Bonus Shot: Ringing In The New Year

31 Wednesday Dec 2014

≈ Comments Off on Bonus Shot: Ringing In The New Year

Tags

Going through my photos for a few of bell and gong ringing for a ringing in the new year post – other than those featuring a nude dude – I ran across this one among several others (not counting the aforementioned nude dude ones). And it sucks. There’s no bell. Or gong. Or nude dude for that matter. There was a drum. But it’s not in the photo. And you can’t even see the guy’s face who is pictured to see if you’d want him to be a nude dude. Plus it’s a bit blurry. Which was Noom’s call as he deleted it from my computer. But fortunately Noom’s computer skills do not include knowing about emptying the trash can. ‘Cuz despite all of its faults, I like this shot.

We were in Chiang Mai, visiting Wat Phan Tao during Yee Ping again. At night, they decorate the ground outside the ubosot with thousands of candles in little clay jars. So it’s a very picturesque setting. Unexpectedly during our visit, a five or six man drum troupe appeared, swirling about and beating their little hearts out. It was dark, which isn’t a good thing for photography. And they were moving like crazy, which didn’t help either. By the time I got close enough to take a shot their performance was almost over. So technically, it was one of those shots that got away. Except I managed to click this one anyway

Despite it’s blurriness, composition-wise it’s a good photo. The crowd is just enough out of focus to be background, and yet their attention draws your eyes to the drummer anyway. And while the guy to the left has nothing to do with the shot he looks like he’s walking away and the drummer’s attention seems to be focused on him. Or maybe that’s just the gay part of me reading something into the story that isn’t there. And while from the shot you’d have no reason to know why, the drummer’s movement is captured too. It’s one of those shots that makes you stop and look again. Although that could just be that you’re wondering what in the hell the photo is supposed to be about.

It works best, however, because despite all of its faults and its possible story that wasn’t, it immediately brings back that night. To me. Which is the important thing. To me. Although I’ll admit the shot I took of Noom naked in bed that night does the same. But that’s a different story. And a different memory.

You Khan Toke A Boy Out Of The Bar, But Can’t Take The Thai Out Of A Bar Boy

25 Tuesday Nov 2014

Posted by Bangkokbois in Tips

≈ 10 Comments

Tags

Attractions, Chiang Mai, Hotels and Restaurants

Old doesn’t necessarily mean ancient although a night spent at one of Chiang Mai’s khan toke dinner shows will make your body feel that way.

On our first visit to Chiang Mai, (Noom’s first ever) to really enjoy the experience Noom decided he needed to go local. With a passion. Or at least what he envisioned the rural people of the north considered local. It was early in our relationship and the first time I got to see how he pursues an idea with a singular intense of purpose. We spent an entire evening at the Sunday Night Market roaming from stall to stall as he assembled his ‘northern Thailand’ wardrobe. Despite money being no object – meaning I didn’t object to the money he was spending out of my wallet – at each stall he’d haggle his little ass off, and then more often than not would walk away knowing he could get a better price somewhere just up the road. Hours later, with the market closing, on our way back through the market he ended up stopping at some of those same stalls to make his purchases. No problemo. By the end of our outing he had his outfit for our stay.

I’m not sure if those who live in and around Chiang Mai would consider a white cotton pair of fisherman pants to be part of their traditional wardrobe. Or the matching white shirt with a high Chinese collar. The sandals he may have gotten right. Even if I noticed most locals just went with rubber flip-flops. But the important thing was that Noom was happy. And much like a child with a new toy couldn’t resist wearing his new outfit to bed that night. Which didn’t make me any too happy. I tried using a bit of logic instead of just whining about his lack of nudity, telling him that if he slept in his new Northern Thailand clothes they’d be wrinkled for tomorrow’s wearing. He agreed. And then told me that would make them look more authentic. I made a mental note to only buy him sexy underwear in the future.

But part of the fun of that trip was that I’d told him he could decide everything we would do.; And then got busy filling in all the hours he couldn’t come up with an activity for. I shoulda figured after the fisherman pant outfit his knowledge of the northern part of his country was limited at best. But he didn’t completely crap out. He had one idea, one which he saved as a surprise. And he spent a few days surreptitiously gathering info, then telling me how much money he needed to arrange what he would only refer to as ‘you surprise’. And when the big night arrived, surprised I was.

Have I ever mentioned before how much I don’t like surprises?

The Thai food is elevated by a khantoke, in height if not in palatability.

Finding ourselves in Chiang Mai once again, this time with my recently acquired boyfriend, Noom decided that Dave too needed to experience the authentic Northern Thailand. Having become much more familiar with Noom’s mode of operations, when he told me I knew there would be no denying his plan. Except for the surprise part. Out for the day, when Noom made one of his frequent pit stops to water a fire hydrant, I pulled Dave aside and gave him the 411.

“Tonight we’re going to a Khan Toke dinner show. It’s kinda like one of those luaus they put on for tourists back in Hawaii. Bad food, bad native dancing, and you’ll suffer through a bad back tomorrow ‘cuz you have to sit on the floor throughout your meal. But Noom has his heart set on showing off his native land to you so we have no choice.”

“You’ve been to one of these things before?

“Sad to say, yes.”

“And it really sucks?”

“Worse than what I’ve already told you.”

“And you didn’t tell him it sucked?”

“That would have hurt his feelings.”

“So now I have to suffer through it too, just because you didn’t have the balls to tell him how much you hated it your first time?”

“Yeah, but we can stop at McDonalds afterwards so we’re not starving all night. Shhhh, here he comes. You have to act surprised.”

“No what I have to act is like I have a slight case of dysentery and can’t leave the hotel tonight.”

“Um, I think the one we’re going to has elephant rides too.”

“Liar.”

On the plus side, there is no such thing as a good or bad table at a Khan Toke dinner show. ‘Cuz there are no tables.

The khan toke dinner is a tradition among Lanna people dating way back in history. To the mid 1950s. The khantoke itself – a pedestal tray used as a small dining table – is a bit older. It was used for special meals and celebrations when eating off the floor was just too common. You’ve probably seen towers of different sized khantokes in handicraft shops at stalls around Thailand and possibly thought one would make a good cake pedestal. After spending an evening at a khan toke dinner and cultural show, you’ll probably think khantokes should only be used as cake pedestals. But hey, almost anything beats having your dinner served on the floor.

