Door

This beautiful door leads in to our favourite Indian Restaurant. 

Well the last few days have been terrible weather wise.  Very hot and very polluted with readings of 210 nanno particles, should be around 10.   Chiang Mai was dubiously awarded first place on the pollution table, beating India and China. It meant that the sky was hazy with hot temperatures.  We are all coughing and sneezing.   We haven't been able to swim as you soon get breathless.  It's been really awful. It feels like you have bad hay fever or a bad cold.   Last year was fine so this has come as a shock to us.   The problem is caused by farmers in near by areas burning off their rice and corn stubble.  Chiang Mai sits in a basin surrounded by mountains and errant farmers.   Rain is forcaste for tonight and tomorrow,  I hope they are right as it will clear the air.

We have also had to renew our Visas.  We thought it would be simple.  We should have known better.  Apparently when you leave Thailand you are supposed to get a slip of paper called a TM30.  Nobody, not even Immigration tells you about this, consequently we had to go to a Visa agent who has helped us to sort it all out.  We did have to pay a fine to immigration.   Yesterday we finally received our new visas.  The agent will also go and do our 90 day reporting for us.  It is costing us about $80 each, but it is worth it.