Chiang Mai, North Thailand October 29-November 2, 2008 Part 1

We checked into the very new and totally empty Shangri-La Hotel upon our arrival in Chiang Mai, and after some lunch, we hired our taxi driver to take us to various Wats in town, three within the old city walls and one further west. We were struck by the peace and quiet of them all, the intricate Buddha statues which were all very different, the beautiful and intricate carvings inside and outside the walls, and the monks in their orange (youth) and brown (elders) robes, some at worship, others taking instruction. At several temples, the public is invited to join "Monk Chat", which enables the monks to practice their English or other foreign languages and to expose them to the outside world. When Jen and Ben visited in 2007, they spoke with a young monk who expressed amazement that Jen was studying to become an Anglican priest, "Can?" he asked increduously! Below are some pictures of the various Wats we visited in our first afternoon.


















Buddha statue
Wat Chiang
Man











Description
of two
famous
Buddhas
within this
Wat













Intricate
artwork
on temple
wall












Part of
the temple










Wat Chedi
Luang evokes
memories
of Angkor
Wat in
Cambodia







Begun A.D.
1441, now in
partial ruins













Wat Phra
Singh
A.D. 1345,
in classic
Lanna style
(Northern
Thailand)














Small
jade
Buddha














Reclining
Buddha


















Thai
toilet
etiquette









West of
the old
city is
Wat Suan
Dok with
many
Lanna
stupas







Begun
A.D. 1373,
rebuilt
1932
















Bells are
rung by
worshippers








First dinner
at Osteria
Wald, great
Italian
Bistro next
to our hotel-
delicious
tiramisu!





After an afternoon in the hot sun wandering around the different Wats, we returned to our hotel to work out and swim before happy hour in the 11th floor lounge. The hotel is so empty it is almost spooky! It is brand new and the staff are so friendly, we feel sorry for them as they must be very bored with no tourists at the end of the rainy season. At the Italian restaurant after dinner, we met two American men now living in town who recommended personal friends of theirs who offer guided tours. We have hired one for Saturday, our last day inChiang Mai.

Jumpa lagi...