Chiang Rai, Chiang Rai, Thailand
Big day today. We more than made up for yesterday's lack of major sightseeing by visiting basically all the sights and attractions within a 50-mile radius today. We saw some of the most modern iconic artwork of Northern Thailand, visited border areas where three countries intersect, and even saw wild monkeys.
The trouble with other people
We started our day early with a pretty decent breakfast at the hotel consisting of eggs, toast, stir-fried veggies, and excellent coffee.
We'd originally hoped to hire a driver and guide to take us to a few of the temples and sights today. But when we got to Chiang Mai yesterday, it proved to be more complicated to arrange that than we'd anticipated. So we went with the path of least resistance and simply booked the standard 1000-baht tour advertised at our hotel's front desk.
Our guide picked us up in a minivan around 8:15am, and we set out to pick up a few more people. Our group of twelve consisted of us, a South African couple, an Italian couple, another Italian couple, and an Italian family of four. Yep, surrounded by Italians all day. None of them seemed to know each other, so I guess it was just a coincidence.
The tour itself was fine, though I was quickly reminded why I prefer independent travel to group tours. Nobody other than us and the guide were wearing masks; the older Italian couple insisted on shutting off the AC despite the heat and then proceeded to cough the whole ride; the other Italian couple kept returning late to the van at each stop and making us wait for them to smoke a cigarette; and the kids were, well, kids. In addition, like most of these group tours, they whisked us quickly through the first two stops, which were what we were most hoping to see, and then proceeded to make a bunch of stops at tourist traps and other scheduled shopping places where they likely received kickbacks. You know how it is.
Despite all this, it was a fabulous, if long, day, and one I'll remember for a very long time. Mostly due to the first stop: Wat Rong Khun, the White Temple.
White Temple
Wat Rong Khun, better known as the White Temple, is a modern art temple complex just south of Chiang Rai. It's actually a privately owned art exhibit by modern Thai artist Chalermchai Kositpipat, who reportedly has spent over 1,080 million baht on the project to date (over $30 million US). The temple opened in 1997 to the public, was badly damaged in an earthquake in 2014, reopened after restoration in 2016, and is not expected to be completed until at least 2070. In that way, I guess it's a little like the Segrada Familia in Spain: Lavishly ornate, over the top, stunning, indulgent, and probably going to stay unfinished for a very long time.
The temple is all built in elaborate carvings in white and inlaid glass, making it sparkle and glitter in the sunshine and feel stunningly beautiful. When you look closely, it's actually not what you'd expect, though; in addition to traditional Buddhist spirits and deities and beings, the temple depicts modern sci-fi and nerd culture (Spiderman, Transformers, Freddy Krueger, Harry Potter, Star Wars, and Kung Fu Panda are all reportedly depicted), as well as modern historical events such as 9/11. The entranceway to the main complex shows a lot of hands reaching out desperately from the ground like something out of a horror movie. Demons and other creatures are common at temples, but this is next level creepy, especially when you contrast it with the beauty of the temple itself.
Other than the main structure, there's a pavillion in the back of the complex entirely in gold, a wishing well, a golden bell, a rock carving waterfall area, and more. Even the bathroom buildings are made out of gold carvings. It's really something.
Ryan had seen photos of the White Temple years ago, pre-COVID, and mentioned to me that he would love to go there someday. It took us a little longer than we'd anticipated, but we made it here. And it was definitely worth the wait.
We could've probably spent all day at the White Temple, slowly discovering one thing more incredible than the next, taking photos, and just admiring the artwork. Wat Rong Khun has officially put lie to my theory that modern architecture is almost invariably ugly and unimaginative. I was reminded of how it felt walking through masterpieces like the Taj Mahal. I don't know if the White Temple will endure nearly that long or merely be a short-lived footnote in history, but I'm glad I got the chance to see it.
Unfortunately, the tour we were on rushed us in and out of the White Temple in only 40 minutes. If you do get the chance to make it to Chiang Rai, I recommend instead getting a private taxi or driver to take you there so you can take it in at your leisure.
Blue Temple
Our next stop, continuing the theme of colours, was the Blue Temple, Wat Rong Suea Ten, or "Temple of the Dancing Tiger". This is also a modern construction, built on a site where there was supposedly an ancient temple, but construction of the temple as it stands today only began in 2005 and was "completed" in 2016 (though again, this one's still technically unfinished).
