Sunday, 29 July 2018
Thailand - The streets of Bangkok
We
went on an eleven day tour of Thailand in November, 2017. I didn't have
time to blog about it until just now - please join me on this trip to
this exotic country where people are gentle and courteous and the
temples and palaces ornate and over the top.
Our first stop was Bangkok, the capital. We arrived a couple of days before the tour so we could explore the city. We've heard how bad traffic was in the city, aggravated by the year long mourning period for the death of the king. We booked a local guide with Your Thai Guide, to take us out for the day - she took us to the places we wanted to see taking local transportation like the locals do. It was a great experience allowing us to mingle with the locals on buses, skytrain and boats; we walked the streets, took tuk tuks and taxis - whichever was the quickest way to get us to our destination.
We went from the modern streets with its skyscrapers to the old part of town with its maze of narrow side streets and back alleys where the street food reminded me of Vietnamese cities. There was also that quaint mix of old and new that manifested itself in buildings, boats and even shrines. Thai people are very religious - there are shrines and worshippers in every street corner. The king was treated almost like a god and signs of tribute were still everywhere a year after his death. The cremation was the week before our arrival and there were immense crowds and long lineups to pay tribute to his ashes.
At the end of the day our guide Nina found us a multi-storied bar where we can enjoy the sunset over the beautiful Temple of Dawn (Wat Arun) over a refreshing drink. Finding a spot to have a break was not easy as many of the places by the waterfront were already booked for dinners to celebrate Loy Krathong, the Festival of Light, which fell on that day. We had booked a dinner cruise ourselves that evening for the same reason and Nina showed us the way to our embarkation point and even arranged for an uber ride to pick us up at the end of the cruise so we won't be at the mercy of taxi drivers that typically would rip off tourists.
(Watch out for my writeup of the special Loy Krathong dinner on the Food Blog Food Sparks)
We were thankful for our guide's help which made our day in Bangkok such a memorable one. Below are some photos of the streets as we saw it on that very long day. We visited temples and museums too, but I'm starting with the streets of Bangkok...
Practical tips:
- if you are going out at night, try to arrange ahead of time for a taxi or uber to pick you up rather than just hailing one off the curb. Taxi drivers sometimes charge exorbitant fares if there is a special event going on.
- hire a local guide to take you around if you don't have very much time and a lot of places you want to see. Traffic is really bad in the city and the guides know how to get you around.
It
was interesting to see the monks, whom I have always regarded as apart
from this world, going about their daily lives like us mere mortals...
Our first stop was Bangkok, the capital. We arrived a couple of days before the tour so we could explore the city. We've heard how bad traffic was in the city, aggravated by the year long mourning period for the death of the king. We booked a local guide with Your Thai Guide, to take us out for the day - she took us to the places we wanted to see taking local transportation like the locals do. It was a great experience allowing us to mingle with the locals on buses, skytrain and boats; we walked the streets, took tuk tuks and taxis - whichever was the quickest way to get us to our destination.
We went from the modern streets with its skyscrapers to the old part of town with its maze of narrow side streets and back alleys where the street food reminded me of Vietnamese cities. There was also that quaint mix of old and new that manifested itself in buildings, boats and even shrines. Thai people are very religious - there are shrines and worshippers in every street corner. The king was treated almost like a god and signs of tribute were still everywhere a year after his death. The cremation was the week before our arrival and there were immense crowds and long lineups to pay tribute to his ashes.
At the end of the day our guide Nina found us a multi-storied bar where we can enjoy the sunset over the beautiful Temple of Dawn (Wat Arun) over a refreshing drink. Finding a spot to have a break was not easy as many of the places by the waterfront were already booked for dinners to celebrate Loy Krathong, the Festival of Light, which fell on that day. We had booked a dinner cruise ourselves that evening for the same reason and Nina showed us the way to our embarkation point and even arranged for an uber ride to pick us up at the end of the cruise so we won't be at the mercy of taxi drivers that typically would rip off tourists.
(Watch out for my writeup of the special Loy Krathong dinner on the Food Blog Food Sparks)
We were thankful for our guide's help which made our day in Bangkok such a memorable one. Below are some photos of the streets as we saw it on that very long day. We visited temples and museums too, but I'm starting with the streets of Bangkok...
Practical tips:
- if you are going out at night, try to arrange ahead of time for a taxi or uber to pick you up rather than just hailing one off the curb. Taxi drivers sometimes charge exorbitant fares if there is a special event going on.
