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Lanna seemed like another, very different world. The people had different, more gentle customs��� they ate a different sort of food, with flavors that hinted of Burmese and Laos influences. Their festivals���were celebrated in a distinctive way, with an added zest that made them memorable. They spoke a different language���Even the weather was different. Isolated and resistant to change, Chiang Mai was accessible, well into the twentieth century, only by elephant ride or long, arduous boat journey. Today, its international airport handles dozens of daily flights from Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and domestic cities throughout Thailand. Known as ���The Rose of the North,��� Chiang Mai possesses a temperate climate throughout most of the year and its lush greenery and stunning mountain views provide a tranquil reprieve from the steaming weather and frenetic pace of Bangkok, barely an hour away by air. The official population of the city is only 200,000, including nearly 30,000 foreigners, but rapid expansion has increased the actual population to nearly one million, making Chiang Mai Thailand���s second largest city. Chiang Mai���s ancient center is bordered by crumbling brick walls, surrounded by moats nearly 700 years old and adorned with hundreds of magnificent temples, adorned with sweeping, up-turned roofs, mirror glass mosaics, intricate teak lattice work and hundreds of HYLAND