The Travelonians

F irst, I want to say that we  ♥ ️ ♥ ️ Chiang Mai. We actually could see ourselves living there. We arrived in Chiang Mai by train around 11 hours from Bangkok. Nothing to complain about, they actually served us 2 snacks and lunch. It was a nice way to travel and take in the countryside. We saw sugar cane, banana, bamboo plantations, rice paddies. We saw a town overrun by monkeys – they were everywhere. Not sure if they are doing something about that. The last third of the ride was a long slow climb into the highlands. On the train, we met a couple from BC who were also travelling like us for 3 months. As soon as we arrived, we felt a nice vibe in the city and became very comfortable almost right away. The people are very friendly, and you feel safe. As a matter of fact, anywhere in Thailand, we have visited, not once did I feel unsafe.  We stayed in a lovely guest house with a very nice host & his family. There is so much to say about Chiang M...

The long 14-hour flight from Montreal to Beijing was uneventful but very long. We found the food, not to our taste but other than that, no issues. No turbulence on both flights and  I have to say that the Air China pilots landed those planes including the one Beijing to Bangkok very smoothly. We found it a little interesting that an air marshal recording lets you know that if you don’t obey the rules during the flight, you will be punished, and at the end of the flight they thanked us and bowed. Very civilized.  Our connection in Beijing was so tight that when we arrived at the gate the flight was boarding. We had about 45 minutes to deplane and get to the next gate and because we had to go through another security check, we just made it to our seats. Even though the planes were less than a hundred meters apart at the gates, the airport was an Air China hub and the ground crews had about an hour, our luggage didn’t manage to load.   So, at 3:00 am, after almost 24...

Well, everything is packed in these 2 hybrid rolling suitcase/backpacks and daypacks which we will also use as carry-ons. I feel in control and not panicked and I double checked my lists to make sure I had not forgotten anything. In a previous blog, I talked about the popular trend of using packing cubes so I did a dry run packing with, and without the cubes. Conclusion? No official endorsement by “The Packinator”. Let's leave cubism to the likes of Picasso.   It may be a little cynical to say but I think cubes are mostly an unnecessary packing aid and expense but having said that, some travellers will like the separation of clothing groups as well as perhaps a container for dirty laundry. The cubes can also be convenient if travelling with traditional backpacks which open only from the top. Otherwise, in my opinion, rolling your clothes is definitely the best way to pack.   A few more basic tips for clothes selection and packing. Make sure that your clothes matc...