- hire a local guide to take you around if you don't have very much time and a lot of places you want to see. Traffic is really bad in the city and the guides know how to get you around.
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| Floating flower baskets with candles for Loy Krathong (Festival of Lights that fell on the full moon in November) - these are ready to be purchased for the evening celebration where candles are lit and the baskets put in the water together with wishes. |
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| Some of the baskets were prepared right at the roadside stall |
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| The whole family helped out with making the baskets |
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| School children learned to make them at school - great mentoring opportunities too |
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| And even Barbie had her own ice cream cone float! |
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| Or it can be a very simple wax candle... |
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| Devout worshippers at the Erawan Shrine in downtown Bangkok |
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| Traditional dance performers at the shrine |
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| A modern shrine at the corner of a modern building |
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| But it could be right in the middle of a parking lot too... |
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| An old fashioned dock in front of glass and steel |
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| A motorized high speed boat but with traditional decor |
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| Here's an old barge with a stove probably used to transport a street hawker and his equipment |
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| A consultation session at the temple - cash donations happily accepted |
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| He's only human - cash transfers from the big bin to the one beside him |
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| Taking a break - it's a hot day! |
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| Taking a shortcut through the back alleys |
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| Some back alleys are fancier than others |
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| This is the usual lineup at a traffic light - see how many lanes of traffic there are! |
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| The king's portrait lined the main boulevard |
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| From the back of a tuk tuk |
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| A modern Sky train system |
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| One of my surprise portrait encounters - I didn't realize there are so many Muslims in Thailand |
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| Yummy street food |
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| Look at those giant lobster claws! |
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| Street food night market |
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| Our dinner cruise embarked from a glitzy mall - River City |
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| An elaborately embroidered wall carpet in one of the mall shops |
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| Beautiful orchids at the Flower Market |
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| The Loy Krathong table on the dinner cruise |
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| The Rama VIII bridge lit up at night |
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| The beautiful sunset over the Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn) |
Monday, 30 July 2018
Bangkok - Temples & Palaces
We also visited a temple not on the regular tour list, Loha Prasat (Metal Castle). We were there in late afternoon just as the sun hit the gold on the building. It was particularly striking...and there were no crowds.
I enjoyed the gigantic Reclining Buddha - it was pretty awesome and worth the lineup, which moved along fairly quickly even with people making stops for selfies, although frankly it's an impossible task - far easier to get someone to take a photo for you.
The Grand Palace was too grand for words but too crowded to be truly enjoyable - it was almost terrifyingly crowded, an experience I would hesitate to recommend no matter how grand the buildings. The National Museum which we visited on our own afterwards was a quiet haven which allowed us to recover from the trauma of the palace crowds. This will be in the next post.
Practical tip:
- Apart from the required temple dress code, wear socks or have sockettes available if you don't want to walk around with bare feet on floors that the world had walked through - you will be required to take off your shoes at the temples. At the Emerald Buddha temple, it is best to have your guide watch over your shoes because of the huge crowds.
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| The central stupa at Wat Arun from different perspectives - you can walk up this stupa to different levels |
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| From the front entrance |
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| This buddha behind bars at the top of one of the stupas |
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| There were different temples with more traditional architecture at Wat Arun |
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| An emerald buddha in one of the temples - this is NOT the famous emerald buddha, which was moved from Wat Arun to the Grand Palace |
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| Rows of buddhas in long galleries - we would find this is a repeated theme at many temples |
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| Over the top trimmings! |
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| The beginning of the 344 steps up to the "Golden Mountain" at Wat Saket |
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| This is another ornate temple not on the regular tourist route - Loha Prasat; we hit it at the golden hour, making the gold more golden than ever! |
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| The giant reclining buddha at Wat Pho - worth the short lineup to see it - it's quite spectacular |
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| This is a little over halfway... |
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| Here are the toes... |
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| Even the back of the head was something else |
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| Stupas and long galleries outside Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha) - there will be more of these at every temple we visit |
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| This is the crowd jostling to get in so they can walk in front of the Emerald Buddha, below - you can decide whether it's worth it... |
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| There are six pairs of these demons guarding the Emerald Buddha |
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| One of several temples on the Grand Palace grounds - this one actually had space for you to sit and pray! |
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| This one with porcelain tiles reminded me of Wat Arun |
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| This gold stupa is supposed to contain the relics of Buddha |
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| The Buddhist Library built in 1789 - door panels are inlaid with mother of pearl. |
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| Model of Angkor Wat, the Khmer temple in Cambodia - the King had this built so his subjects can see what the Khmer ruins looked like. |
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| Statue of Cheewok Komaraphat - patron of Thai medicine and a doctor of the Lord Buddha |
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| There are Chinese statues scattered throughout the palace grounds - these were used as ballasts when the Thai people were trading with China |
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| One of many side gardens in the Grand Palace complex with Chinese statues |
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| I love the energy of these demons and monkeys holding up the gold stupa - these are important characters in the Ramakien story (Thai national epic derived from the Hindu epic Ramayana) |
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| Wat Arun at night |
Tuesday, 31 July 2018
Bangkok - Museums
The
National Museum in Bangkok, formerly an 18th century palace, is a short
walk from the Grand Palace but a quiet haven compared to the wall to
wall crowds at the palace. It is a vast complex with many buildings (14
according to the brochure) although some of them were closed for
renovations or maintenance when we visited, there were still a lot of
things to see with close to 500 different exhibits. Some of the
buildings themselves are historical monuments, including a traditional
Thai teakwood house (The Red House).
