I’ve been to Chiang Mai many times over the last 20 years. Thailand’s "cultural capital" is always a great place to relax. I’ve probably visited the city at least 50 times, but I never tire of wandering the small lanes and exploring the old temples. Even after so many visits, I almost always stumble across something I haven’t seen before, or something new since my last visit.

My main goal on this trip is to re-visit the sights of the old city, on foot. The streets within the city walls is a remarkably walk-able area. There are markets full of stalls stacked with strange and colorful tropical fruits, the many temples for which the city is famous, a growing number of beautifully restored buildings turned into interesting museums, some interesting shops and boutique hotels.

Chiang Mai is such a walk-able city that the weekend walking street markets have definitely become a fixture. On Saturdays, the Wualai Road market, although much smaller than the Sunday market, is certainly worth a visit. Perhaps because of its small size, it’s more easily walked, and it has much more the feel of a local market than a big craft fair. The Sunday fair on the other hand has gotten very big. Even when the weather is a bit "iffy", as it is at this time of year, it extends all the way up Ratchadamnoen Road from Tapae Gate to Wat Phra Singh, as well as over to the provincial hall along Phrapopkhlao Road.

While there are a few big new hotels about to open down near the night bazaar, not much else changes dramatically in Chiang Mai. There are a lot of small incremental changes to see, however. At least one temple seems to have some work being done at any given time. Right now, the main prayer hall at Wat Chedi Luang is undergoing a quite radical makeover. In addition, they’re building a small dharma museum in the compound, and remodeling the city pillar shrine within the temple.

Outside the old city, the pagoda at Wat Suan Dok has been gilded, while the reliquaries of the royal family at the temple have all been painted with stark white paint. Not much has changed at Wat Umong. The forest temple remains a cool retreat from the heat of the city.