vicarious travelling: Thailand - Day 5 cont, Wat Phra That Doi Suthep Buddhist Temple

Monday, 27 January 2025

Thailand - Day 5 cont, Wat Phra That Doi Suthep Buddhist Temple

We wound our way up the mountain overlooking Chang Mai in a minibus. The were a couple of breaks in the foliage but the view was obscured by the smog.

The air quality, both in Bangkok and here, has been really bad....stinging eyes, sore throats and a brown haze on the pictures we take.

There are 300 steps from

the drop off point

but we just walked one flight and then took the vennicular up the rest of the way.

After the "Compulsory toilet break" (Ammy is quite insistent that we use the toilets that she knows are clean and acceptable so we are not scrambling for washroom breaks later, "Compulsory toilet break", along with "Okey Dokey" have become catch phrases for the tour) we walked around the complex with Ammy giving her usual running commentary.

I have to admit that unless I am particularly interested in something, I only listen with half an ear

preferring to wander on the edge of the group

getting pulled here and there by the architecture,

the opulence,

the statues and

whatever other quirky little thing I find of interest.

So I think the legend is that a monk (or king, my memory is not clear on that) was riding a white elephant and carrying a relic of Buddha. He rode to the top of this mountain and then the elephant died so the temple was built here. I hope Ammy never reads this, she will tell me I got it all wrong. So many stories, myths, legends, facts have been related that I can't keep them straight. It is enough to know that it is a complex culture, influenced by the geography, surrounding cultures and history.

Sometimes temples have monsters guarding the entrance to keep out evil spirits.

I am pretty sure Ammy said that these lanterns are indicative of northern Thailand. She lives near Chang Mai and you can feel her pride in this part of the country.