Because being original has never been a Thai trait, there are several places around Chiang Mai that put on khan toke dinners for the masses. Aficionados claim the best is at the Old Chiang Mai Cultural Center, located at the edge of the city about a 5 minute ride from the center of Chiang Mai. You can book your excursion almost everywhere in Chiang Mai, and most come with a free bus ride to and from the event. Personally I suggest arriving in your own private tuk tuk. It will help prepare your body for the torture to come.

Once at the Old Chiang Mai Cultural Center your evening begins with instructions to remove your shoes before being led to your not-a-table (also known as the floor), not because of any religious reasons as with visiting a wat but because it’d be rude to be tracking in dirt on the carpeting where your fellow diners will be grazing. Once you figure out how to lower yourself to the floor without looking like you’re falling off a bar stool, there are stacked, triangular shaped ‘pillows’ to rest against. Fortunately, before your food is served you’re given the opportunity to try those pillows out. And once you realize they tend to slip across the carpeting when you put your weight on them, you’ll find a new position that allows you to remain in one spot.

The show’s eye candy is far too over-dressed. But Wait! Are those fisherman pants?

As soon as the serving staff sees that you are not slipping into some other waitperson’s section, your food will arrive. You’ll note I didn’t mention menus. That’s because it’s a fixed meal. And while some refer to it as a buffet, it ain’t. Your not-a-table gets the same food as everyone else’s. If you arrived early (so that means you were not accompanied by a Thai) you may get seconds. If you are lucky. Or not. If you are even luckier.

The food comes in small bowls and fills your group’s khantoke. There is fried chicken, Burmese pork curry, fried pork skins, fried bananas, rice, not-fried vegetables, and some chili paste so that what you choose to eat has at least a bit of flavor. The best part of the meal is that if you go traditional, you get to eat it with your fingers. And the five second rule is extended by three seconds since any food you drop takes less time to hit the floor. Now aren’t you glad they made everyone take off their shoes?

Oh. And you get a fruit platter at the end of your meal too. Plus all the booze you can drink. As long as you are willing to pay for it. As you go. Because the price of your ticket doesn’t include alcohol even though getting wasted is a tradition among tourists that dates back even further than the traditional khan toke dinner does

Now I know where that Soi Twilight candle numbers came from.

About an hour into your meal, the entertainment starts. It’s traditional Thai dancing at its finest. Thais, other than those making their living as coyote dancers at the bars in Patpong, are not known for either their rhythm or dancing skills, but their attempts does help take your mind away from the horrendous music accompanying the dancers. And like traditional Hawaiian luaus filled with Samoan fire dancers and Tahitian bump and grind, in Thailand they’ve added a good dollop of non-traditional Thai dances to the show – like Samoan fire dancers – too. And like at traditional Hawaiian luaus, at the end of the performance the dancers grab a few unsuspecting tourists, pull them on stage, and make them attempt to dance Thai-style so that everyone else can have a good laugh and forget how uncomfortable sitting on the floor can be.

But Wait! There’s more! After your meal and after watching the cultural performance you can move to a nearby barn to watch even more traditional Thai dancing. More of the local tribal version than that of the royal court, it’s a fascinating look at how hill tribe ladies learned that blocking move they exhibit at the night bazaar, the one that manages to keep them directly in your path until you buy something from them. Which a few of the dancers practice in trying to get a tip out of you before you leave.

The best part of the evening is that if you took a tuk-tuk, there’s a McDonalds a mere two minutes from the venue. And just a few minutes further into town you can experience a total different type of traditional Thai dancing at any one of a number of gogo bars.

I feel sorry for the dancers if a Samoan tourist ever decides to drop by the Old Chiang Mai Cultural Center’s Khan Toke Dinner and Cultural Show.

If you enjoy visiting Jim Thompson’s House Of Silk For Sale, a traditional khan toke dinner show is probably right for you. And there are worse ways of spending your time in Chiang Mai. Like visiting an ‘authentic’ Hill Tribe village. But there are plenty of restaurants serving much better Thai food, and you can always get some take-out and eat it sitting on the floor of your hotel room.

The Old Chiang Mai Cultural Center’s Khan Toke Dinner and Cultural Show is held nightly starting at 7pm. The dancing begins around 8 and the after show dance performance lasts about 30 minutes. Depending on where you buy your tickets, dinner, with one free non-alcoholic drink will run you 500 to 600 baht per person. But attending the dinner show and keeping your bar boy happy, as MasterCard likes to say, is priceless. As for boyfriends, promise he might get to ride an elephant the next day and you may still get lucky after your meal.

Related Posts You Might Enjoy:
Thai Dining Fit For A Queen	Give Us This Day	What Thais Do To A Taco

Stalking The Elusive Elephant Experience In Chiang Mai

17 Monday Nov 2014

Posted by Bangkokbois in Tips

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Attractions, Chiang Mai

Because who doesn’t love elephants?

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve traveled to Thailand with my friend Dave, who (if you’ve been following this blog you know) has more recently had that all important ‘boy’ designation added to the almost as important ‘friend’. My fist visit to the kingdom was with Dave, as were the next several in fact. We never made it out of Bangkok back then, and seldom made it out of Patpong either. There was no reason to. We were there for the nightlife, and in those days Patpong offered all the nightlife your system could handle.

Patpong’s night market was part of the scene in those days, but not the main focus as it has become over the years. Outside of the stalls crammed cheek to jowl down the middle of the street, shopping options revolved around booze and sex. Even then Patpong wasn’t the red light district it had once been, but then neither was it the blue light special it has since become. The naughty bars were primarily upstairs venues; street side beer bars were the name of the game and we spent most nights making the rounds up Patpong 1, down Patpong 2, and back again, drinking our way along the route. We never took the time to visit a wat. Or a museum. Or any of the myriad attractions that visitors to Thailand should. Our biggest adventure outside of Patpong was a night spent on Soi Cowboy. And even that excursion waited until our third or fourth trip to The Land of Smiles.

Over the years our visits together became less frequent. By the time we hit the Big Mango together again I’d developed my obsession with checking out every wat that crossed my path, and the only time I bothered to spend in Patpong proper was in cutting through it when moving from Soi 4 to Soi Twilight. When we did finally land in Thailand together again, Dave only agreed to visiting his first wat because I lied and told him he could get a beer there. But because my horizons had broadened, his did too. Or maybe it was just that as he aged his liver demanded an occasional time-out.

Dave’s love affair with elephants in Thailand is self-explanatory.

We just visited the kingdom again, this time as a couple, and spent a few days in Chiang Mai for the Yee Peng celebrations. Dave, as I had expected him to, had a list of bars he wanted to visit. He also had a non-alcoholic excursion planned, which I hadn’t expected. We’d barely checked into our hotel before he announced, “I wanna ride an elephant.”