I am showcasing some of my favourites among the exhibits in the photos below plus a few of the elaborate buildings on the property. We enjoyed the museum very much and spent a couple of hours there. When we decided to return to our hotel, we hailed a cab off the street and was charged an unreasonably high fare for what must have been a 15 minute journey - because we were in close proximity to the king's crematorium lineups, the cab driver took advantage and we made the mistake of not negotiating a fare before we got in. He claimed that he doesn't use the metre on weekends! Lesson learned.
We also visited the Royal Barge National Museum on our first day in Bangkok but there was a flash flood leading to flooding at the museum - the one photo I took was from the outside. We visited instead a vast storage facility where some of the festival barges were housed.
One museum I wish I had time to visit is the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles inside the Grand Palace. We didn't have time to visit when we were there but it would have been a worthwhile trip looking at beautiful Thai textiles. Another time...
Next post: Summer Palace and Ayutthaya
I am showcasing some of my favourites among the exhibits in the photos below plus a few of the elaborate buildings on the property. We enjoyed the museum very much and spent a couple of hours there. When we decided to return to our hotel, we hailed a cab off the street and was charged an unreasonably high fare for what must have been a 15 minute journey - because we were in close proximity to the king's crematorium lineups, the cab driver took advantage and we made the mistake of not negotiating a fare before we got in. He claimed that he doesn't use the metre on weekends! Lesson learned.
We also visited the Royal Barge National Museum on our first day in Bangkok but there was a flash flood leading to flooding at the museum - the one photo I took was from the outside. We visited instead a vast storage facility where some of the festival barges were housed.
One museum I wish I had time to visit is the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles inside the Grand Palace. We didn't have time to visit when we were there but it would have been a worthwhile trip looking at beautiful Thai textiles. Another time...
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| My favourite piece in the National Museum - I love the expression on this buddha with the broken head - it gave me an immense feeling of peace and serenity. (13th century bronze from Ayutthaya) |
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| The main museum gallery |
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| Relief of Bodhi Tree from the 15th century |
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| Thai female musicians excavated from a stupa, 7th century |
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| Dharmachakra Buddhist Wheel of Law |
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| An antique teak litter |
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| Mother of pearl inlaid cabinet |
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| Entrance to the Buddhaisawan Chapel, guarded by demons (below) |
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| Phra Buddha Sihing, the second holiest image after the Emerald Buddha in Thailand is housed in the Buddhaisawan Chapel with its red coffered ceiling. It is supposed to bring its owner good luck. King Rama I brought it back from Chiangmai and housed it in his private chapel. It is still taken out to the streets at New Year's for Thai people to sprinkle water on it as a merit-making gesture (Scrumpdillyicious blog) |
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| Red Pavilion from the old palace on the Museum grounds |
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| The ceiling of the Pavilion |
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| The Red House - red teak house in the traditional Thai style |
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| Gable of a second pavilion on the Museum grounds |
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| Lacquered entrance to an exhibit hall that was part of an old palace building (part of National Museum) |
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| Lacquered shutters |
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| Royal ceremonial chariots used exclusively for funerals housed in a separate building inside the National Museum complex |
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| Royal Barge Museum |
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| Flooded museum grounds |
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| Barge garage |
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| Decorated barge, one of many in the storage building |
Thursday, 2 August 2018
From the Summer Palace to Ayutthaya, the historical capital
From the modern capital Bangkok, we moved on to Ayutthaya, the historical capital, a UNESCO site. Founded
in 1350, Ayutthaya was the largest city in Asia in its heyday and an
important trading hub. But it was burnt to the ground when the Burmese
invaded in 1767. We could still see the remnants of the devastation in
the ruins today.
