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Thailand

Chiang Mai

Saturday - 23 Apr 2005
Chiang Mai - Thailand


Monks at Wat Phra That Doi Suthep

We made it back from Pai on Sunday in time for the famous Sunday Market. We were told that all of Chiang Mai came out for it and it was a spectacle indeed. There must have been over a thousand stalls selling beautifully displayed goods from all over Thailand and Laos. It certainly looked like all of Chiang Mai was out enjoying themselves. We walked for hours and don't think that we saw half of it. We finally settled for a foot massage and turned in for the night (yes, we bought lots of great stuff!).

Chiang Mai has over 300 temples - almost as many as Bangkok, a city 4 times its size! We spent the rest of the week visiting temples, galleries and markets.




Buddha images at Wat Phra Singh

While visiting the 14th century Wat Phra Singh, we were approached by a group of Chiang Mai University students who wanted to interview us for one of their school projects, and practice their English. We happily obliged and shared views on how our respective societies dealt with various social issues.



Wat Chedi Luang

Wat Chedi Luang is also a 14th century temple that was 90 meters high until partly destroyed in an earthquake in 1545 - it has presently been restored to a height of 60 meters.

Wat Chedi Luang is also important because for a short time it housed the the Emerald Buddha which is now in its own temple in Bangkok. A few years ago the king donated a replica to be placed in the eastern niche of the chedi.

At Wat Chedi Luang, we talked with a group of monks about Buddhism and life as a monk. Most Thai Buddhist men become monks for about 3 weeks, usually before they get married. One of the monks that we were chatting with, in his early 30's, has been a monk for over half of his life.




Wat Chiang Man

Wat Chiang Man is the oldest temple in Chiang Mai. It was supposedly built by the founder of the city 700 years ago, King Mengrai. We arrived about an hour before sunset and caught this reflection while watching a group of boys playing pick-up soccer on the grounds.

The pictured roof shows a naga dragon which is typical of Northern Thai architecture.




Horse and Jockey after a morning workout

From the roof of the Tribal Museum we saw this horse and jockey going for a swim after their morning workout.

At the Tribal Museum, we saw excellent displays on the lifestyles of the many tribes that live in the hills of Northern Thailand. Northern Thailand is known for it's opium poppy crops. This museum exhibited how these poppies are grown and harvested, as well as efforts led by the King of Thailand to replace opium poppies with other cash crops.




Young Akha Girl

This young Akha girl is dressed in traditional clothing worn by her tribe.


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