Huh. And he wasn’t even drunk yet.

Visiting one of the elephant camps and taking your turn on one of the beasts’ backs is something I’d assume every visitor to Chiang Mai does. It sounds like a lot of fun. It’s not. Kinda like spending the night with a ladyboy, the reality is just never gonna live up to the expectation. It would be different if it was riding an elephant as opposed to riding on an elephant (and I don’t mean a fat ladyboy although that too probably works out the same). But the reality of riding on an elephant in Chiang Mai is an uncomfortable wood bench strapped onto the back of a bored beast who slowly plods along a well-beaten path following too closely behind another bored beast with another bored farang strapped to its back. It’s good for about five minutes of the 15 minute minimum ride option, and the most memorable thing about your excursion is when the elephant in front of your takes a dump.

Noom, my bar boy friend (who, if you’ve been following this blog you know has always had that all important white space between his designation of ‘boy’ and ‘friend’) was with us in Chiang Mai and was just as quick to change the subject when Dave brought up riding an elephant as was I. He too had been there and done that. On our first visit to Chiang Mai, he too wanted to ride an elephant. And agreed afterwards that riding on a elephant wasn’t all that. He’d also been along for the ride when accompanying other friends to Chiang Mai, who also felt their lives would not be complete without taking a turn on an elephant’s back. So it took longer for me to explain my plan on dealing with Dave’s elephant desires than it did for him to agree to being a co-conspirator in making sure that dream never came true.

Looking for the elephant experience in Chiang Mai? Just follow the hard to miss signs.

Elephants are an integral part of Thailand’s history. And even if you never get near an elephant camp (which was Noom’s and my intention) elephants are an integral part of any visitor’s trip to the kingdom. They are everywhere. Even on the ‘look I went to Thailand’ t-shirt you buy as a souvenir. In fact, someone has glued an elephant on pretty much any souvenir you buy in Thailand. Even back when Dave and I never made it outside of Patpong, the elephant experience was part of your visit. Back then, before it became illegal to do so (wink, wink) some enterprising elephant owner would stroll through the area with an elephant, selling bananas for tourists to buy to feed the poor beast. We’d learned your best interaction with an elephant on the streets of Bangkok was to not to – when those suckers decide to urinate, the entire block gets drenched.

Generally, I think the Thai insistence that whenever anyone thinks of Thailand they think of elephants to be over-kill. But when you are trying to avoid the actual experience of a face-to-face encounter with one, that’s a good thing. Noom decided his contribution to that goal would be to pretend Dave’s desire to ride one meant that Dave loved elephants And the best way to do that was to point out every elephant we encountered. “Look! Elephant!” became his rallying cry every time an elephant appeared, none of which were living examples of the ubiquitous beast.

We only made it through half of the Sunday Night Market thanks to Noom having to point out every elephant painting, sculpture, carving, decal, plush toy, and tchotchke he spotted. The Yee Peng lanterns we set afloat into the sky had to be sent flying while we stood next to one of the elephant statues at the moat by Tha Pae Gate. Dave (and by Dave I mean Noom and Dave, of course) got their picture taken standing in front of an elephant float during one of the Yee Peng parades. And Noom was crushed that he couldn’t find an elephant themed Krathong to float down the Ping river. Even though Dave offered to donate the small elephant statue Noom had bought for him with my wallet to the cause.

Chiang Mai’s Elephant Parade House can be even more fun than riding on one.

Dave is a big guy, standing well over six feet. Now in his late 40s, he’s packed on a bit of weight. So it was only my stern look at Noom that prevented a disaster and kept him from singing out, “Look! Elephant!” again on our first morning in Chiang Mai when Dave came strolling out of the shower naked. No problemo. The thought alone was enough to send Noom into a fit of giggles.

My efforts took the much more non-Thai (meaning subtle) approach of using Google to find elephant experience options in Chiang Mai that didn’t include encountering a real, live elephant. And as trip-planning ideas go, it wasn’t a bad move. Instead of hitting the attractions Noom and I had relied on in showing off Chiang Mai in the past, I found several new attractions worthy of the tourist experience in Chiang Mai. Art In Paradise, which I posted about last week, was one of them (they had a 3D, interactive Elephant painting, which was the initial must do elephants draw). And Dave (and by Dave I mean Noom and Dave, of course) got their picture taken standing in front it. Which was still cheaper and vastly more entertaining than riding on one.

Dave’s no slouch in the brains department, so by our second day in town he figured out what Noom and I were up to and put his foot down. “I don’t want to see an elephant. I don’t want to buy elephant souvenirs. I don’t want to spend the rest of this trip listening to Noom yelling, ‘Look! Elephant!’ I want to be with an elephant, one-on-one. Me. The elephant. Together. Get it?”

“Look! Elephant!”

Got it. Dave wanted the interactive experience of communing with a pachyderm. And since the lucky man has the world’s best boyfriend, that’s exactly what he got. Our next stop on the Chiang Mai Elephant Tour was the Elephant Parade House, a small venue tucked away in Chiang Mai Land just south of the Night Bazaar off Chang Klan Road. Part boutique, part workshop, part learning center, it’s the permanent home cum money maker for Elephant Parade, an artistic globe-spanning non-profit dedicated to raising awareness for the cause of elephant conservation and the main benefactor for The Asian Elephant Foundation.

Even if you are not familiar with Chiang Mai’s Elephant Parade House, you probably are with Elephant Parade, which has deployed some 1,000 life-size elephant statues created by over 100 Thai and international artists around the world, including on the streets of Amsterdam, London, Singapore, Milan, and Copenhagen, among others. It’s massive art for the masses that delights the citizens of every city where one of their open-air exhibitions have been held, and each concludes with an auction of the fanciful painted statues, some of which find a permanent home in the city where they were paraded.

Located in a modern, three-story shop house, Elephant Parade House features some full-size replicas of the elephant statues that have been part of one of the parades, along with smaller replicas that you can (of course) purchase. The second floor is a learning center that does a good job of explaining why elephant conservation is important, without getting preachy. But the real draw of the place is upstairs where for a mere 600 to 1,000 baht you can paint your very own elephant statue. Dave, who was still holding out for riding one, was not impressed. Until Noom began letting his inner artist flow free. And then, being the competitive bastard that he is, got busy painting his own.

What could be better than riding on an elephant? Painting one. Or pounding back a few while painting one.

