Ted. This was definitely my favorite destination in Thailand. We were here for a full week and stayed very busy.
As in Bangkok and Koh Samui, very modern buildings stand side by side with ancient wooden houses.
The metropolitan area population is over a million but the downtown is pretty compact. Located in the Thai Highlands, it has an elevation of about 1,000 feet so, while it was warm during the afternoon, the temperature dropped nicely at night.
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| Waulai Night Market |
The old city is clearly defined by a wall that creates a square about a mile on a side. It is surrounded by a moat.
In the 12th century, Chiang Mai was the capital of the Lanna kingdom.
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| Three Kings |
We learned a lot about Lanna history and art at the Lanna Folklife Center.
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| Textiles are a big deal |
Prime examples of Lanna decorative arts are found at a Wat (temple complex) called Phra Singh.
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| Stupas |
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| Stucco figures |
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| These are statues of old monks. Those green figures are jade! |
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| Stories of Buddha told in murals |
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| Old door |
The Thai people are very serious about their Buddhist faith and there are 117 Wats in Chiang Mai. We explored a couple more.
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| Wat Sri Suphan (Silver Temple) |
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| Wat Lok Molee |
We loved to just wander around, dropping into shops and cafes as they called to us. Our favorite restaurant, Pani served Thai/Japanese fusion dishes and is listed in the Michelin Guide.
We had one big adventure outside the city but we’ll cover that in another blog. However, I will not soon forget the friendliness of the people in Chiang Mai.
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| A charming helper in a Burmese restaurant |
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