Getting Lucky

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Got to Chaing Mai today, just in time because resort living was going to ruin me for the hostel circuit. But my guesthouse does have a pool! It is freakin' hot here.

I wondered around the area near my guesthouse yesterday afternoon and stumbled on a multi-block street market that goes on every Sunday. In my wonderings, I also saw two temples (of course, I am a temple junkie). The first was Wat Phan Tao. The bot is made of teak and stupas (conical towes where relics are enshrined) built of sand and bamboo. Outside was a woman selling little birds. The idea is you free the birds and get good luck. I passed at first but felt guilty about keeping the cute birds imprisoned so for about 50 cents I freed two. I probably just contributed to the exploitation of cruel little bird mills. I don't believe in doing things for good luck but I recently read a quote from some Noble winning scientist explaining why he kept a horseshoe in his lab if he didn't believe in it. He said that he was told that it would bring him good luck whether or not he belived in it. It sounded good to me and I got to be a bird liberator.

The next temple was Wat Chedi Luang. It is basically a huge, partially destroyed stupa, apparently it was unlucky and struck by lighting. It was still quite impressive though. There were huge stone dragons guarding the stairways (that you couldn't climb up) and elephants carved out stone at one of the levels although only about six remained. One of the ways to give an offering was to pour water into a small bucket attached to a pulley system. The bucket is then moved by pulling on a rope to the top of the stupa. Once at the top another rope is pulled and the water dumps onto the stupa. One of the weird things I saw were two little boys ringing the bells (for luck) around the wat while carrying plastic pistols. I thought it was a nice contrast. I tried to get a picture but it didn't turn out. On the way out there were signs for "Monk Chat" where you can stop in an discuss whatever you want about Buddhism, Monk's Life, or Thailand with a monk. Apparently it is so the monks can practice their english.

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Photos

A Sand stupa at Wat Phan Tao
Not sure why this is built of sand instead of sturdier material

Elephants
Some of the remaining stone elephanst on the destroyed chedi

An offering
A bucket of water moving up to the top of the stupa as an offering

Bird Lady
These birds still need to be freed but not by me.

Comments

[Angela]

Here I thought getting lucky was.....heh :)
Well I was just stopping by again....always fascincated of course....looking forward to the next blog-stop....Photos are great!