A TripAdvisor™ TripWow slideshow of a travel blog to Chiang Mai, Thailand by TravelPod blogger Jkirby titled "Chiang Mai" Jkirby’s travel blog entry: "My favorite place in Chiang Mai: Pinte Blues Bar. A simple, small bar that has three things: beer, espresso, and a huge collection of fine blues and related music. I could just sit there for weeks and listen to the guy's entire collection and stare at his hall of famers on the wall. That said, I was glad I stayed out of the bars on Saturday night. An Australian ex-pat living here for the last 30 years shot an American who he was out drinking with, allegedly. See the story. Chiang Mai has a lot to offer. There are loads of temples--close to 300 I read--to look at and there's plenty of therapeutic things to do like yoga, massage, and cooking classes. I came because it's up in the mountains and I heard it was cooler and different than the south. Unfortunately right now is the dry, hot season and so all of the north (that I saw) is hazy--full of smoke due to the burning that goes on in the forests this time of year for agriculture. That means the views from the top of Doi Inthanon and Doi Suthep are non-existant and sort of nullified my reason for coming. Oh well...there's a reason to come back. What I did do that I really enjoyed (other than sit at Pinte Blues Bar) was make a trip out to the Thai Elephant Center on Sunday. If I was feeling richer I could've signed up for a 1, 2, or 3 day course to train as an elephant mahout ...