On the way to Ayutthaya, we stopped at the Summer Palace, a quiet place in the countryside - a relief after the hustle bustle of Bangkok. The Palace buildings were a mix of Thai, European and Chinese styles. When we entered the Palace rooms where the King held audiences, women were required to put on sarongs over their pants. Beautiful Thai silk sarongs were provided, so it was a nice opportunity to try one on. The quiet grounds were certainly a nice break.
It was a nice surprise to see some storks flew over us. It turned out that nearby was the winter nesting ground for Asian Openbills migrating from the north. I also caught sight of a Common Myna bird - my second sighting, the first one at the Grand Palace in Bangkok - obviously not so common afterall, a royal bird frequenting royal palaces...;-)
The Chinese building, under renovation, was very elaborate. Apparently, it was gifted to the new king by Chinese merchants in Thailand. We had access to the main hall with its Chinese style decor but were not allowed to take photos of the private interior rooms. It was only when we climbed the tower outside that we saw how elaborate the structure was.
The first temple we visited in Ayutthaya was the Wat Mahathat known for its Buddha head wrapped around by the roots of a tree - a weird sight but nevertheless considered sacred and visitors were asked to kneel when taking photos. It was an old temple from the 14th century located in the centre of old Ayutthaya. There were many rows of headless buddhas sitting alongside the walls - it was obvious the place had gone through fire and plundering.
We then visited the Wat Chaiwatthanaram, a large temple complex outside the historic Ayutthaya city. It was built in 1630 in the Khmer style, that was why it reminded me of the Pre Rup brick ruins at Angkor Wat, built in a similar style. We arrived in late afternoon, time enough for photos and for us to catch the glow from the setting sun even though it was hidden behind clouds. The ruins were magical in the twilight.
On the way to Ayutthaya, we stopped at the Summer Palace, a quiet place in the countryside - a relief after the hustle bustle of Bangkok. The Palace buildings were a mix of Thai, European and Chinese styles. When we entered the Palace rooms where the King held audiences, women were required to put on sarongs over their pants. Beautiful Thai silk sarongs were provided, so it was a nice opportunity to try one on. The quiet grounds were certainly a nice break.
It was a nice surprise to see some storks flew over us. It turned out that nearby was the winter nesting ground for Asian Openbills migrating from the north. I also caught sight of a Common Myna bird - my second sighting, the first one at the Grand Palace in Bangkok - obviously not so common afterall, a royal bird frequenting royal palaces...;-)
The Chinese building, under renovation, was very elaborate. Apparently, it was gifted to the new king by Chinese merchants in Thailand. We had access to the main hall with its Chinese style decor but were not allowed to take photos of the private interior rooms. It was only when we climbed the tower outside that we saw how elaborate the structure was.
The first temple we visited in Ayutthaya was the Wat Mahathat known for its Buddha head wrapped around by the roots of a tree - a weird sight but nevertheless considered sacred and visitors were asked to kneel when taking photos. It was an old temple from the 14th century located in the centre of old Ayutthaya. There were many rows of headless buddhas sitting alongside the walls - it was obvious the place had gone through fire and plundering.
We then visited the Wat Chaiwatthanaram, a large temple complex outside the historic Ayutthaya city. It was built in 1630 in the Khmer style, that was why it reminded me of the Pre Rup brick ruins at Angkor Wat, built in a similar style. We arrived in late afternoon, time enough for photos and for us to catch the glow from the setting sun even though it was hidden behind clouds. The ruins were magical in the twilight.