Helpful staff circulates freely among the budding artists, ready to lend a helping hand so that your work of art doesn’t end up being something only your mother could love. That’s probably a great boon to the kids who give a new meaning to the art of finger painting. For adults acting like children, not so much. Dave, working on his ode to Wolverine (seriously, don’t ask) offered a deep-throated growl in response to the first helpful hint a staff member suggested to him. Which put a quick end to any further assistance being sent his way. Noom made up for that by constantly asking for more gold for his Ganesha-inspired work of art, which may have helped explain the staff’s willingness to keep supplying us with yet another round of Chang Beer (which Noom insisted on Dave ordering instead of his usual, Singha, so Noom could point out the elephant on the label).

Two hours and 3,000 baht later (because size always matters) we had a trio of artistic, half-foot tall laughably painted pachyderms. Noom, being the great guy that he is, promptly presented the one he’d painted to Dave as a gift. Which I’m sure had nothing to do with the coveted free space in his luggage, reserved for hauling stuff he really wanted back home to Bangkok. But that still left the elephant in the room – Dave’s desire to ride one – unresolved, with a mere two days of our time in Chiang Mai left. Huh. You’ll be surprised at how many non-riding elephant experiences there are in Chiang Mai. As was Dave.

Related Posts You Might Enjoy:
The Elephant Experience In Thailand	25 Uses For A Dead Elephant	Bangkok’s Erawan Museum and the Three-Headed Elephant

A Day of Pretense That’s Not About How Much He Lubs You

10 Monday Nov 2014

Posted by Bangkokbois in Tips

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Attractions, Chiang Mai

Forget your favorite gogo bar, Art In Paradise is the best place to fulfill your fantasies in Thailand.

“I lie you”
“You hansum man”
‘”I lub you”

The standard repertoire of bar boys in Thailand has been taken as the god’s honest truth by many a punter over the years. Believing what your ears tell you is the first step down the slippery slope of falling in love with a bar boy and part of the experience that causes many visitors to return to the kingdom again and again. The illusion of love is a siren’s song hard to resist, at least until someone’s water buffalo dies and your ATM account gets tired of hearing that you need more money. But if that’s your typical experience in the Land of Smiles, and your wallet is groaning, “Not another trip to Thailand!” you may want to head up to Chiang Mai. There’s a new museum dedicated to your expert-level ability of suspending disbelief. And at only 300 baht, it’s the cheapest day filled with pretense and illusion you’ll ever have in the kingdom.

Art in Paradise is billed as the world’s largest interactive 3D experience. So at least they are consistent with their attraction’s theme.

Thailand has perfected the art of illusion. In fact, their political landscape relies upon it. Being the sanuk loving folk that they are, the Thais allow visitors to get in on the fun too. You can pretend you’re getting a real bargain by haggling over prices at a night market, fake that you’re an adventure traveler while trying to stay awake riding on an elephant’s back, and convince yourself of your bravery by squaring off with a wild tiger face to face, even if one of those faces is so pumped full of sedatives the only real danger is that it might fall asleep on top of you. And now in Chiang Mai there’s a new attraction filled with illusions. The first of which is that it calls itself a museum. It’s not. It’s more of an amusement park. Where your brain gets to go on all the rides.

Art In Paradise is a three-storey, interactive theme park filled with giant waves to surf, dinosaurs to battle, dolphins to feed, and flowing fields of lava to pick your way across. Not to mention a two times as large as a human roll of toilet paper that you’ll be glad to see if you tried a bit too much of the street food at the Walking Street market the night before. You can visit Angkor Wat, Venice, and Egypt; become one with a masterpiece by Van Gogh, or have your photo taken interacting with a elephant without having to actually spend an hour riding one. But it’s all an illusion. Just like calling the exhibits there art. Or its location paradise. Or the admission fee it charges 300 baht. ‘Cuz locals get in for only 180. No problemo. It may be the best not 180 baht you spend in Chiang Mai.

Continuing that theme, while Art in Paradise is an attraction in Thailand, it’s not Thai. It’s the brain-child of Jang Kyu Suk, a South Korean artist. And it’s filled with the work of fourteen other South Korean artists. Some 130 of them. But your boy du jour will lub the place, and even if you are not a member of the Instagram generation, you’ll snap quite a few cool selfies yourself. Provided you bring a camera. Or as they are now known in the real word, cell phones. Because that’s the genius of the place. It’s not about using 3D Art to provide a realistic version of the unreal. It’s about you having your photo taken. Again and again and again. The attraction even provides directions showing you the best place to take photos or explaining how to interact to get the optimum 3-D effect in the photos you take.

Better yet, let the art inspire you and then watch all the other tourists copy your pose of peeing in the water a giraffe is drinking from, or rimming the subject of a Renaissance painting. In fact, the place probably could up its visitor count by renaming itself 130 Silly Things You Can Do With Your Penis. But then you probably already did 128 of those things while visiting Soi Twilight in Bangkok.

The reality of Art In Paradise is the $10 it costs to enter. And that it is a waste of money if you don’t have something with you to capture a few pix. Many of the exhibits require that you remove your shoes before entering, just like at most wats in town, so wear something on your feet easily removed. And you’ll have lots more fun interacting with a friend or two than by yourself, although from personal experience I’ll tell you that going with not one but two narcissists isn’t the best idea. Although watching them try to out-pose each other can be fun. At least for the first hour. On the other hand, that’s an hour or two you won’t spend listening to someone whine about having to visit yet another wat. And you pretending you didn’t hear them.

Located in a shopping mall pretending it’s not defunct right on Changklan Road in between the Shangri La and Empress hotels, Art In Paradise is easy to find. Or if you want to get into the spirit of things early, you can book a package tour that includes a stop at the attraction while pretending you are a traveler and not just another tourist. You can also visit the attraction’s website – http://www.chiangmai-artinparadise.com – for an incredible example of the illusion of someone who speaks English. Or afterwards, stop in their cafe for the illusion of a dining experience where money is no object. But the real fun is in actually visiting the place and having your photo taken doing all the things you didn’t do while visiting Chiang Mai.

Forget stopping off at Tiger Kingdom and facing the very real threat of being mauled by a tiger, your selfie at Art In Paradise of a 3D tiger attacking you is a safer option. And while there may have been too many tourists crowding the site to get a good shot of you ringing the bells at Doi Suthep, they’ve been recreated sans the crowds at Art In Paradise. There’s a thousand baht note on one of the walls your boy du jour will spend hours trying to remove just like he does with those in your wallet, and the depths of a beautiful swimming pool to cool off in await at Art In Paradise, unlike the water feature your hotel tried to pass off as a pool.