The Blue Temple is a beautiful brilliant shade of cerulean blue and gold, giving it its name. It's famous for its depictions of mythological creatures, which is right up Ryan's alley. It's a much smaller temple than the White Temple, and the tour only gave us twenty minutes to visit it, which is just criminally short. We raced through, trying to take it all in and, failing that, snap as many photos as possible to look at later. If you get the chance to come to Chiang Rai, it's only a short tuk-tuk ride from the centre of town, so it's probably best to visit on your own time.
Black House, Baan Dam Museum
Our colourful day continued at the "Black House", an art museum complex called Baan Dam, created by modern Thai artist Thawan Duchanee.
I'm not normally much of a museum person and I'm not sure what I was expecting here, but whatever it was, this wasn't it. I was surprised to be greeted by giant, somewhat disturbing artwork, combining traditional Hindu and Buddhist figures with an obsession with skulls, horns, dead animals, and phallic symbolism that was definitely NSFB (not safe for blog). Other than the main museum building, the grounds had artistic gardens, pagodas, traditional buildings, and even -- inexplicably -- a live buffalo. I'm not sure but I think he was part of the art exhibit?
All in all, it was one of the weirder and more memorable museums I've visited in my life. I can't claim that I quite understood it, mind you. But it was kinda hilariously awesome.
The tourist trap filler part of the day
The next few stops were what I'll call the "tourist trap filler stuff". First, we stopped by a local Long Neck Karen village. The Karen are one of the Indigenous Peoples of the region, and the women traditionally wear gold rings around their necks to stretch them, giving them the nickname "long neck". This was an "optional" stop and we would've been fine to skip it, except one Italian woman spoke up and said she wanted to go, so off we went.
Visiting traditional villages to point and stare at human beings as though they're tourist attractions or zoo animals is a major ick factor of mine; it'd be one thing if this were a community-based project initiated by the village itself, but it was so clearly a tourist industry profiting off the local people that Ryan and I easily opted to avoid this one. That's a big nope from me, and I'd hope that the rise in awareness of responsible tourism would put an end to such things. We waited out front by the bus for the others, watching the stray dogs doze in the sun, getting views of the river and the rice paddies nearby, wishing we'd been able to spend the extra half hour at the White Temple instead.
Next was a stop at a local tea plantation and cafe. This was clearly the obligatory shopping stop where the tours probably all get a cut for bringing busloads of people there. They gave us some local tea to taste (it was fine, I guess; I'm no expert) and the view from the rooftop of the terraced tea plantation was pretty and all. But again, we really didn't need to waste time visiting there.
Lunch was at a small local restaurant, buffet style. Definitely nothing special, just some fried rice and stir-fry and such that looked super suspicious sitting out in the sun. I asked for something vegetarian and at least got a fresher plate as a result. It was okay, but nothing to write home about.
Monkeys, monkeys everywhere
After lunch, we added to the horror film fodder for the day by visiting Wat Tham Pla, technically Fish Cave Temple, otherwise known as Monkey Cave Temple. This was easily one of the creepiest and weirdest places I've ever been in over 60 countries of travel.
Picture a giant mountain, with a temple carved out of the side and steps leading up to a cave. Now add hundreds of wild monkeys to the mix: Jumping on rocks, leaping out of the cave, playing on tire swings and bridges, getting fed peanuts and bananas by tourists, and grabbing food out of the bags of anyone dumb enough to be carrying any. They are definitely not sanitary and, if you're not careful, they'll bite you. Playful? Perhaps. Evil? Also perhaps. It depends on your perspective.
As if the hundreds of wild monkeys coming down the side of a mountain temple weren't creepy enough, someone had the bright idea to turn the temple complex itself into a giant horror show with the scariest, weirdest giant puppet statues imaginable. It was like Chucky, Freddy Krueger, and Stranger Things, all rolled into one.
We walked around the complex for way longer than necessary, watching the monkeys play, while warily trying to make sure they didn't attack us.
Oh, and the name? There's a lake with an island in the middle and, presumably, fish in the water, too. But the fish kinda take a back seat to the monkeys, which, again, are everywhere here.
