Stutzfamily.com>Travel Pictures

After visiting the crafts markets, we were ready to get a little of that old time religion, so we headed up the mountain to visit Chiang Mai's premier Buddhist temple. On the way up, we had a magnificent view of the city, and Tu (our driver-slash-tour guide) insisted that we take a family picture there.

The main Wat was undergoing cleaning, but it did not stop crowds of devotees from parading around the base of the building, praying and holding up roses.

Breck headed immediately for his favorite feature of any temple - the bells that visitors are allowed to ring! Of course the Buddha was everywhere, in all his various poses and with his differing attributes.

For a good view of all us in holiday mode, click on the picture above for a larger version.

Ancient statues are housed in the on-site museum. No labels or information, just a room full of figures!

We loved the soft tinkling sounds given off by the bells that ringed the buildings.

And what better way to end a visit than with some roasted corn?! Dave had some fried chicken from a street vendor, everyone else had corn on the cob, Breck rang more bells in the presence of the king...

The legend of the founding is that a piece of the Buddha's bone was put on a white elephant, who proceeded to walk up the mountain and die - giving the king the sign he needed to build a temple on the spot.

The crowds of people offering flowers, food, and candles to the various statues of the buddhas scattered around the grounds were impressive. The beauty of the flowers and candles provided a calm counterpoint to the hustle and bustle in the area.

We passed on the roasted chestnuts, however - but we were very satisfied with a full day of adventure and sightseeing around Chiang Mai. Now we were ready to get rough and tumble in the beautiful scenery surrounding the city itself.

---

To the main Thailand page
To the Stutz's Welcome Page