Wat You Talkin’ ‘bout Willis

We didn’t have anything planned for us today and wanted to see the actual city of Chiang Mai. The old city, the original area that made up the city of Chiang Mai, is a square plot of land, smack dab in the middle, surrounded by a stone gate and moat, with the larger surrounding area encompassed by the picturesque mountains. As we drove up to it, you could picture how it looked 600-700 years ago, much like you’d picture a medieval castle and surrounding villages.

Our taxi dropped us off at Wat Chedi Luang, a giant ancient ruin that towered above. In 1411 King Saen Muang Ma ordered his workers to build a chedi “as high as a dove could fly.” During the reign of the next king, a massive earthquake knocked down about a third of the 282-foot spire, creating a superb ruin. In each of the four faces is a giant gold Buddha sitting solemnly under a Bodhi tree, with an entrance guarded by demon serpents and one of the sides had huge elephants carved into the side. Very cool.

Also on the grounds was a 30-foot reclining Buddha and several smaller chapels dedicated to a revered monk that had been part of the community. A life-like image of the dedicated monk was kept prominently within a glass case in each chapel and kinda freaks you out when you first walk in. Gotta monk in a box (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhwbxEfy7fg).

There was a little old lady selling tiny birds in cages meant to be freed on the grounds of the Wat for good luck. We purchased a small family of birds and Heather set them free - really neat thing to do.

In the main chapel, currently under construction being restored, was a huge standing Buddha with an elaborate alter filled with relics, flowers and an urn with the remains of the monk the temple had been dedicated. The monk was the chief regional monk and must have died within the last 100 days with how he was being honored. There were two workers in the back of the chapel working on one of the main pillars of the building, which we snuck up to get a closer look. The pillar was black with carvings grooved into it. The workers were applying gold leaf in tiny 1 inch by 1 inch sections that brought the black carvings alive into a gold mural.

The next chapel we saw, also on the grounds of Wat Chedi Luang, was brightly decorated for the New Year’s Celebration. Named, The Relic of Lord Buddha and Arachants the chapel was made of painted and decorated teak wood and had a beautiful alter decorated with several gold Buddha statues.

Next on our list of Wats were Wat Sumpow and Wat Phan-Ohn, which are across the street from each other (I’m betting the monk rivalry is pretty fierce and I’m sure practical jokes are boundless, like stealing each other’s mascots and Buddhas before the big homecoming game). We started at Wat Sumpow that has a pretty teak wood chapel with an alter that has three sitting gold Buddha statues sitting under a painted Bodhi tree.

Wat Phan-Ohn sat on well-kept grounds with a large gold-painted chedi in the center. Here, as well as Wat Chedi Luang, you could sit for monk chat, but we missed both opportunities. Monk Chat is an opportunity to sit with a monk and asking him questions about Buddhism, being a monk, Thai culture, etc. Next time… (there are plenty). Wat Phan-Ohn’s chapel was very cool. It had a long entrance way with great wall and ceiling paintings that led to an exquisite Buddha statue

From Wat Phan-Ohn, we walked toward Wat Chaimongkon, just outside the old city, beyond the gates and moat. It should have been only a 20 minute walk, but we managed to do it in only 2 hours. We had to stop and use the facilities at several bars/restaurants along the way, and since we felt rude, we were obliged to purchase something, usually another drink. A vicious circle, I know. The last bar on the way was owned by an American who’d lived in Thailand for 7.5 years. As he searched for his motorbike keys, we chatted with a Scotsman also living in Chiang Mai about an array of topics - the new American president, current events, Israeli/Palestinian conflict and how far a walk to Wat Chaimongkon. After a few drinks and some chips we made our way out to the temple, about 10 minutes from where we were.

We arrived to find Wat Chaimongkon mostly shut for the evening, but we were able to still explore the serene grounds, which sat on the River Mae Ping. The temple is manned by only 18 monks at a time and although rarely visited by tourists, the journey was well worth the visit… There were also restrooms there.

The chedi there contains holy relics and there any many elaborate statues of demons, gods and the Lord Buddha. There were also plenty of cats and dogs that we happened upon right at dinner time, to include a gang of adorable puppies, which of course Heather wanted to take home. I convinced her it wasn’t a good idea and we were on our way to dinner up the road at a restaurant called The Gallery.

The Gallery sits right along the river and provides for beautiful, scenic views of the city. There most famous patron was in 1996 when First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton with the Thai Prime Minister at the time. There were several pictures of the visit to be found on the walls. After a pleasant dinner, which included chicken satay for the first time in Thailand, we had one of my favorite deserts of all time - fried ice cream. The combination of fried and ice cream is one of the greatest inventions of all time, and I think the saying that refers to sliced bread should be, “the best thing since fried ice cream.”

Onward to Phuket tomorrow morning.

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