You can do the elephant experience in Thailand thingy at Art in Paradise, do some deep-sea diving, enjoy a visit with pandas – and actually see a few unlike a visit to the panda exhibit at the Chiang Mai Zoo, and have your photo taken with a Hill-Tribe child in full costume without having to shell over a handful of baht for that pleasure. About the only Thailand experience you won’t get to interact with at Art In Paradise is ladyboys. But then they are an illusion best experienced in reality anyway.

Art in Paradise Chiang Mai is open daily from 9:00 am until 10:00pm; it is suggested you plan on spending at least two hours to see all the exhibits. As mentioned, adult farang admission is 300 baht, your boy du jour’s will only run you 180. Unless you are a fan of Sunee Plaza and are pretending he is of legal age – children get in for 120 baht.

Related Posts You Might Enjoy:
Just Another Roadside Attraction: Thailand’s Top 10 Tourist Traps	Here’s a Novel Idea	Looks Like It’s That Time Of The Month Again

The Top 10 Wats In Chiang Mai

08 Tuesday Jul 2014

Posted by Bangkokbois in Wats of Thailand

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

Chiang Mai, Wats

There are many reasons why people visit Thailand, but for most it is to tour as many wats as they can possibly squeeze into their trip.

There are a lot of Top Ten lists floating around the internet for those planning a trip to Bangkok. For those whose journey will take them outside of Thailand’s capital city, not so much. Which for some destinations makes sense. For Phuket visitors the only list needed is the Top Ten Phuket Scams, but then part of the fun in being victimized by locals is not knowing you are participating in a scam until your wallet has been appropriately emptied. Ahhh, good times. And while I’m sure someone has come up with a Top Ten list for Pattaya, there’s only one reason anyone goes to Thailand’s version of Sin City. So that’s a list with nine suggestions that no one is interested in.

Of course, the only reason anyone visits Chiang Mai is to reap the rewards of visiting the plethora of wats the town has to offer. The Rose of the North has some 300 temples within its borders. And that’s a hell of a lot of merit making going on. Sure, first time visitors to Chiang Mai are interested in other activities too, like riding an elephant. Fortunately the most popular elephant camp includes a small shrine on its grounds. Which comes in handy for saying a prayer: Please god don’t let me ever waste my vacation time doing something as stupid and boring as taking a half hour long elephant ride again. In fact, there are a lot of things you can do in Chiang Mai where afterwards you’ll be seeking out the closest temple to beseech the gods to never let you do something as stupid as that again. Like paying to pee your pants on the Flight of the Gibbon ride. Or hitting the zoo for the Night Safari only to discover some of the creatures of the night featured on that tour are ladyboys.

But with so many wats to choose from it’s difficult for a first-time visitor to know which are worth checking out and which even the locals don’t bother with. And it’s not like you can rely on the advice on Trip Advisor ‘cuz those people haven’t a clue and think Tiger Kingdom is some kind of a Buddhist holy hot spot. Not that that’s entirely their fault. Every time a tourist gets mauled people start screaming, “Oh my god!” No problemo. After years of visiting Chiang Mai and spending most of those visits wandering from one temple to the next, I can tell you which wats you need to see, why you should see them, and when the best time is to visit each. So I will:

Doi Suthep, The Wat No One Calls A Temple

1. No, Really, It’s Not Another Wat.

AKA: Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, or Doi Suthep when you are trying to avoid using the W word.

WHY: Because yes, if everyone else jumped off a bridge, you would too.

WHEN: When your travel partner(s) start whining that the are wat-ted out.

TRIVIA: When Wat Phra That Doi Suthep was established, its location was selected by sending a white elephant up the hill loaded with important Buddha relics. The elephant died. Because as everyone knows, overweight animals attempting to scale tall mountains never ends well. You say dead elephant, the Thais said looks like a good spot to build a temple. So they did. Unsuspecting touri come close to accomplishing a similar feat when climbing the 2.8 million stairs to get to the temple. Knowledgeable visitors pay 50 baht to take the elevator.

WAT: Many wats have lots of gold, lots of Buddhas, and a large gong to strike. But most are not built on a hill top overlooking Chiang Mai. So there’s the view. There’s also numerous opportunities to purchase lotus blossoms, candles, and incense to make merit – you are supposed to walk around the main stupa three times carrying them (and probably thinking good thoughts instead of how hot it is walking around the stupa three times). Trailblazer or not, please walk in the same direction as everyone else; Buddha is not known for his sense of humor. For the less athletic, you can also buy a brass bell, write your name on its bodhi leaf-shaped clapper, and hang it wherever in the wat you’d like – institutionalized graffiti is cool with Buddha as long as you shelled out some baht first.

Mad Monks in the underground, how can you go wrong?

2. Spelunking in Chiang Mai.

AKA: Wat U-Mong

WHY: Caves

WHEN: Early, before the caves get stiflingly hot.

TRIVIA: Legend – which is the Thai word for rumor – has it that the tunnels – which is the English word for the Thai word ‘caves’ – were built because there was a mad monk living at Wat U-Mong and they needed a place for him to wander where he would not get lost. In America, the faithful would have given him his own television station.

WAT: This is another good not-a-wat to fool your whining friends with. Tell them you are going on a picnic instead. There is a nice little lake where you can earn merit feeding fish (if you haven’t yet figured it out, earning merit always cost money) and the tunnels are kinda cool. There’s also a unique Buddha statue that looks more like the alien from Alien than Buddha (though come to think of it, it looks a bit like Sigourney Weaver does these days too), and a graveyard for Buddhists images that people broke or no longer wanted. And like at many wats in Thailand there is religious art on display at Wat U-Mong: don’t miss the dogs playing poker poster or you’ll be kicking yourself later.

Bling is always good for your soul.

3. All That Glitters Is Not Gold. Or Silver For That Matter.

AKA: Wat Sri Suphan

WHY: Lots of silver and an under-construction ubosot that women are not allowed in ‘cuz they are unclean.

WHEN: When you wandered too far and found yourself outside of the moat.

TRIVIA: Known among farang as The Silver Wat, this area was once a village that specialized in making silver ornaments and jewelry. The main drag out in front of the wat now specializes in selling silver made elsewhere to dumb touri who don’t know they can buy it cheaper at the Night Bazaar (where they specialize in selling silver plated jewelry in Tiffany boxes because they know the touri there are dumb too).

