Chiang Mai

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Geo: 18.7905, 99.005

We discovered the name of the city means new (Chiang) city (Mai).

This morning we were picked up by a local tour company for a morning tour. Our first destination was to the Hmong Hill Tribe VIllage. These people were once dependent on growing opium which is no longer permitted. The current agricultural product is coffee. However, it seems that the real cash flow is as a tourist destination. There were numerous shops selling a variety of items some local and some I suspect are imported. There was an example of a typical hut used in the past. The village is very high up in the hill country and the road twisted and turned becoming narrower all the time.

The next stop was probably half way down the mountain to the DoiShep Temple which dates back to 1381 when the first Chedi was built. It is an important pilgrimage spot for the devout. Visitors can reach the pagodas at the top by climbing 309 steps. We took the funicular up and walked down.

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Comments

[crw]

Since you have been in a health kick for the last few years, I would have thought that you would have walked up AND down - how else would your body earn it's beer at lunch time!