There are some 40,000 temples (wats) in Thailand. I don't plan on visiting all of them, but I've seen a fair amount so far. Here are a few in particular worth mentioning (and visiting!).
I was due for a good hike, and fortunately there's a mountain, Doi Suthep, on the outskirts of Chiang Mai. A neighbor and I Uber'd to the base of the mountain and hit the trail, with scraps of orange monks' robes tied around the trees as a guide.
Maybe 30 minutes later we emerged from the woods into an oasis. This was Wat Pha Lat. Of all the temples I've seen, this was my favorite. It was far from the grandest, and lacking in gold, but the atmosphere more than made up for it. Monks read and quietly roamed the grounds with a running stream and birds as the only background noise. No traffic, and a slight cool breeze. So peaceful.
Just past there we hopped on another trail that continued up the mountain. Part trail, part bush-wacking through the jungle, this was steep and tough. After an hour, the sound of a nearby car horn sounded so good. We then followed the road through a small village and up 309 steps to land at Wat Doi Suthep, 1,056m up. This was a grand temple filled with gold, tourists, and even monk tourists. The feeling of calm was missing, but the view of Chiang Mai was great.
I was exhausted, and it was only noon. A songthaew (modified pickup with benches in the back) brought us down the mountain road, and a cold shower and nap were in order.
On the south side of old city Chiang Mai is a temple unlike any I've seen. Most are heavy on gold, but Wat Srisuphan is all about the silver. While there seemed to me like enough silver already there, they are continuously adding more...I walked around to the sound of silversmiths hammering away.
Upon visiting I was informed there was a "light show" that evening. That sounded interesting enough to make a return trip.
As impressive as seeing all that silver during the day was, here's when it really came alive. The sun went down and the lights came on, and a youth group provided traditional music and dancing, followed by a monk blessing.
From there I stepped out into a night market where just about anything can be had. You reach the end, turn the corner...and it keeps going. Endless food stalls, clothing, instruments, trinkets, art. And even a complete knee replacement for just 230,000 Thai baht.
I was due for a good hike, and fortunately there's a mountain, Doi Suthep, on the outskirts of Chiang Mai. A neighbor and I Uber'd to the base of the mountain and hit the trail, with scraps of orange monks' robes tied around the trees as a guide.
Maybe 30 minutes later we emerged from the woods into an oasis. This was Wat Pha Lat. Of all the temples I've seen, this was my favorite. It was far from the grandest, and lacking in gold, but the atmosphere more than made up for it. Monks read and quietly roamed the grounds with a running stream and birds as the only background noise. No traffic, and a slight cool breeze. So peaceful.
Just past there we hopped on another trail that continued up the mountain. Part trail, part bush-wacking through the jungle, this was steep and tough. After an hour, the sound of a nearby car horn sounded so good. We then followed the road through a small village and up 309 steps to land at Wat Doi Suthep, 1,056m up. This was a grand temple filled with gold, tourists, and even monk tourists. The feeling of calm was missing, but the view of Chiang Mai was great.
I was exhausted, and it was only noon. A songthaew (modified pickup with benches in the back) brought us down the mountain road, and a cold shower and nap were in order.
On the south side of old city Chiang Mai is a temple unlike any I've seen. Most are heavy on gold, but Wat Srisuphan is all about the silver. While there seemed to me like enough silver already there, they are continuously adding more...I walked around to the sound of silversmiths hammering away.
Upon visiting I was informed there was a "light show" that evening. That sounded interesting enough to make a return trip.
As impressive as seeing all that silver during the day was, here's when it really came alive. The sun went down and the lights came on, and a youth group provided traditional music and dancing, followed by a monk blessing.
From there I stepped out into a night market where just about anything can be had. You reach the end, turn the corner...and it keeps going. Endless food stalls, clothing, instruments, trinkets, art. And even a complete knee replacement for just 230,000 Thai baht.