WAT: Wat Sri Suphan is on the road where the Saturday Night Market is held. I’ll let you guess when that market occurs. They usually have special merit making activities available on market night ‘cuz even monks know farang spend money foolishly. But it’s better to visit during the day when you can watch local craftsmen hammer out the not-silver they are building their silver ubosot out of. There’s lots of baby monks around this wat too. But for fans of Pattaya, please note Buddha does not approve of molesting baby monks. That’s why he made Sunee Plaza.

They always hide the good stuff.

4. The Wat Of 1,000 Names

AKA: Wat Jed Rin (and 999 other monikers).

WHY: Buddha Balls!

WHEN: When you accidentally ended up at Wat Sri Suphan because you wandered too far and found yourself outside of the moat, and now need to make the long walk back into town.

TRIVIA: Also known as Wat Nong Chalin, as well as every possible variation on the spelling of Jed Rin, the coronation ceremony of King Mekut Sutthiwong took place in this temple in the sixteenth century. But since King Mekut was responsible for surrendering the city to the Burmese, its not like he’s one of the more popular historical Chiang Mai rulers among locals. They’re not really fond of the Burmese either.

WAT: There’s not one but three large gongs to strike, large Buddha balls to whack, a small temple to ignore, and the coolest little monk enclave across a rickety bridge spanning a small pond out back. In fact it is the picture postcard rural monk life that makes this wat a must-do. That and that no other touri will be there. Which is a good thing ‘cuz then you’ll not get any disapproving frowns when you whack the Buddha balls (although if a monk sees you he’ll probably laugh ‘cuz whacking balls translates into any language). There’s also a cool Buddha head in the courtyard that looks like those at The Bayon in Cambodia. So if you didn’t make it to Siem Reap you can take a photo here instead and then tell everyone back home you went to Angkor Wat. Which sounds a lot more exciting than, “I visited 10 Buddhist temples in Chiang Mai.”

Even Buddha knows what penis envy is.

5. Wat Size Matters

AKA: Wat Chedi Luang

WHY: ‘Cuz if you don’t everyone else who has been to Chiang Mai will ask you if you visited Wat Chedi Luang and when you say no they’ll look at you with pity.

WHEN: At night. Because you can then ask everyone else whose been to Chiang Mai if they visited Wat Chedi Luang at night and when they say no you can look at them with pity.

TRIVIA: There are several stories about why the wat’s famous large chedi is crumbling, the best being it was destroyed by cannon fire back in the 1500s when Burma beat Thailand 2 to 1. Although the truth is probably that Thais are not real big on preventive maintenance. The famous Emerald Buddha was once enshrined here too, but since it is not made of real emerald let’s not act like we really care.

WAT: Out front there is a large, beautiful wiharn. Out back there’s a beautiful, large chedi. But everyone really comes to Wat Chedi Luang to chat with monks. Fortunately they are young ones who need to practice their English so they are not big on scolding you for your own religious beliefs (uh, so please return that favor). And in case you missed the unclean women ban at the Silver Wat, there’s a small sign at a small building up front that says the same, though if I remember right this one actually mentions bleeding. If you are visiting with fish, make sure you take that sign in before chatting with the monks ‘cuz they’ll be so pissed they can’t talk and you’ll actually be able to get a few words in yourself.

Nighttime is the right time for makin’ merit.

6. The Wat of 1,000 Kilns

AKA: Wat Phan Tao

WHY: Because it is next door to Wat Chedi Luang.

WHEN: Hmmmm, let’s see . . . I just told you to visit Wat Chedi Luang at night, and Wat Phan Tao is right next door, so . . .

TRIVIA: What? The 1,000 kiln thingy isn’t enough?

WAT: I’d tell ya the cool thing about Wat Phan Tao is that it is built entirely out of teak, but I’m not that big of a nerd. And I hope you are not either. But it does have a mass of Buddhist flags, and a long line of large bells to make noise with. And even cool people enjoy doing something that is usually frowned on in houses of worship. Come around just after dinner-time and the wiharn is filled with monks chanting, which makes for a great photo op guaranteed to make all your friends back home green with envy. And isn’t that what international travel is really all about? On the downside, when the monks are chanting no one can hear the ruckus you are making with those bells. (By the way, if you are looking for the 1,000 kilns the wat is named for, there are none. See? The Buddha does have a sense of humor!)

Pass me another Singha.

7. Lions, and Tigers, and . . .

AKA: Wat Phra Singh

WHY: Because after Wat Doi Suthep Wat Phra Singh is considered the most important, most venerated, and holiest temple in Chiang Mai. Kidding: It’s about the baby monks.

WHEN: Monk feeding time.

TRIVIA: Wat Phra Singh is known as the temple of the Lion Buddha, which, depending on your generation may stir thoughts of either Judy Garland or Simba, but the joke is on you ‘cuz there are no lions in Thailand and the Phra Buddha Singh which the temple derives its name from looks nothing like a lion. The joke is also on the Thais ‘cuz as holy as the Buddha image is there are two other temples in Thailand that claim they have the real Phra Buddha Singh. Yes, the Thais will even knock-off designer Buddhas. In any case, the Phra Buddha Singh at Wat Phra Singh may only be a copy anyway ‘cuz rumor has it that someone stole its head back in 1922.

WAT: Yeah, yeah, Royal temple of the first grade, mucho sacred 1,500 year old Buddha statue, blah, blah, blah. Watching the 1.8 million baby monks scarfing down lunch inside the main wiharn is the true draw at Wat Phra Singh. There’s also a cool set of gardens out back with trees bearing little Buddhist thoughts (just in case you were thinking of molesting some little Buddhists and need something else top think about) and while there is no official monk chat program here you’ll often find a few sitting in this area ~~goofing off~~ studying their scriptures in the shade who will readily join you in a conversation. There’s also a small Reclining Buddha statue worth checking out behind the garden and unlike the larger one in Bangkok there’s no admission fee. Take a close-up photo and no one will ever know the difference.

Forget feeding monks, it’s time to stuff your belly in the name of Buddha.

8. Pigging Out Is A Form Of Merit Making Too

AKA: Wat Phan On

WHY: Fried bananas in coconut sauce.

WHEN: About a dozen times during the Sunday Night Market.

TRIVIA: One of the most significant moments in the Buddha’s life was the first time he ate freshly fired bananas in coconut sauce. Okay, I’m not really that familiar with the life of Buddha, but trust me, the fried bananas at Wat Phan On are truly a religious experience that will prove to you there is in fact a god. BTW, did you know the banana tree is not actually a tree but a herb? Okay, did you know when wild banana trees grow in a small condominium project in Hawaii greedy residents steal the bananas while they are still green so that none of their neighbors can have any? Okay, so I have issues . . .

