Chiang Mai- Thailand

We flew up to Chiang Mai in the north of Thailand with a population of 1.4 million for it's history and 'off the beaten track' atmosphere. It was founded in 1296 and has over 300 temples or 'wats' (buddhist temples):

We never tire of the beauty of these temples and all seem to have their own unique characteristics. Some date back to the 13th and 14th century. What amazed us was the reverence buddhists have and show when they visit these temples.

When we were at Wat Chedi Luang, we went over to the 'Monks Corner' where you could meet and talk with an actual monk. We did even better, meeting up with a fellow named Karen who just two months ago gave up being a monk after 12 years:

He joined as a novice when he was 14 and became a full fledged monk when he was twenty. For his 12 years in the monastery, he was not allowed to own anything nor go to movies, couldn't drink alcohol and really couldn't do anything 'for pleasure'. But he was allowed to visit his family twice a year and he received an excellent education. He knew when he became a monk that he wanted to teach some day (he felt it was his vocation) but as a monk, you could not have a career. So two months ago, he left and is studying for his 3 day exams set for next month. If he passes, he can teach elementary school anywhere in Thailand. It was interesting to hear him talk about the 'competitiveness' of these exams as he never had this type of pressure before. It was great to meet up with him. 

We also saw in Chiang Mai (and in Bangkok) 'Spirit Houses', a bit bigger than a doll house that are 2- 4 stories high. I had to look these up on the Internet to understand what these signified:

You see these everywhere- outside a business, in front of a hotel, in the corner garden area of a restaurant, etc. The purpose of the Spirit House is to provide an appealing shelter for the spirits, or celestial beings, who would otherwise reside in the heavens. According to folklore, the spirits themselves are either good or evil, but most are just finicky and mischievous, demanding respect from humans and capable of disastrous interferences if they don't get their way. These have become tradition for the Thais and an integral part of their culture. The style and construction of these houses may be as simple as a typical Thai-style shelter or as elaborate as a Thai palace. Interesting indeed!

For me and Thailand- one thing for sure, I'm done with Thai massages! We did another one here- Cathy for feet and myself for back, neck and head. Let's just say that Cathy had a small, petit Thai lady whereas I had a Big Bertha. Here are the tables they use:

They're larger than in North America because you and the therapist are on it together a lot. Cathy did fine with the lady doing reflexology on her feet. But with Big Bertha and I, she'd be on all fours sometimes walking her fists up my back and other times using elbow joints to make sure my ribs were separated enough. One time I thought the earth crushed my back and prayed for her to get off so my lungs could start breathing again. It's fair to say Thai is not my favourite type of massage. I swear she either cracked or bruised one of my ribs!

Next up- Myanmar