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| The Summer Palace with its many reflecting pools - and no crowds... |
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| Asian Openbill (stork) |
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| Common Myna |
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| Outside the Chinese complex |
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| The main reception hall in the Chinese style building |
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| The Chinese building seen from the tower |
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| There were many such waterways, this one gated. It looked like the Summer Palace is accessible by barge - the main building had steps right down to the water (see below). |
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| A Thai squirrel! |
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| Buddha head at Wat Mahathat |
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| The temple complex at Wat Mahathat |
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| Row upon rows of headless buddhas, bricks burnt and plundered |
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| It looked like this buddha was put back together |
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| Wat Chaiwatthanaram - Khmer style, built on a platform with Mount Meru in the centre |
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| The wall surrounding the central platform had 120 sitting buddhas on it. Each of these chedil-ike chapels have two buddhas inside with wood ceiling and lacquered capitals. |
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| The Temple's Ordination Hall, close to the river and facing west. The two chedis (north and south), each with 12 indented corners, were where the king's mother's ashes were laid. (Wikipaedia) |
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| Magical in the blue hour... |
Saturday, 4 August 2018
Sukhothai - "Dawn of Happiness"
Sukhothai
is for me, one of the most beautiful ruins I've come across in
Southeast Asia. There is something about the place, maybe it's even the
lovely expressions on the buddhas' faces - everyone of them seemed to be
smiling. They gave the ruins personality. There must be a good reason
why it is named Sukhothai - "Dawn of Happiness".
The historical park is quite big, consisting of the ruins of the ancient city of Sukhothai from the 13th and 14th centuries. In the complex there were the remains of the royal palace and twenty-three temples. A shuttle took us to the different parts of the park where we spent the whole afternoon visiting the main temples, the biggest of which is Wat Mahathat, also the most beautiful, in my opinion.
On the road to Sukhothai we visited what looked like a theme park with a huge buddha dominating the landscape. There was a local market there and I found some delicious local longan fruit. I also encountered for the first time some red-faced muscovy ducks and some other local ducks and a pair of doves that I have yet to find the names for.
After visiting the historical park, we spent the night at a lovely renovated hotel that reminded me of a hacienda. There were exquisite lotus in the pond and orchids all around the corridors. The historical park had some lotus too but because it was late in the day, they were all closed up. I was lucky to see the ones at the hotel opened up in the morning.
Before we left Sukhothai in the morning, we visited a local school and spent some time with the young students. The rural school had no computers that we could see - our group donated some money to help out.
The landscape was changing as we drove into the northern highlands - mountains! We're moving on to our next stop, Chiang Rai.
The historical park is quite big, consisting of the ruins of the ancient city of Sukhothai from the 13th and 14th centuries. In the complex there were the remains of the royal palace and twenty-three temples. A shuttle took us to the different parts of the park where we spent the whole afternoon visiting the main temples, the biggest of which is Wat Mahathat, also the most beautiful, in my opinion.
On the road to Sukhothai we visited what looked like a theme park with a huge buddha dominating the landscape. There was a local market there and I found some delicious local longan fruit. I also encountered for the first time some red-faced muscovy ducks and some other local ducks and a pair of doves that I have yet to find the names for.
After visiting the historical park, we spent the night at a lovely renovated hotel that reminded me of a hacienda. There were exquisite lotus in the pond and orchids all around the corridors. The historical park had some lotus too but because it was late in the day, they were all closed up. I was lucky to see the ones at the hotel opened up in the morning.
Before we left Sukhothai in the morning, we visited a local school and spent some time with the young students. The rural school had no computers that we could see - our group donated some money to help out.
The landscape was changing as we drove into the northern highlands - mountains! We're moving on to our next stop, Chiang Rai.
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| Wat Mahathat and its buddha from different sides. The main stupa is in the graceful shape of a lotus flower - Lanna style. |
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| This is my favourite view - we don't see the back view of the buddhas very often as they usually have something behind them. I was surprised to see this beautiful backview. |
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| Main complex at Wat Mahathat |
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| Ancient tree among the ruins |
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| Standing Buddha image on each side of the main stupa |
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| At the base of the main stupa are 168 stuccoed sculptings of buddhist disciples walking with their hands clasped together in salutation |
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| One of many smiling buddhas |
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| Wat Si Sawai - one of the oldest temples founded in late 12th century with three well-preserved prangs, representing the Hindu trinity. |
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| Detail on the prangs |
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| Wat Sa Si right on the lake with a beautiful Lanka styled stupa |
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| The lake in the historical park with its own krathong for celebrating Loy Krathong, which actually originated from Sukhothai as the first capital of the country |
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| Wat Sorasak with another Lanka style stupa |
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| Sunset in Sukhothai |
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| Lotus in the pond at our hotel |
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| Orchids in abundance on the ground |
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| Lovely arrangement in a pot |
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| Giant Buddha near the local market |
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| Large, fresh and sweet longan fruit at the market |
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| Red-faced muscovy duck |
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| Ducks with an unusual pattern |
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| Pair of doves |
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| Monkeys on the road to Sukhothai |
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| First view of mountains
Next post: Chiang Rai
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Labels:
Krathong,
Lanka style stupa,
lotus,
monkeys,
prangs,
red-faced muscovy duck,
Wat Mahathat,
Wat Sa Si,
Wat Si Sawait,
Wat Sorasak
After we left Sukhothai, we drove through the northern highlands on winding roads to get to Chiang Rai. Just before Chiang Rai, we stopped at the white temple Wat Rong Khun for photos. It was a stunning artistic creation although a bit of a theme park, with the vibes more of an art installation than a place of worship. With that in mind, you would not be surprised to see popular cult figures popping up throughout the temple.
