The White Temple and the Golden Triangle

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The White Temple in Chiang Rai, Thailand

The White Temple in Chiang Rai, Thailand

Since I’m in Thailand for more than 30 days, I had to take a trip to the Burmese border to get a new tourist stamp. It’s very easy to do this from Chiang Mai, and I signed up with a pre-arranged tour for transportation, lunch, hand-holding during the border crossing, and visits to a couple of sights along the way.

I visited the extremely popular Wat Rong Khun, or White Temple, which is an artistic endeavor in Chiang Rai that was undertaken about 15 years ago and is still a work in progress. Absolutely gorgeous from afar, the temple is actually pretty disturbing up close. There’s hellish imagery juxtaposed with Buddhist figures, and in the interior of the temple – where photos are not allowed – there are murals of pop icons and terrorist attacks, including the burning Twin Towers. I was completely unprepared for this; I had thought I’d be visiting just another wat and had no idea that the White Temple was actually a modern building making some kind of statement. To be honest, I found it a bit distasteful.

The tour also stopped at the Golden Triangle, which is a section of the Mekong River that touches Thailand, Burma, and Laos. In the past it was an opium hot spot. This part of the day was much less offensive, and it was nice seeing the Mekong again! Now I’ve seen it in four of the six countries it passes through.

All in all, it was a successful day and I was happy to get my new 30 day visa stamp so I can spend more time in beautiful Thailand.

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A Weekend in Pai

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A view of the hills of Pai

A view of the hills of Pai

From Chiang Mai it’s just a 3-4 hour bus ride up to Pai, a small mountain town filled surrounded by waterfalls and hot springs. I spent a few nights there as a break from Chiang Mai and had a lovely time staying in a quiet bungalow with resident chickens. I rented a motorbike for the first time ever and drove on the left – also for the first time ever! It was a challenge, and in retrospect it may not have been entirely smart to go off by myself for the day, but I survived the experience.

I loved hiking in the Muang Pai stone forest – a site that’s not commonly mentioned among backpackers but I saw some signs on the road near the elephant camps so decided to stop. The changing colors of the leaves and the crunch of the winter ground reminded me a lot of hiking back home. That is, I was reminded of home until I stumbled upon a bunch of banana trees!

I also had a fun night celebrating Australia Day at SpicyPai hostel. There was a delicious BBQ and good company. Nobody, though, not even the Australians, could explain what Australia Day actually is.

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Chiang Mai Street Art Part 2

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A colorful mural with a positive message in Chiang Mai, Thailand

A colorful mural with a positive message in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Here’s the second batch of street art photos from Chiang Mai! There’s a few more from SY as well as some from POAS, another artist whose work can be seen throughout the city.

I love some of the wackier pieces of work that I saw, such as the walking birds and the bomb doing archery. I also like the Kurt Cobain angel, which is actually a stencil that pops up all around the old city and its surroundings.

You can see the first post of my Chiang Mai street art photos here. Yet another batch of photos will be coming soon!

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Chiang Mai Street Art Part 1

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A cyclops painted on a wall in Chiang Mai

A cyclops painted on a wall in Chiang Mai

For the past few weeks I’ve been hanging out in Chiang Mai in northern Thailand, taking a bit of a break from living out of a backpack and hopping on buses every few days. I’ve rented a room at Phra Singh Guesthouse for only 3,500 baht and it’s so nice to have a place to call home for a little while.

I’ve taken advantage of this time to explore some of the less touristy streets and hunt out some street art. The culture here isn’t huge on graffiti and murals, but the few artists that do work around here are pretty prolific. SY is one tag I have seen at least 30 times, and I think he is responsible for the 3D blocks that dot the walls around the city.

Here’s the first batch of photos, another batch coming soon!

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