Wat's Up?

OK, Brian here as a guest writer for today.  Aidan has asked me to not write anything offensive or stupid because he "has a lot of loyal followers".  I nodded solemnly and then decided I will write whatever I want to.

They say that you haven't really been to Chang Mai if you haven't been to Wat Phra Doi Suthep.   This wat was quite literally "up" as Doi Suthrep is a mountaintop Buddist temple that is a sacred site to many Thai people.

According to legend, a monk named Sumanathera from Sukhothai had a vision and was told to go to Pang Cha and look for a relic. Sumanathera found a bone, which many claim was Buddha's shoulder bone. Eventually a piece of this relic was placed by the King on the back of a white elephant which was released in the jungle. The elephant climbed up Doi Suthep, trumpeted three times and died.  It was interpreted as a sign and King Nu Naone ordered the construction of a temple at the site.

It should have been interpreted as a sign that elephants really shouldn't climb 3,500 feet because that kills the elephant.  Sunday I am going to try to rent a bike and climb it myself, hopefully with better results.  I will be carrying no relic, although the irony of the shoulder relic and me doing this 8 weeks out from shoulder surgery is not lost on me.  I'll also be carrying my post-ironman expanding belly as well, so the Buddha and I will have much in common on that day.

The wat itself was fairly spectacular, with 306 elephant-killing steps leading up to it, the handrails for which were two long, continuous dragon serpents.

At the top we found another 3,456 Buddha statues, 27 stray dogs and what were surely very nice views of Chiang Mai if there wasn't a thick mist in the air.

Most Wats are tastefully decorated.  If you're Elvis.  Or Liberace.

The gongs keep getting bigger!

The vendors at the bottom of the steps had many fine delicacies on offer, I partook in some corn on a stick while Lisa covered the family in Purel from head to toe.  She is convinced I will die a slow death from eating all the local food I can find, and has gleefully taken out more insurance while urging me on.

Fried Crickets anyone?

After an afternoon at the spa for Lisa and Brian (Aidan had to stay in the room.  That's what you get for being 11), we headed out for dinner at a local restaurant, followed by a visit to the night market to peruse the finest goods that 50 cents can buy.

Dead skin eating fish - 100 baht for 20 minutes.

Aidan thinks he looks like a local now.  Don't tell him.  This entire ensamble cost 7 cents.