It seems that the Golden Triangle is a big part of tourism in Chiang Rai although I'm sure there are a lot more to the place if we could stay a bit longer. As it was, we spent the whole of the following day at the Golden Triangle. In the morning, we headed straight for the border town of Mae Sai where we waited at a hotel for our guide to process our papers so we could cross the border to the Myanmar side. The process was a little sketchy - our guide just took our passports and our fees and came back half an hour later to take us across the border. The border officers just let us through as a group as we passed the gate.
In Tachileik, the border town on the Myanmar side, we boarded a convoy of tuk tuks, the busload of us. Some of the drivers were a little aggressive and were trying to pass each other. I had to speak to the guide as I felt this to be unsafe and the last thing we would want was an accident in Myanmar. It was a good thing they behaved themselves after this episode.
We visited the Tachileik Shwedagon Pagoda with the golden dome, a replica of the one at the Yangon Shwedagon Pagoda, the most sacred Buddhist pagoda in Myanmar. We went through some ritual that was supposed to bring good fortune during the visit to the pagoda. It was all very touristy. Our next stop was a nunnery where we enjoyed some chanting by a group of young novices. They have interesting expressions on their faces, making me wonder what they were thinking of as they performed for tourists - what kind of options they had apart from life at the nunnery. It made me sad looking at these young faces.
It was a day of adventure in transportation. After the tuk tuks, we returned to Thailand and rode on open farm trucks to a farm for a delicious lunch of grilled fish and chicken. The interesting first for us was seeing actual grains of rice on a rice plant growing in the fields.
We then took a boat cruise to a border town in Laos - the only thing there were tourist shops and the most interesting merchandise were bottles of wine with snakes in them, with guaranteed medicinal properties...;-) We got back to the Thai side where we visited the House of Opium, a museum on the history of opium. It was a long day.
Next post: Hill tribes in Chiang Rai
Sunday, 5 August 2018
Chiang Rai and beyond (The Golden Triangle)
After we left Sukhothai, we drove through the northern highlands on winding roads to get to Chiang Rai. Just before Chiang Rai, we stopped at the white temple Wat Rong Khun for photos. It was a stunning artistic creation although a bit of a theme park, with the vibes more of an art installation than a place of worship. With that in mind, you would not be surprised to see popular cult figures popping up throughout the temple.
It seems that the Golden Triangle is a big part of tourism in Chiang Rai although I'm sure there are a lot more to the place if we could stay a bit longer. As it was, we spent the whole of the following day at the Golden Triangle. In the morning, we headed straight for the border town of Mae Sai where we waited at a hotel for our guide to process our papers so we could cross the border to the Myanmar side. The process was a little sketchy - our guide just took our passports and our fees and came back half an hour later to take us across the border. The border officers just let us through as a group as we passed the gate.
In Tachileik, the border town on the Myanmar side, we boarded a convoy of tuk tuks, the busload of us. Some of the drivers were a little aggressive and were trying to pass each other. I had to speak to the guide as I felt this to be unsafe and the last thing we would want was an accident in Myanmar. It was a good thing they behaved themselves after this episode.
We visited the Tachileik Shwedagon Pagoda with the golden dome, a replica of the one at the Yangon Shwedagon Pagoda, the most sacred Buddhist pagoda in Myanmar. We went through some ritual that was supposed to bring good fortune during the visit to the pagoda. It was all very touristy. Our next stop was a nunnery where we enjoyed some chanting by a group of young novices. They have interesting expressions on their faces, making me wonder what they were thinking of as they performed for tourists - what kind of options they had apart from life at the nunnery. It made me sad looking at these young faces.
It was a day of adventure in transportation. After the tuk tuks, we returned to Thailand and rode on open farm trucks to a farm for a delicious lunch of grilled fish and chicken. The interesting first for us was seeing actual grains of rice on a rice plant growing in the fields.
