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Words of wisdom

Wat Umong is a nice temple tucked in a quiet forest outside of Chiang Mai. There's a meditation center onsite, a system of tunnels with shrines, a small lake, and dozens of roosters roam freely. Scattered among the trees are words of wisdom; here are a few.













Not sure about those dogs, but that one was in fact at the temple. These two were not, but still good:


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