Unfortunately this year i won't be able to revisit beloved Chiang mai but, "man plen rai." But if you get the chance, and have the time and have gotten all the adventure stuff out of your system then do yourself a favor and check out the great (mostly english language) second hand bookshops that make Chiang mai a great place to live. Most of them are located around the Tai Pae Gate area and it is an easy amble from one to other even during the middle of a Thai hot season day. The range and quality is absolutely astounding and just browsing through them all easily fills up an afternoon and it doesn't hurt that the prices are more than reasonable. I used to love loading up on books and heading for one of the nearby cafés to start enjoying them. CMU, the NGO movement, the Writers Bar, Irrawaddy Magazine and the second hand book shop scene all help to give Chiang mai a bookish, college town feel that may not be that apparent at first.
