Monday was going to be a relaxing day here in Chiangmai, however we stopped a Tuk-Tuk and asked the driver what it would cost to go to the temples. Before we knew it we were off in the Tuk-Tuk -not as scary as I thought it would be - quite a leisurely ride. We were told there were over 300 temples in Chiangmai. The temple architecture is from the Lanna period which is of teak wood carvings and colourful murals, three-tiered umbrellas on top the temples and the Singha lions guarding the entrances. We saw 4 temples. Wat Chiang Man is the oldest temple (Wat) and was the King's very first residence. Two famous Buddha images (Buddha Sila & Crystal Buddha) are kept in there. The Crystal Buddha is believed to have the power to bring seasonal rains. Wat Phra Singh contains murals of Lanna customs and dress. Wat Suan Dok has a 500 year old bronze Buddha image and colourful murals showing scenes from Buddha's past lives. At this temple the stupas contain only the ashes of the deceased Royal Family members. On the grounds there is a university used only for monks to study at. Wat Chet Yot is about 700 years old and is modelled after the Mahabodhi Temple in India. The 7 spires represent the seven weeks Buddha was to have spent in India after his enlightenment. The temples were all very interesting and unique in their own way. Again a lot of history.
From there our driver, Chai, took us to see the Gem Factory, the Thai Silk Factory (thinking of you Krista - tons of fabric here), the Silver Factory & the Handicraft Gallery. We saw many beautiful handcrafted items which take many hours to do the intricate work.
We enjoyed some great Thai food for supper and headed down the street stopping at the Tiger Kingdom Bar & Restaurant. We sat there listening to a live band playing and singing songs by Elvis, Neil Young and other Country songs before we made our way back to our hotel calling it a day.
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