Journal day 18 - The White Temple and Golden Triangle border with Burma & Laos

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• 08:00 Bus from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai golden triangle
• Temples day trip + boat trip + lunch

First stop on today's schedule was the Chiang Rai Hot spring. It was interesting but had been hard landscaped all around giving it the appearance of an average looking fountain, and it was surrounded by the usual Market stalls. Bought myself a small but carved pure jade Buddha which was pricey but I was able to barter down the price by half. Also bought a tiny bronze Buddha.

The main visit was the White temple which I was really looking forward to as it is very unique amongst the temples of Thailand, is modern and still being completed by it's creator, an incredibly creative artist/architect called Chalermchai Kositpipat He has through his own personal vision created an amazingly unique, intrigueing and powerful temple in the purest of whites, covered in thousands of little mirrors all glittering in sunlight......

*FURTHER NOTES ON THE WHITE TEMPLE TO BE TYPED UP

Golden triangle boat trip.

The golden triangle is the area where 3 countries meet around the river; Thailand, Burma and Laos.
It's called 'Golden' because the islands which are between the 3 countries and within the golden triangles are no-mans lands and not policed so opium selling and use is not prohibited.

The Group for today are all older couples from different hotels. No one has uttered a word to me all day. But that's alright as they haven't even spoken to each other. Glad the trekking was a lot more sociable over the glad few days and i'm enjoying a bit of peace today anyway.

Then we went to the northern border at Measai, where Thailand meets Burma. A long busy street lined with market shops overflowing with Buddha's of every shape and size. I'm pretty sure I got a good deal for my little jade guy earlier as smaller carved jade Buddha's here cost a lot more. The border gate is very busy with constant traffic flowing both ways. Both countries have put the years of war between each other into the past and apparently now Thailand and Burma share a good relationship with each other.

*NOTES TO BE TYPED UP.

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