Saturday, Nov 12 - Sukhothai - Chiang Mai

Today we drive to Chiang Mai in the far north of Thailand.  Along the way we stopped at Wat Phra That Lampang Luang.  The temple looked like many others we have seen but was stated to be one of the most revered in Thailand.  According to legend Buddha visited the site almost 2500 years ago and left them a hair that is now enshrined there. 

For us the only unusual thing about the temple is the little vessel that people would fill with water and then, using a pulley system, run it to the top of the chedi or stupa where they would then tip the vessel to allow the water to run down the side of the chedi. Unfortunately we didn't take good notes so we don't know the significance of this (and we couldn't find it on the internet).

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Watch a video of the pulley system.
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Once we arrived in Chiang Mai we headed up the hill to the Wat Phra That Doi Suthep or the Doi Suthep (the full name is a mouthful).  This temple had some pretty awesome gold features and was a bit prettier than many. 

Access to the temple is via a 309 step staircase, the sides of which are enormous, dragon-headed serpents called Nagas.  Or you can take the tram.  We took the tram up and walked down.  

We then checked into our hotel where we found out we were given an upgrade.  At least this time we will be here a few days and can enjoy the extra room. 

In the evening we headed out for dinner at the Khantore Show.  The show featured Northern Thailand music and dancing.  The show appeared to be geared to the tourists but further research indicated that this type of show dates back centuries.  Regardless, the show was interesting and the food was good…particularly the fried bananas.