Mae Sai, the Myanmar border
Next, we made our way right up to the border checkpoint with Myanmar at Mae Sai. The border itself has been closed for quite some time due to political instability and other reasons. So there are no people or cars actually crossing this checkpoint right now. Inexplicably, the area is still insanely busy, due to a huge market bazaar right outside the border checkpoint.
Anyway we snapped the obligatory photo of the border checkpoint, considering this is as close as either of us is likely to get to Myanmar for the foreseeable future. We weren't particularly keen on shopping for trinkets or souvenirs at the bazaar, and the only food vendors we could see were the roasted chestnut stands. So we got some snacks at the 7-Eleven and waited for the group.
The Golden Triangle: Where three countries meet
The last stop on our long tour, and the final colour-themed one, was the Golden Triangle. This is a spot where the Mekong River forms an intersection of borders between three countries: Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar. You all know me, I'm a geography nerd, so these types of places appeal to me. And, more than just a spot on a map, this one actually has some pretty unique history, too.
At the Golden Triangle, there are a number of monuments marking the spot. There's a viewpoint from the top of a hill where you can get a great view overlooking the point of the triangle where all three countries meet. An ancient temple, partially restored, is i the wooded area at the top of the viewpoint. It's strangely peaceful up top.
Down at ground level is another story: The landmark is surrounded by the usual assortment of tourist trap stalls, a garish giant golden Buddha, and big hotels and casinos visible on the Laotian side (which catered mainly to Chinese tourists pre-COVID).
Incidentally, it's called the Golden Triangle because the area had long been known for growing opium. This was, of course, a double-edged sword; the crop was ceremonially used by local Indigenous tribes, but we all know its destructive modern history: Illicit drug trafficking, wars, terrorism, the works. Opium production continues in this region until this day, despite efforts to stamp it out. Myanmar is the world's second largest opium producer after Afghanistan, and Laos has a big trade in it as well. I'm not sure how much is still grown on the Thai side, but it's probably more than anyone official will admit to.
There's a small opium museum at the Golden Triangle that we spent a few minutes checking out, seeing the history of the drug and its impact on the region. Mildly interesting for a few minutes, though not for the 45 minutes we ended up waiting for one of the Italian couples who were ridiculously late coming back to the bus. Again, we rushed through the White Temple for this? Grumble grumble.
Back to Chiang Rai, and Night Bazaar take two
We made one last stop before heading back to Chiang Rai, at Wat Pa Sak, an old Chedi monument in the area. I'm not sure what was particularly notable about it, other than we visited right at sunset, and the colours reflecting off the stupa and nearby trees and river were just gorgeous. It was a lovely moment of reflection to end a very long day.
The drive back to Chiang Rai took just over an hour. By then, it was pitch black and we'd been sightseeing for over 11 hours. Instead of driving us back to the hotel, the tour offered to drop us by the Night Bazaar. Ryan and I readily agreed to this, since it would be a quick and easy place to get some food and it would save us the time driving around the city dropping everyone off. Perfect.
We got some food and found a place to sit, and it was basically a repeat of last night, right down to the same musician performing at the food court area. This time, I opted for some fried chicken and Ryan got some Korean chicken wings and spring rolls. Maybe not the healthiest option, but they were delicious. Night markets: Always a good idea.
Night in, and some chocolate
Back at the hotel at long last, we showered, changed, and settled in for a night of watching TV and blogging about this very long, colourful day. Despite the slightly annoying tour format, I have to admit that it was an incredible day, packed with one-of-a-kind sights that I'm not liable to forget anytime soon.
Oh, and one last thing: Before bed, we realised that none of the chocolate I bought so far is liable to survive the boat trip this weekend without melting, so we'd better do something about making sure it doesn't go to waste. So Ryan and I lined up the five mini chocolate bars we bought at Siamaya earlier this week, and proceeded to have a little chocolate feast. The chocolate was every bit as good as it had been on first taste. It was a sweet end to a sweet day.
MOM
2022-12-23
AMAZING, COLOURFUL day. I cannot get my hear around where you are and the sites you are seeing. Like you are in an alternate universe. Sleep well and …have a piece of chocolate.
Joanne
2022-12-23
Ryan is so lucky to have you as a built in travel planner , guide, and reporter!