Sukhothai to Chiang Mai
Friday May 18th
We met our fellow travellers at breakfast and again at the first temple of the day in the impressive history park of Sukhothai. Sukhothai was the capital of one of the ancient kingdoms of Thailand.
We were up and already touring the temples by 08.00 but we still couldn't beat the bus tours. Sutthi continued to give us a valuable insight into the history and symbolism of the ancient monuments as well as modern Thailand and the aspirations of the people. They have joined the 21st century in a hurry and they want it all yesterday. A new car a new cell phone. Everyone aspires to own a Honda so it has become the word for a car. We keep joking about how we have a Honda Honda and a Volkswagen Honda and we are being driven in a Toyota Honda.
We are gradually becoming very familiar with Buddha statues, walking Buddha reclining Buddha teaching Buddha no more fighting Buddha and today we visited the talking Buddha.
The legend has it that Sukhothai was being attacked by the Burmese but its soldiers had become lazy and didn't want to fight. So one of the commanders stood behind the huge statue of Buddha and "advised" the soldiers that they needed to fight for their homes.
It is becoming apparent that Burma or Myanmar as it is now is to Thailand as Belgium is to France or Ireland is to the UK - the Burmese are figures of fun who are not so smart who have been defeated down the ages and who are now immigrant workers who are tolerated rather welcomed.
After Sukhothai the landscape changed and became much hillier. The hills are geologically young - only 25 million years old. They are limestone covered in trees and they look like a dragon with its lumpy bumpy back (no fire though)
Next stop was Lampang where we enjoyed an excellent, less fiery, lunch before touring Wat PraThat Lampang Luang.
The horse and carriage rides, tuk tuks and tour buses outside didn't inspire confidence but inside was wonderfully well preserved. Whilst taking off our shoes to enter the temple we were man handled (woman handled) by a Thai lady who insisted on taking our photo and being photographed with us Pauline was spelling wallet to me but I think she wanted the incongruity of westerners outside her temple. Our guide is constantly railing against the commercialism inside the temples. Everything is for sale - flowers candles things to write your name on and donation boxes outnumber the Buddhas which is no mean feat.
We have irreverently tried to invent a collective noun for the many many groups of Buddhas. A consternation of Buddhas - a conference of Buddhas - a body of Buddhas - a battle of Buddhas.
On the way to Chiang Mai just outside Lamphun we stopped at a local market which was amazing. It was covered which was just as well when the heavens opened. Every vegetable, meat mushroom fish seafood. If it could be eaten it was there and being prepared and bought and sold. The ladies sat on the tables cross-legged preparing bamboo shoots and putting mushrooms into jars. Pauline's eyes were on stalks. We had to keep asking Sutthi - "What is that?" "Oh that's intestines. That is the silkworm in batter. That's wild boar. That's frog's skin dried. That's a mushroom (it looked like a black olive) That's live eels (in a polly bag) These are live beetles (the wings were removed to stop them flying away)
The last stop of the day was in Lamphun where we went to see a temple dedicated to a famous Thai monk. The buildings and Buddhas were impressive but there wasn't a monk in sight only sales people selling trinkets and a barrage of opportunites to donate.
We have arrived in Chiang Mai Thailands second city which seems nearly as busy as Bangkok. Our hotel is in a quiet street by the river Maeping.
We are headed to the night market by following the river into the centre of Chian Mai - about 1km.
We met our fellow travellers at breakfast and again at the first temple of the day in the impressive history park of Sukhothai. Sukhothai was the capital of one of the ancient kingdoms of Thailand.
 |
| Sukhothai History park |
We were up and already touring the temples by 08.00 but we still couldn't beat the bus tours. Sutthi continued to give us a valuable insight into the history and symbolism of the ancient monuments as well as modern Thailand and the aspirations of the people. They have joined the 21st century in a hurry and they want it all yesterday. A new car a new cell phone. Everyone aspires to own a Honda so it has become the word for a car. We keep joking about how we have a Honda Honda and a Volkswagen Honda and we are being driven in a Toyota Honda.
We are gradually becoming very familiar with Buddha statues, walking Buddha reclining Buddha teaching Buddha no more fighting Buddha and today we visited the talking Buddha.
 |
| German "stalkers" |
It is becoming apparent that Burma or Myanmar as it is now is to Thailand as Belgium is to France or Ireland is to the UK - the Burmese are figures of fun who are not so smart who have been defeated down the ages and who are now immigrant workers who are tolerated rather welcomed.
After Sukhothai the landscape changed and became much hillier. The hills are geologically young - only 25 million years old. They are limestone covered in trees and they look like a dragon with its lumpy bumpy back (no fire though)
Next stop was Lampang where we enjoyed an excellent, less fiery, lunch before touring Wat PraThat Lampang Luang.
 |
We have irreverently tried to invent a collective noun for the many many groups of Buddhas. A consternation of Buddhas - a conference of Buddhas - a body of Buddhas - a battle of Buddhas.
 |
| A ??????? of Buddhas |
On the way to Chiang Mai just outside Lamphun we stopped at a local market which was amazing. It was covered which was just as well when the heavens opened. Every vegetable, meat mushroom fish seafood. If it could be eaten it was there and being prepared and bought and sold. The ladies sat on the tables cross-legged preparing bamboo shoots and putting mushrooms into jars. Pauline's eyes were on stalks. We had to keep asking Sutthi - "What is that?" "Oh that's intestines. That is the silkworm in batter. That's wild boar. That's frog's skin dried. That's a mushroom (it looked like a black olive) That's live eels (in a polly bag) These are live beetles (the wings were removed to stop them flying away)
 |
| Bugs for sale |
The last stop of the day was in Lamphun where we went to see a temple dedicated to a famous Thai monk. The buildings and Buddhas were impressive but there wasn't a monk in sight only sales people selling trinkets and a barrage of opportunites to donate.
We have arrived in Chiang Mai Thailands second city which seems nearly as busy as Bangkok. Our hotel is in a quiet street by the river Maeping.
We are headed to the night market by following the river into the centre of Chian Mai - about 1km.
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