Travels with rarecat: Chiang Mai- a very walkable old town

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.

The tree-lined moat of the old own

Wat Suan Dorg - the first temple we visited in Chiang Mai

Entrance to temple

Not a lot of visitors - it was early in the day

Time for consultation and a blessing with holy water

Entrance to the Wat Phratat Doi Suthep

Crowd waiting near the entrance

Entrance to one of the many chapels

Blessings inside

An exquisite carved candelabra

The golden dome

Row of bells leading to the chapel

Row of buddhas - a repeated at every temple

Jade artisanal shop carving demonstration. This master carver created pieces for the king.

A piece of multi-coloured jade carved into a lion

View of the moat from the park just inside the old city wall

This seemed to be an old wood temple no longer in use - we just happened to bump into it...

Wat Phan Tao - another old wood temple built with teak from the 14th century

Dark teak wood pillars on the inside of Wat Phan Tao - what a different atmosphere

Wat Phan Tao on the outside

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.