Having traveled, in Asia, for 2 months, with a total travel time of 5 months, we have learned that it takes a few days to become adjusted to each new place. It did not take long, however, to adjust to the wonderfully cool weather in Chiang Mai. Situated in Northern Thailand, in the mountains, it was 15-20 degrees cooler than what we had left in KL and we were thrilled to be able to sleep with the windows open and step outside without sweating. It reminded us of the difference between San Francisco and New Orleans and we had never ceased to appreciate the cool Northern California weather.
We hadn't realized that there was a temple (Wat Loi Kroh) just across the street from the guesthouse until we heard the gong sounding at 4:00 AM, followed by the monks' chanting.............gong, gong, gong, then faster and faster, gong, gong, gong.................. We could not make out the words of the chants, but heard it only as ya, ya, ya, ya, ya......................... for at least an hour. Then the cats started howling. At first we thought they were mating noises, but now we think that it was male cats fighting over territory and mating rites. You can never imagine the horrible sounds a cat can make until you hear them for yourself. After the cats howled, pigeons descend on the rooftops surrounding the guesthouse and cooed until they all flew away in a loud wing flapping serenade like something out of the birds. We were just thrilled to have weather cool enough to warrant sleeping with the windows open.
After coffee in the breezeway, we set off into the old city (the part that is still surrounded by a moat) and visited Wat Jet Rin. In Buddhism, dragons are considered sacred protectors of Buddha & the Dharma and most Wat entrances are flanked by beautiful dragons. This Wat was no exception and we carefully inspected the craftsmanship with which the dragon's scales were made. This was a smaller Wat, out of the way for many tourists, and we enjoyed sitting quietly and visually inspecting every part of the inner temple.
P- I see how quickly you take off your shoes and leave them on the steps now.
G- I was afraid to at first, but now I'm just getting use to it. We really don't have a choice and fortunately few people are around.
From there we walked down to Wat Chedi Luang (a Buddhist Temple) which is the centerpiece of the old city of Chiang Mai, with a chedi or stupa (c.1401), a dome shaped monument that houses holy relics, behind the Wat. There is a tall, old gum tree next to the Wat and it is believed that when the tree falls, so will the city. Just outside the temple, we had the opportunity to sit and talk to young monks. We learned that they rise everyday at 4:00 am to pray and chant, then they go off into the city to collect food from their numerous benefactors. They are clad in orange robes, have shaved heads, and very few worldly possessions. We were surprised to learn that one does not have to be a monk for life, but may return to the normal population whenever they desire, past a certain age which we could never accurately determine. Many boys are sent to to be monks because their families cannot afford to raise them or so that they can receive an education. Also, a man may chose to be a monk, or more accurately, live as a monk, at any point during this life, for as short a period as 1 month.
Wat Chedi Luang was very large and contained numerous large gold Buddhas. Many people were praying, lighting incense, and making donations in this temple. Behind and to the right of the temple was a library and manuscript museum. Being the bibliophiles that we are, we eagerly climbed to the second floor to see the collection of old Buddhist text, but were surprised to find no books. We learned that the teachings and chants were written on dried palm leaves, cut into long, narrow strips, and tied together so that they looked like a stack of thin rulers. Many were housed in individual carved or painted boxes or stacked together in larger cabinets that resembled trunks.
On the other side of the ancient Chedi was a shrine with, what has come to be known as, the laughing Buddha, and next to it, a reclining Buddha. We have learned that each day of the week is represented by Buddha in a different pose. Wednesday is represented by 2 positions, one being the reclining Buddha. We were told the story of the laughing Buddha as follows: There was a monk who worked very hard to reach the enlightenment required to become a Buddha. This monk, however, was gorgeous and the women fawned over him. Like every normal man, the monk was moved by this attention, thus blocking him from attaining true enlightenment. At wits end, he prayed that he would become ugly & fat so that women would no longer find him attractive, thus allowing him to achieve enlightenment. One morning he awoke to an ugly face and body and could not stop smiling as he achieved enlightenment and became a Buddha. (I cannot warrant the veracity of this story.)
Finally, we entered a very small Wat, maybe only 20 feet long and 8 feet wide, dedicated to a monk (Acharn Mun Bhuridarto) who worked tirelessly to help the poor and was much revered because he was such a good and compassionate man. The equivalent of a Catholic saint. In front of the large Buddha statue on the rear wall, sat a glass box, about 3-4 feet high and 2 feet wide, raised off the ground about a foot. Inside the box was the monk sitting in the cross legged meditation position.
P- OMG! Look at that!!!!
G- (I was still inspecting the doors and the mural on the wall near the entrance.) What?
P- The guy in the box!!! Do you think it's real?
G- OMG! It's scary! It sure looks real. (We approached and closely inspected the statue.) It seems unlikely, but Lenin is lying in Red Square. Still, it seems completely unlikely.
P- It looks so real. You think it's wax?
G- I don't know what it's made of, but look at the details of the face. It totally looks real. It's creepy! I don't like the way he's looking at us.
P- Me either; let's get outta here.
We exited the walls surrounding Wat Chedi Luang and walked about a block before reaching Wat Pundtow which was made of wood and much less ornate, but attractive nonetheless, and exuding a sense of serenity. Along the left side of the Wat were several round pyramids full of yellow flags. Behind the Wat was a golden chedi which created quite a contrast between rustic and ornate. Off to the left was a lotus pond with an arbor, from which colorful paper lanterns hung. It was quite a colorful and festive scene juxtaposed with the brown, wooden Wat.
P- I know we said we'd go to the next Wat up the street, but I'm tired of walking.
G- Me too and we'll be up until midnight, so let's go back to the guesthouse and rest.
P- I'm glad you agree. Let's take a tuk-tuk.
