Doi Suthep

Today Carole had completely recovered, and I was feeling a bit better, so we decided to go to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep (aka Doi Suthep), one of Northern Thailand's most sacred temples. It is on a very impressive overlook on a nearby mountain.
So we grabbed a sawngthaew to get us to the zoo, then another which took us along the long and winding road up the mountain. In Thailand they certainly do enjoy building temples in auspicious places like on the tops of mountains. The view of Chiang Mai was impressive, if hazy from pollution. The temple itself is quite spectacular, with its gilded stupa, and numerious Bhudda statues. It is a working temple, so there are as many pious Thais as there are gawking tourists.
We continued on and took a sawngthaew further up to Phra Tamnak Phu Phing, the winter palace for the royal family. The grounds here was as peaceful as Doi Suthep was hectic. We walked through the royal rose garden, past the reservoir/fountains, and towards the Royal residences, which themselves are closed to tourists. Also impressive were the stands of giant bamboo, which must have been nearly 100 feet high.We took a sawngthaew back down and to our place, and went for dinner. It was a good day, but I felt pretty exhausted at the end of it.