WAT: Located at the front party of the Sunday Night Market, Wat Phan On is a great place to start your night’s grazing. Many of the wats along the street open their courtyards to food vendors, but only this one makes a real go of it. There’s lots of picnic tables to sit at and lots of food to try. And it’s cheap. There’s also a shiny gold chedi in the courtyard, just in case you think you needed to prove your visit was spiritual in nature. But seriously, in case I failed to mention it, this one is all about the fried bananas in coconut sauce.

Lions and tigers and . . . okay how about elephants and naga then.

9. Wat Monkuccino

AKA: Wat Lok Molee

WHY: Because it is not Wat Chiang Man.

WHEN: When everyone else in town is visiting Wat Chiang Man.

TRIVIA: Sure the not far away Wat Chiang Mai is the oldest temple in the city. But the Buddha used the outhouse at Wat Lok Molee. Okay, so I made that up. But considering how many temples claim to have a hunk of the Buddha, it’s not that far-fetched. Plus now that it is on the internet other people will repeat that story and in ten years when I visit the wat again they’ll have a large sign saying ‘The Buddha Shat Here’.

WAT: Just in case you were beginning to think the only reason I visit wats is for the food, I should mention there is a cool little outdoor coffee shop at Wat Lok Molee. But the elephant sculpture made from large pieces of driftwood out back are even cooler. Especially if you check them out while sipping on a mocha frappuccino. If the thought of Wat Phan Tao being built of teak got to you, then you’ll probably be orgasmic over the idea that Wat Lok Molee is aligned along a north-south axis when Buddhist temples are generally oriented more towards the East and the rising sun. The rest of us have no idea what direction north is anyway. But do know what a large chedi is when we see one, and there’s one of impressive size at Wat Lok Molee. The wat also looks like Walt Disney had a hand in designing it; there’s lots of fanciful creatures found throughout its grounds. So smoking a bowl before you visit is a plus. And the coffee shop sells munchies too, Just in case.

I see dead Buddhist people

10. Nothing says enlightenment like dead monks and sinners roasting in hell.

AKA: Wat Tung Yu

WHY: Dead Monks.

WHEN: When your pockets are full of worthless Thai coins and you need to get rid of them before your pants fall down.

TRIVIA: If you think making bad puns using the word ‘wat’ is fun, just think of what you can do with ‘tung yu’. Of course doing so probably means you are going to hell, but since Wat Tung Yu has murals depicting the bloody eternal torment suffered by tortured sinners in hell, you should feel right at home. Even more so if you come to this temple just to see paintings of naked people brandishing sharp pointy things. Uh, huh. Now who’s wat-ted out?

WAT: Not that Sylvester Stallone isn’t needy these days too, but you can pay $15 bucks to visit Madame Tussaud’s in Bangkok, or instead there’s a pavilion at the front of Wat Tung Yu with a bunch of wax Monks figures holding bowls you can make offerings to (aka dumping your worthless change). So we’re talking not only making merit, but coming out of the deal $14 to the good too. But save some of those coins and then slowly count them out like an old woman at your neighborhood grocery store’s express lane check-out counter inside where you can write your name on a wooden shingle that will be used to re-roof neighboring wats. Because unlike at home, graffiti at a Thai temple is considered sacred instead of sacrilege (though the less religious may claim it just shows you what Thais will tolerate for a fistful of baht).

Yes, I did not include the White Wat on this list. Because it is not IN Chiang Mai. And it is already overrun by touri. So please cross that temple off your list so I can enjoy it in peace the next time I visit.

Related Posts You Might Enjoy:
Buddhism 101: Buddhist Balls	Bonus Shot: A Little Head @ Wat U-Mong	Wat Sri Suphan: Chiang Mai’s Silver Wat

Wat Chedi Luang @ Night

19 Thursday Jun 2014

Posted by Bangkokbois in Wats of Thailand

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

Chiang Mai, Wats

Chiang Mai’s Wat Chedi Luang is one of the more popular temples among visitors because of its accessible location and because in all things size matters. It ginormous chedi makes it a favorite must-see and its well-publicized monk chat program makes the temple a favorite must-do too. For the totally clueless, local tour operators offer a visit on their City Temple Tour programs, and for the braver touri – or at least those not directionally challenged – there are numerous ‘self-guided’ walking tours of the old city that include a stop at the wat on their itineraries. There are other wats within the city that offer monk chat programs too, other wats nearby that are far more spectacular, historically significant, and/or that house Buddha images or relics that rate higher among the faithful. But Wat Chedi Luang reigns supreme in tourist numbers, just behind Doi Suthep, which pulls huge numbers in partially because few mention that it is in fact just another wat, albeit one with an incredible mountain-top view of the city.

As popular as Wat Chedi Luang and a few other temples within the city are, with the exception of Doi Suthep your visit is seldom marred by a horde of your fellow touri descending on the place in mass. Which is a good thing. Even if it is not your religion temples are meant for quiet reflection. Having to elbow your way through a crowd to catch a peak of the Buddha is not the best way to experience any religious site. Except perhaps the Vatican. There are times during the day when the more popular wats are most popular, but those hours are often the same that any self-respecting touri is still in bed. Sure you may miss out on giving alms to the early morning parade of Buddhist monks, but there are temples that hold afternoon alms giving sessions too. And if you really feel your visit to Thailand would not be complete without chatting with a monk, just like other human beings you’ll find them much more talkative, not to mention awake, if you chat them up after lunch rather than when their little brains are still trying to wake up; caffeine is a no-no for baby monks so they have to rely on their body’s own abilities to get the same kick that Starbuck’s provides to you.

There is a lot to do and see in Chiang Mai. Your days can easily become quite crowded trying to fit everything in. To a point where you need a vacation from your vacation. And while many of those activities are strictly daytime events, and although touring temples is geared towards doing so while the sun shines, hitting a wat or two at night can free up more time for riding elephants, being mauled by a tiger that wasn’t as drugged as its handlers thought, or visiting the Disneyland version of a hilltribe village. Huh. Come to think about it spending your daytime hours catching up on your sleep might be a better way of spending your afternoons in Chiang Mai anyway.

The first time I visited Wat Chedi Luang was at night. Although that didn’t really count. We wandered into its forecourt during a visit to the Sunday Night Market, took a quick peak inside the wiharn, and then went back to shopping not having a clue about what the temple had to offer. I stumbled upon the wat again during another trip still not knowing about its humongous chedi out back. But since that visit was during the day and the path toward the rear better lit I did manage to discover the chedi and then – as I’m wont to do – looked the temple up on Google after the fact. It wasn’t until several years and several trips later that I decided to check out the wat at night again. And not on a Sunday night when the entire area is a mass of humanity.

