Jan 27 my last day in Chiang Mai

Today was the first day I had a chance to spend some time in the old city in Chiang Mai. The city is 1.6 km square, and, at one time was surrounded by a wall, and a moat. Parts of the old wall are still visible, and the moat has become a lovely water feature, all around the old city, featuring fountains. Quite beautiful.

I started out at 8, a beautiful time of day. It's cool, clear, and sunny. There are a few large streets, but most of the city is covered by laneways. Tourism is certainly the main industry. There are several travel agents on EVERY block. In between are hotels, hostels, guest houses, restaurants and spas offering massages. Literally dozens. There are few other stores, which is surprising.

I did a walking tour, suggested by my Lonely Travel Guide, and saw most of the important sites, mostly temples.

The biggest, and most important is Wat Phro Sing. It is a temple complex, with a monastery, a school, a library, and several temples. The compound is large, and beautifully maintained. Very clean, lots of gardens and flowers. I sat in on a religious service, where a monk was chanting. Very peaceful, a world away from the streets outside

Wad Chedi Luang is another highlight of Chiang Mai. It is a "chedi", which is a large tower, housing a relic or the remains of a famous monk, or royalty. It was built in the 15th century and was to be 82 m high. It was never completed, and an earthquake in 1554, caused the top third to collapse. It also is part of a temple complex that houses a school for monks. It has been restored with the help of the Japanese government.

I also saw a beautiful temple, one of the oldest, made entirely from teak lumber.

I had also read about a program to rehabilitate women from the local Women's Prison. The women are trained as massage therapists, so that they acquire a skill when they leave. The public is welcome to use the facility. It took me a frustrating half hour to find the place, but I persisted. I paid for a one hour full body massage, and I have to say it was the best massage I have had so far. The first massage I had in Bangkok was great, because it helped my back, but this one was not as painful, and very good. At 7 dollars it would definitely become a weekly occurrence back home. They were busy, I counted 14 customers while I was there.

Another interesting thing about Chiang Mai is the number of cafes. Coffee is big! I found one, in a hole-in-the-wall little restaurant that served the best cappuccino I have on this trip.

A great way to finish the day.

Ralf

One of the temples at Wat Phra Sing

A temple guardian

Wat Chedi Luang

The teak temple