Our Humble Abode

So we've been in country for almost a month now (Seems more like a week) and we've been in Chiang Rai for approximately 3 weeks. Since we're pretty much all settled into our new apartment, I figured I'd give a glimpse into our home here.

One of our friends had just extended her teaching contract for another semester when we arrived. This is the 2nd time she's extended her contract (much to the dismay of her mother). She really loves it here and she's the one who suggested an apartment not too far from Jody's school. It was very helpful information for us because we really didn't know where to begin with the house hunt. Surprisingly, the internet isn't the valuable resource it is in the states. Almost no-one has an online presence, and if they do, it's very outdated. So, we couldn't easily browse around and find a place on our own. We went to check out a recommended place a couple days after we first arrived. We didn't really know what we had in mind or what to expect although I needed a good internet connection and air-conditioning was a definite plus. After viewing the apartment, we knew our search had ended. This place was perfect for us.

Our Digs

Greeting us was the nicest Thai woman (the landlord) and she definitely gave us a great first impression. The apartment building is a little over half a mile South from Jody's school. She gets to work in 5 minutes on her bicycle. Located right off the main street where the Saturday Night market is, a little alley leads you past a nice hotel and some local houses to the apartment. It's a white 4 floor building with parking in the bottom.  It's one of the taller structures around which gives us quite the view from our 4th floor flat. I'd probably guess around 50 people live in the complex overall.

View from entrance

There is no elevator so we've had to get used to walking up 3 flights of stairs. (It's a good thing since we don't exercise nearly as much as we did back home anyways). They do have two washers on the ground level for clothes (although we need to air-dry). The interior is basic but includes everything we need. Not a huge place but big enough for us. Apparently, there aren't many 1 bedroom or 2 bedroom apartments in the city. Most units around are traditional Thai studios without A/C and without western accommodations. Chiang Rai isn't developed yet to the level that Chiang Mai or Bangkok is. I'll talk more about the city on a future blog post. A huge king-size bed greets you as you enter the apartment and a nice dresser against the wall as well. The place also came with a western refrigerator. The air conditioning unit is right above the bed and it really makes it comfortable (since hot air rises and all). I'd call it a studio and a half. Not quite a standard studio because we have a little niche where we've put our two big purchases:  1) fold out couch and 2) a dining table. So, we technically have a second bed for those who need a place to crash ;) We do also have great, reliable WIFI which was a big concern of mine.

Our "Dining Room/Living Room/2nd Bedroom"

The bathroom is fairly standard. Thankfully, it has a western-style toilet (no squatting for us) and toilet paper. We also have a water heater so we can take hot showers.

I think the thing that really sold it for me was the view. We have a little balcony overlooking the lush hills of Northern Thailand. It's very beautiful during the sunsets and you really see a long ways.

Evening from the balcony

How much per month for such a place you ask? The rent is 4000 baht (About $120). With added utilities it's about $140 overall. Definitely affordable by our standards. Now that we've been here for a few weeks, it's really starting to feel like home. We're excited to be grounded in Thailand and really look forward to our life here.

Beautiful view from our balcony of a nearby temple