Good morning, Chiang Mai! The clouds are filling the skies, bristling white with rain.

I hope your umbrella situation is better than mine--bent inside out, decorated with cartoon bears, designed for a small child.

Still, I'm staying dry on the porch at TipTop Thai House where I'm guest blogging for Noi, two weeks into my stay. It's been a bit of a shock to the system, coming from the gritty high desert around the University of New Mexico to teach English in wet, rambunctious Chiang Mai. This guesthouse has been the perfect landing place.

A quick list of what I love about this place:

Local Connection: At the top because maybe it's the most elusive thing on this list: Noi is a retired university professor who has traveled in Canada and the U.S., collects antiques, bikes avidly in the mountains, and has all manner of insider knowledge about Chiang Mai and Thai culture to impart. She has introduced me to half a dozen street food staples, given me Thai cooking tips (dilemma: what to do with a surfeit of lemongrass...lemongrass tea, duh), taught me handy Thai phrases, and is organizing a biking excursion for us in the mountains. I wanted an experience beyond the confines of the tourist or ex-pat bubble, and I found it here. At the same time, there is nothing forced about interaction. Guests can do their own thing or forge deeper connections as they please with their hosts and each other.

Life en Plein Air:  Open-air kitchen, dining, and living room! The centerpiece of the property is an antique rice barn hemmed in by gardens and tiled and furnished living areas. The boundaries of indoor/outdoor, room and garden blur in the most charming way--bohemian, antique, verdant, very Thai, but without the typical modern polish of nearby boutique hotels. I love cooking on the outdoor stove, washing my dishes in the outdoor sink against a backdrop of vines and flowers, drinking my coffee to bird song and dripping plants. And then I can retreat to the comfort of my air conditioned room (also furnished with antiques) when I'm maxed out by the heat.

Bird's Nest Cafe next door

Location: If you've spent any time in Chiang Mai, you know the dramatic difference between the feel of main road versus a quiet soi (side lane). Noise pollution and traffic mayhem is a bit of an issue in Chiang Mai, but the city retains its charm from its string of temple oases and serene sois like Singarat Soi 3 where TipTop is located. Laundry service and bike rental are directly across the street, corner store nearby, The Bird's Nest and Fern Forest Cafe just a hop, skip and a jump... a dozen cheap 30-60 baht eats (1-2 US dollars), within a 5 minute walk. And of course you are within the old city walls so the main tourist sights--Wat Phra Singh, Wat Chedi Luang, etc. Wat Phan Tao-- are easily accessible.

Earth Friendly Practices: Recycling, composting, gray water channeling...TipTop Thai House does all of these things.

Thank you Noi, Dang, Pilin and family for designing this wonderful space and gracing it with your hospitality!

--Gail G
Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States