I woke up nice and warm in my bed in the Hill Tribe village. It was definitely cold outside but since I had gotten an extra blanket, I was nice and snug and didn't want to get up. I had apparently slept through the roosters, dogs and a town announcement over the loud speaker which I was thrilled about. We got up, packed up our bags and headed down to meet Tom for breakfast. He was cooking over the campfire next to the house. He had prepared scrambled eggs, toast, coffee, fruit and some sticky rice with banana cooked in a leaf that was really good. After breakfast, we piled our stuff into the car, said goodbye to the family that we stayed with and headed to the local town market. This was the market where the local people bought and sold all of their goods, so it was much cheaper and definitely had fresh produce. Tom likes to make sure we try everything and know as much as possible about things, so anytime I had a question he would by the item for me so I could sample it. He even brought us over to their local wine vendor so I could try wines made from black rice or lychee. The wines had extremely pungent favors and although I didn't care for them, they were really interesting to try. Tom tried to buy us some more snacks from the road but we insisted that we were still full from breakfast. He really is the best tour guide.
Our next stop was the Wachirathan Waterfall. It is hard for me to appreciate the size of waterfalls after seeing Iguazu Falls, but I could see why people would like this one. It was definitely beautiful. We walked around taking some pictures and standing in the mist. After the waterfall, we headed towards Tum Muang On, which has a giant cave that has been turned into a temple. On the way there, Tom stopped so that he could show us a Northern Thai desert that they make within bamboo stalks. They take sticky rice and mix in sesame seeds or beans and then cook it within the bamboo. It was good although I was still so full from lunch I couldn't eat more than a bite. Thai desserts are so different from American ones since they barely use any sugar so they never really fulfill my dessert craving.
As we drove, we also passed by the "Lost City" or Wat Nanchang. This city had recently been discovered when the locals started building a school in the area and has only partially been uncovered. It was funny to see these city ruins right in the middle of a community. Apparently the government doesn't have the funds to move the people out of the area and create a monument for the ruins so the people just continue to live around them.
When we reached the cave at
Tum Muang On, I found it was a tight squeeze in some parts for me to get through since I was so tall. The cave itself was quite big, but dry so there were no active formations. The local people had brought tons of statues praising the Buddha into the cave and turned it into a kind of sanctuary. I didn't actually find it all that spectacular, but I knew that Te Tee had wanted to see it so I tried to mask that sentiment.
Following the cave, we headed to the hot springs for a soak and a massage. I was really excited for this and was thrilled that it was included in the price of our tour. The spa area seemed nice and we stopped for lunch at one of the restaurants next to the springs. We ordered some delicious red snapper, cashew chicken, morning glory and papaya salad which was surprisingly light.
Te tee decided he wasn't going to do the hot bath and just wanted a foot massage so Jane and I decided to get the Thai massage before our bath. Unfortunately, the massage wasn't very good. I had an older masseuse who wasn't very focused and kept talking to everyone else around. On top of that, she kept coughing on me which I almost couldn't stand. The guy getting massaged next to me was also snoring like a chainsaw, so it was hard to feel relaxed. After the massage, Jane and I headed to the baths. There wasn't much instruction being given but we deduced that we each got our own bath tub in a separate room where we could soak for as long as we wanted. Tom recommended no more than 20 minutes which seemed short to me, but its also what the signs said in the bath. As I filled my tub, I was pleased to find that the water was scalding hot as I like a really hot bath. I soaked in the mineral water for just over 20 minutes, making sure to get some water on my poor bruised forehead as the minerals were supposed to be curative. When we finally got out, I realized I was overheated. I had been drinking water while I was in there, but putting on my sweatpants and long sleeve shirt again was almost enough to kill me. When we came out, Te Tee started hysterically laughing because I was sweating so much and looked like I was going to die. Tom went and got us some more cold water to drink and as soon as we got into the car, I stripped down and put on a tank top and shorts so that I could cool down.
For our last stop, Tom had agree to take us to Doi Suthep. There were many things on our tour that were not included in the itinerary (including this stop) but Tom just wanted to make sure we saw as much as we wanted and would take us anywhere we were interested in going. I really can't say enough about what a great guide he was. Doi Suthep is the temple on top of the mountain overlooking Chiang Mai. He said that it was best to go at sunset because the crowds from the day were gone and the monks begin their chanting and meditation at 6:00pm, so you can see them in prayer.
We got there just before sunset so we could get a good look at the place in the light and after dark. It was really so beautiful. The main temple was made of gold and lit up so spectacularly against the night sky. Tom walked us around the temple, telling us the story of Buddha which I had actually never heard. We walked around ringing the temple bells for good luck and listening to the chants of the monks in prayer.
Tom wanted us to do the typical prayer and offering. Te Tee practices Buddhism and Jane grew up Buddhist but I really have no concept of what you would do for a Buddhist prayer. Tom brought us each a flower and candle. We needed to walk around the temple three times, all the while praying and thinking about what you are wishing for. Then, after completing the three walks, you kneal before the alter, light the candle and pray. Once you have completed your prayer, you place the candle below the alter along with your flower. It was a very zen experience and although I didn't fully understand what was going on, I really liked it.
Next, Te Tee and Tom took us into a room where and old monk was sitting. Te Tee suddenly dropped to his knees and was crawling towards the monk which I didn't understand but figured it must be a respect thing and did the same. The monk said some blessings over us and doused us in holy water. Then, each of us were given a bracelet as a part of the blessing. While the monk was putting the bracelet on, you had to be careful not to move because he's not allowed to touch you. Te Tee told me the bracelets are for luck and good fortune. I was happy to have another meaningful bracelet to add to my collection, although since it was white, it probably wouldn't look good for long.
Visiting Doi Suthep is one of my favorite things that we've done on our journey. I really enjoyed learning more about the religion and culture and getting to experience it all first hand. Once we left the temple, Tom took us back to the hotel and dropped him off. It was sad to say goodbye to him; he'd become like a friend. Alyssa and Taya weren't there when we got back, so we ventured out to the night market to get some food and then came back to get some sleep.
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