We then took a boat cruise to a border town in Laos - the only thing there were tourist shops and the most interesting merchandise were bottles of wine with snakes in them, with guaranteed medicinal properties...;-) We got back to the Thai side where we visited the House of Opium, a museum on the history of opium. It was a long day.
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| The White Temple (Wat Rong Khun) |
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| You have to walk through hell to get to the front entrance... |
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| The walk to the entrance flanked by dragons |
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| The grounds of the temple (it was near closing, that's why there were no crowds!) |
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| Dragon sculpture echoing the tree behind it |
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| These figures pop up here and there |
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| The Thai border with Myanmar |
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| Convoy of tuk tuks |
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| Myanmar monks wore different colours, this one has his bowl in hand |
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| Recreation of a mythical story outside the big pagoda |
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| Tachileik Shwedagon Pagoda |
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| Panorama of the town from the pagoda |
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| Myanmar woman out shopping |
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| Drivers seem very casual about what/who they carry |
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| Novices at the nunnery |
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| What were they thinking... |
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| Nun reading the scriptures |
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| A bit odd that there were what looked like Christmas trees above the altar |
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| Carved wood door to this temple |
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| The Tachileik market beside the border - colourful in the rain |
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| You can tell we were back in Thailand with the modern clothes and vehicles - family outing?? |
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| The rice fields |
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| Grains of rice dangling |
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| A machine harvester |
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| Still doing it manually |
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| Another outsized buddha |
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| Passenger boat on the Mekong |
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| A Chinese casino on the Laos side |
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| Tourist shopping centre in Laos |
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| The Golden Triangle |
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| Thailand on the left, Myanmar in front, Laos to the right |
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| House of Opium, an interesting museum |
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| A giant reclining Buddha on the way to Chiang Rai (that seems to be trendy) |
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| We had a lunch stop near here on the way to Chiang Rai - a tranquil waterfront |
Next post: Hill tribes in Chiang Rai
Labels:
Golden Triangle,
House of Opium Museum,
Myanmar,
Peace Golden Land Nunnery,
Tachileik,
Tachileik Shwedagon Pagoda,
The White Temple,
Wat Rong Khun
Chiang
Mai is very accessible - we explored the old city on foot and there
were lots to see. The most gratifying thing was discovering an old
temple on our own and also seeing the beautiful wood interior of
another. What a nice change from all the shiny gold and glitz of the
crowded new temples.
But of course, one cannot come to Chiang Mai and not visit the famous Wat Phratat Doi Suthep, the golden temple at the top of the mountain. So we joined the crowds, many of whom were as weary as we were although many also were there as devout buddhists, kneeling for their blessings. We were also taken to a well-stocked jade wholesaler strategically situated beside the famous temple. The articulate lady owner gave us an informative spiel on the precious stone, enough to sell some members of the group on it anyway.
We explored the old town afterwards and enjoyed a delicious mango dessert at a store - a refreshing break in the afternoon heat although the exquisite quiet of the old wooden temple was in fact very soothing for the soul. The moat that went all the way around the old town was very pleasant, lined with trees on both sides. It wasn't difficult to walk along it under the shade and it also served as a road sign for us guiding us back to our hotel.
The tour also took us to a huge tourist shop selling decorative umbrellas and fans - there were artisans there doing instant art for your cellphone cover or T-shirt. And they were quite amazing.
The stay in Chiang Mai ended with a delicious homemade dinner at a private home in a beautiful teak house. We were given a tour afterwards and the owner/chef even showed us his ancestral collection. It was a perfect end to a visit in a historical city (Chiang Mai was founded as the capital of the old Lan Na kingdom in 1296).
This marks the end of our Thailand trip. Thanks for coming along on the journey.
Monday, 6 August 2018
Between Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai
Just
outside of Chiang Rai, we visited the Karen Long Neck Hill tribe,
originally refugees from Myanmar now living in Thailand. The women wore
silver collars that kept their necks long. There are a lot of
controversy surrounding the use of these tribes as tourist attractions.
While we don't know who got the money from the tour company for our
visit, we did make purchases of scarves woven by these women and hope to
help them in some small measure.
On the way to Chiang Mai, we also had lunch at an Orchid Garden with a butterfly conservatory. The orchids were attractively displayed although limited in terms of variety. There were a lot of butterflies though and you can see some of them below.
