Exploring Chiang Mai!

After a few nights adjusting to the time change and becoming familiar with the area we took a trip to Wat Doi Suthep a temple on the top of a mountain about 10 miles from Chiang Mai (Wat is name of a monastery temple and Doi Suthep is the name of the mountain).  We had to dress appropriately, wearing clothing that covered our knees and shoulders when inside the temple.  Once we reached the top of the mountain we climbed the 309 steps to the temple and removed our shoes before we entered.  I had time to walk around the temple and took in all of the detail and history.  We were allowed to take photos of monks inside after we showed our respect to them.  It felt a bit awkward taking photos inside as it did not feel like a 'touristy' thing to do, but instead a piece of tradition that has been apart of Thailand for hundreds of years.  I had a conversation with one of our guides about the practice of meditation and was lucky enough to receive a blessing from a monk.

Beginning of the steps

Wat Doi Suthep

Stairs at night

After walking through we went a few steps down to a lookout of Chiang Mai - my new home for the next five months!  What a beautiful place to begin this new adventure!

Chiang Mai from Doi Suthep

I must add after the visit we had a wonderful Thai dinner with a great organization and I had for the first time sticky rice with mango! Such an amazing treat! Custard is also another popular dessert in Thailand, which is pictured on the left which is served inside of a cooked pumpkin.

The next day we went exploring through the city and found a large market.  There are tons of markets and vendors along every street where you can find a bite to eat at every time of day.  I unfortunately do not have a full kitchen in my dorm, only a refrigerator so I will be grabbing most meals when I travel between school and home.  

After the market we headed to Chiang Dao for the night, which is about an hour and a half from Chiang Mai.  The first stop was to visit the Chiang Dao cave temple.  I had not been that far inside a cave before and it was amazing to come up on statues and areas where people come to leave offerings and participate as they would in other temples.

 Inside the cave

 

We stayed in bungalows at Chiang Dao nest which is nestled next to the mountains.  The views were breathtaking and it was so quite and serene in the country.  We had a wonderful BBQ dinner by candlelight of some Northern Thai cuisine.  Yum!