One major difference we’ve noticed between this trip and our last big (Europe) trip is the complete lack of walking tours. Last time, that was our first agenda item in each city and served as a way to get oriented. Today (with the help of the GPSmyCity app) we took ourselves on a walking tour of Chiang Mai.

After a sweet breakfast (actual eggs-and-sausage-and-coffee breakfast, not noodles!) at the restaurant in our hostel, we took off on foot. Our tour got off to a rocky start at our first stop, Tha Pae Gate (one of the main gates to the “old city” of Chiang Mai), when one of the hundreds of resident pigeons let loose right on top of our heads. Grossed out but undeterred, we continued on into the old city, stopping at a number of monuments and opulent Wats (Buddhist temples).

Entrance to one of the many ornate temples we visited. Note the soaring ceilings and chandeliers!

Because we needed to do laundry today, we were limited in our clothing options. While my outfit was determined to be okay for visiting temples (knees and shoulders covered), Ray’s shorts did not fit the bill and he often had to borrow one of the complimentary sarongs to tie around his waist. On the other hand, my outfit did not have pockets (go figure), so Ray was the only one who could navigate, handle financial transactions, and take photos for the day.

This was not the only patriarchal annoyance of the day: on the grounds of Wat Chedi Luang (built in 1475), the “city pillar” (dedicated to the spirit of the city of Chiang Mai) is housed in a building that only men can enter because women menstruate and that would “defile” the spirit of the city … yeah, okay.

All that aside, Wat Chedi Luang was really quite neat. It is a massive pyramid-like structure with four sides guarded by giant elephants and staircases (now defunct to deter visitors from climbing) framed by giant naga snakes. It was destroyed by rains and an earthquake in 1575.

Neither of us being very familiar with Buddhism, we had some questions and, fortunately, got the chance to talk to two very young monks through a program called Monk Talk where those who are studying English get a chance to practice (we were amused to find these two monks on their smartphones as we approached). Turns out the Buddha on the Naga Snake (referenced in our post on Angkor Wat) stems from a pre-enlightenment story in which the snake protected Buddha and also is good luck for those born on Saturdays. Also, the form of Buddhism practiced by the Dalai Lama is a different form than is practiced here (the same way Lutheran / Christian Reformed / Catholic are different forms of Christianity).

We also saw the “Three Kings Monument” which honored the three Northern Lao Kings who founded the city of Chiang Mai. I found this especially interesting given that earlier in the day we’d learned that the Thai defeated the Lao in some battle. When they went from being friend to foe, I don’t know.

Very thirsty after our long walk (it was estimated to take two hours and we ended up taking at least five!), we stopped in a cafe to sip on yummy banana and papaya shakes while watching the Sunday Night Market take shape on the street in front of us. We spent the remainder of our evening walking through the night market (which was much more manageable than the one last night) and finding a couple of treasures before jumping off of the walking street just as the crowds were getting heavy for a delicious dinner of curry and some cold beers.

At the night market. For some reason, this shirt speaks to me …

Walking back to our hotel along the gorgeous moat / canals, we reflected on our privilege at being able to take this trip, the challenging dichotomy of wanting “authentic” experiences while not disturbing the local culture, our excitement for the last days of our journey, and our longing for home.