We also visited an elephant sanctuary outside of Chiang Mai where we were assured the elephants were humanely treated. There were a lot of interaction with the elephants, especially in the water where some in the group washed and played with the elephants. I just took photos. :-)
Chiang Mai has a huge night market, selling everything from clothing, housewares, knickknacks, electronics to food of various kinds. Many people just ate as they walk although there were also large areas where you could sit down as in a food court. It was just bustling at night and there were miles and miles of stalls.
Next post: Chiang Mai temples
On the way to Chiang Mai, we also had lunch at an Orchid Garden with a butterfly conservatory. The orchids were attractively displayed although limited in terms of variety. There were a lot of butterflies though and you can see some of them below.
We also visited an elephant sanctuary outside of Chiang Mai where we were assured the elephants were humanely treated. There were a lot of interaction with the elephants, especially in the water where some in the group washed and played with the elephants. I just took photos. :-)
Chiang Mai has a huge night market, selling everything from clothing, housewares, knickknacks, electronics to food of various kinds. Many people just ate as they walk although there were also large areas where you could sit down as in a food court. It was just bustling at night and there were miles and miles of stalls.
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| Hill tribe village |
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| Village Houses |
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| Long neck women weaving scarves |
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| They started wearing the rings as children |
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| This one is not wearing a collar, not sure if she was from the tribe but the merchandise she was selling were certainly not done locally. |
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| View of the pineapple fields and the mountains beyond from the village |
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| An exotic looking flower |
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| The orchid garden |
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| This one had a damaged wing |
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| The elephants loved the water and were very playful while in the river |
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| Washing each other |
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| This one was very adept with the money |
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| Street food market |
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| Grilled crocodile meat |
Next post: Chiang Mai temples
Tuesday, 7 August 2018
Chiang Mai- a very walkable old town
But of course, one cannot come to Chiang Mai and not visit the famous Wat Phratat Doi Suthep, the golden temple at the top of the mountain. So we joined the crowds, many of whom were as weary as we were although many also were there as devout buddhists, kneeling for their blessings. We were also taken to a well-stocked jade wholesaler strategically situated beside the famous temple. The articulate lady owner gave us an informative spiel on the precious stone, enough to sell some members of the group on it anyway.
We explored the old town afterwards and enjoyed a delicious mango dessert at a store - a refreshing break in the afternoon heat although the exquisite quiet of the old wooden temple was in fact very soothing for the soul. The moat that went all the way around the old town was very pleasant, lined with trees on both sides. It wasn't difficult to walk along it under the shade and it also served as a road sign for us guiding us back to our hotel.
The tour also took us to a huge tourist shop selling decorative umbrellas and fans - there were artisans there doing instant art for your cellphone cover or T-shirt. And they were quite amazing.
The stay in Chiang Mai ended with a delicious homemade dinner at a private home in a beautiful teak house. We were given a tour afterwards and the owner/chef even showed us his ancestral collection. It was a perfect end to a visit in a historical city (Chiang Mai was founded as the capital of the old Lan Na kingdom in 1296).
This marks the end of our Thailand trip. Thanks for coming along on the journey.
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| The tree-lined moat of the old own |
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| Wat Suan Dorg - the first temple we visited in Chiang Mai |
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| Entrance to temple |
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| Not a lot of visitors - it was early in the day |
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| Time for consultation and a blessing with holy water |
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| Entrance to the Wat Phratat Doi Suthep |
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| Crowd waiting near the entrance |
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| Entrance to one of the many chapels |
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| Blessings inside |
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| An exquisite carved candelabra |
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| The golden dome |
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| Row of bells leading to the chapel |
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| Row of buddhas - a repeated at every temple |
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| Jade artisanal shop carving demonstration. This master carver created pieces for the king. |
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| A piece of multi-coloured jade carved into a lion |
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| View of the moat from the park just inside the old city wall |
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| This seemed to be an old wood temple no longer in use - we just happened to bump into it... |
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| Wat Phan Tao - another old wood temple built with teak from the 14th century |
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| Dark teak wood pillars on the inside of Wat Phan Tao - what a different atmosphere |
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| Wat Phan Tao on the outside |
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| This is another temple we found on our walk - much newer and busier. But note the dragons at the entrance are in the same style as the pair at the old disused temple. |
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| The entrance to the artisan shop |
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| Decorated umbrellas |
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| Phone cover decorated on the spot |
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| T-shirt decorated & signed (under an hour) |
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| The best was encountering this on the above a streetside restaurant |
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| Teak house where we had our farewell dinner |
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