I call this my 'Wats and Flowers' stage
Trip Start
Jun 11, 2008
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51
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Trip End
Aug 07, 2008
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Chiang Mai,
Thailand
Monday, July 28, 2008
Soooo today I made it my business to see some of the things one ought to see in Chiang Mai. I went to Wat Chiang Man, the oldest wat in the city, built before 1300. I went to Wat Phra Singh, home to the city's most revered Buddha image (that allegedly wound up there while it was being carried somewhere else, and then the caravan broke down, so they just decided to leave the Buddha there). I went to Wat Umongmahatherachan, because it looked little and lonely as I was walking by. I visited it for the same reason people buy the scrawniest Christmas tree they see. I even went to a Chinese temple sort of on accident, when I was wandering and had time to kill before I was hungry for dinner.
I tried my hardest to go to Wat Doi Suthep, the major temple on the hill 8 km outside of the city. I learned where I had to go to catch the red mini bus. I found the spot. I waited. One came, but then it wasn't going to go all the way there until we had 10 people... or I could pay the whole transporation myself, he offered? Funny. No, thanks. No one else ever came. I quit, for now. I went on my own tour of the different temples I wanted to see within walking distance, and a few times I did see the red mini buses, but they never had enough people and they were never free when I was free either. Doi Suthep is my goal for either tomorrow morning, or, more likely, after my meditation retreat, when I have one more day in Chiang Mai before Bangkok.
I leave tomorrow for a 3 day meditation retreat. The website is here: http://www.monkchat.net/?name=workshop and it includes pictures of previous retreats and a schedule of our rigorous days. I have no idea what to expect from it!
Comments
Photos
Katie- Love your photos.The flowers are beautiful and the elephant topiaries are quite impressive. Good luck on your meditation retreat...Love, Mom