Around Chiang Mai

The air in Chiang Mai has been horrible lately. We have been ranked as the most air-polluted city in the world for the past week. It is definitely a health concern, especially when not wearing the proper mask outdoors. I have been trying to plan weekend trips to surrounding countries to be able to leave the smoke for a while but it is very hard to do on a tight budget, despite this region being a very cheap place to travel.  I am debating on what to do for this weekend coming up. Earlier in the week, I walked all around CMU and visited the lake that is in the back. It is a very beautiful area with a lot of benches and people visiting. I also walked to the Old City and went to a few markets, including a fruit and vegetable market on my way back home. One thing I have noticed is how much better I am getting at communicating in Thai. It is amazing how it is so much easier to comprehend and become comfortable with a language when you are in the native country, speaking with locals every day. Lately, I have been trying all kinds of food that I never tasted, and it has been interesting. There have only been a handful of food that I disliked and beside them, I have enjoyed all of the food here. Time is moving so fast now, I can't believe it is soon going to be April! There is still so much that I want to do and I can't wait to experience more.