There are no monks to chat with at night, and the wat’s grounds are dark and poorly lit. Except for the chedi bathed in a yellow glow. It’s an even more impressive sight at night. And generally, you have the entire place to yourself. All of the smaller chapels that line the perimeter of the chedi are open at night too and those that house waxen images of (I guess) famous monks take on an even eerier glow after dark. It’d be a great place to take your kids for Halloween, or whenever you needed to scare them into behaving. The reclining Buddha looks much better at night too, you even forget to compare it to the larger one at Wat Pho. And there are no vendors trying to sell you a caged bird to free – so you get both peace and quiet and the bonus karma points of not participating in a merit making activity that the Buddha would rather you didn’t participate in in the first place.

The large wiharn at the front of the temple’s grounds has an entirely different feel to it at night too. The gold used throughout really shimmers in the light and the massive pillars that lead to and flank the main altar seem even more grandiose. I have to assume, as I did, those who make an unplanned visit to the wat at night never realize there’s so much more to be seen further back. A large sign, something like Big Chedi with an arrow, would help ‘cuz the path leading deeper into the grounds is just part of a driveway and doesn’t look like it really goes anywhere special. But then again maybe that would encourage too many nighttime visits and the wat’s ambiance at night would change.

Of course there is the Night Safari at the Chiang Mai Zoo for competition, and they have ladyboys. So nighttime temple hopping may never really catch on. But if you make the effort, quite a few of the more spectacular wats within the city light up their grounds when the sun goes down and provide a completely different experience for visitors. Which is a nice change from hanging out at the Night Bazaar again.

Related Posts You Might Enjoy:
Speaking Nav’i at Wat Chedi Luang in Chiang Mai	Monk Shot #16	Wat Phan Tao: Yi Peng’s Oasis of Tranquility

7 Shots: Of Shade

27 Thursday Mar 2014

Posted by Bangkokbois in 7 Shots

≈ Comments Off on 7 Shots: Of Shade

Tags

Bangkok, Cambodia, Chiang Mai, Luang Prabang, Malaysia & Indonesia & Singapore, Photography

I’m beginning to think that salty old cuss I met in Penang who represented himself as a professional photographer was less of a camera buff and more of a mind-fucker extraordinaire. His advice that all one needed to take were seven shots of . . . well, he never quite qualified that little detail. But he was adamant about the quantity. That seemed too restrictive of a rule to me then, and it still does today. But it still sticks in my mind. The bastard. There’s a good reason your mother told you to never talk to strangers.

My 7 Shots series of posts was supposed to pay homage to that ideal. And provide me with an excuse to post some of my travel shots. Not to mention make for a quick and easy article. Today’s started off being a selection of photos from my (far too many) visits to the Umbrella Village in Chiang Mai. A major part of any Handcraft Tour, it’s one of those things you are supposed to do as a touri there. Kinda liked visiting an elephant camp and taking a ride. Neither quite measures up to the hype. But both provide lots of good photo ops. I probably should have gone with the elephants.

One thing leads to another and the umbrella idea quickly turned into tons of photos from SE Asia, all featuring an umbrella. Mad dogs and Englishman aside, I never considered how ubiquitous umbrellas are in the region. Even when it is not the rainy season. Photography-wise, I have enough shots to do seven posts of umbrellas alone. Which you probably should take as a warning.

Today’s ended up with a photo from Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Bali, Phnom Penh, Angkor Wat, and Luang Prabang (in that order if ya needed to know). If that bastard had allowed for eight, there’d be one from Phuket too. But hey, I’ve got at least six more 7 Shots posts to go. So stay tuned.

Now if I can just find an Ubiquitous Plastic Stool Shot! with an umbrella in it my life will be complete. Throw in a monk and I’d never have to post under this heading again.

Related Posts You Might Enjoy:
7 Shots: The Best Of The Best – #4	Bonus Shot: Along Cambodia Roads	7 Shots: Where’s Buddha?

Chiang Mai’s Wat Phabong Needs A New Location

11 Tuesday Feb 2014

Posted by Bangkokbois in Wats of Thailand

≈ Comments Off on Chiang Mai’s Wat Phabong Needs A New Location

Tags

Chiang Mai, Wats

You won’t run across many visitors or monks at Wat Phabong, but the temple cat is quite attentive.

You can’t say Wat Phabong in Chiang Mai doesn’t try. It seems they’ve tried to copy other, more popular, wat’s unique attractions that tend to draw visitors and the donation they make. But the temple has size working against it, the ground are on the diminutive size. And being located literally in the shade of Wat Phra Sing – one of the city’s mot famous and humongous wats – doesn’t help. They say in real estate what matters is location, location, location. Maybe that too is key for Buddhist temples.

You have to be a bit of a wat-aholic to even bother with Wat Phabong. From the street it doesn’t promise much. And once you step through it’s gates, the temple makes good on that promise. There’s a small gold chedi, dwarfed by the same at Wat Phan On. There’s a cute little sign bearing a message to contemplate, both in Thai and English, but next door in the gardens at Wat Phra Sing there’s a few dozen.

Its wiharn is small, its Buddhas nothing to write home about. And I couldn’t decide if the large elephant tusks flanking the altar were real or fake. And if real, whether or not the Buddha would be pleased. But the wooden doors are beautifully carved. And the temples’s cat is calico.

I tend to stumble upon wats in Thailand, enjoy my visit, and then turn to Google later to find out what it was I just saw. The internet is usually a good choice for learning about the history of a wat too. But Wat Phabong didn’t impress Google much either. There are a few photos, an occasional mention in passing, but little in the way of details. I did, however, learn that the hot springs just outside of town – where you have no choice but to stop and hopefully buy something when on a package tour to the Golden Triangle – shares the name of Phabong. Huh. Now I’ll have to visit the wat again and see if they snuck in a miniature geyser too.

I’m not sure if that little thought for the day sign at Wat Phabong about showing off is meant in its defense, or as a bitch-slap to whoever hung it in the first place. I’d have asked the sole monk I saw at the temple, but he was too busy surfing the internet. No problemo, I got a cool Monk Shot! out of my visit anyway.

Related Posts You Might Enjoy:
Speaking Na’vi at Wat Chedi Luang in Chiang Mai	Wat Sri Suphan: Chiang Mai’s Silver Wat	Bonus Shot: A Little Head @ Wat U-Mong