. It's going to be a bit of a shock to our systems as the humidity there is about four times higher than Chiang Mai. We'll be staying in and exploring Penang for the next ten days before heading to our final Asian destination on this winter's voyage.

Goodbye Chiang Mai, it's been a hoot! See you again real soon.