Day 3 Chiang Rai
- Heike Panagoulias
- Nov 4, 2024
- 5 min read
My big trip to Chiang Rai was planned for today. I was really looking forward to it, I had already seen countless tiktoks about the White Temple and I could hardly wait to experience it live.
I was picked up early in the morning in a tuck tuck and then continued on in a coach through the mountains.
The first stop was the hot springs. Here, anyone who wanted to could buy and eat boiled eggs from these springs. However, as we still had some distance to cover, I decided to have a coffee instead. Eggs and a bus ride didn't seem like a good combination to me.
The next stop was Chiang Rai. The weather was sunny and hot but a very pleasant climate. We went to the entrance and received “instructions” from our tour guide Lisa. The schedule was tight and well timed. And then we were standing in front of the White Temple,
the Wat Rong Khun
Wowwwww
Bigger, brighter and whiter than you can imagine. I don't think I need to say much about this, the photos are unique. You couldn't get enough of looking at this brightly lit temple, photographing it from all sides, it was simply fascinating.
You first cross the bridge of rebirth in single file. The loudspeakers ask you not to stand still so that there is no backlog. You can see these grasping hands to the left and right. The crowd continues to the Heaven's Gate. Then comes the main building, the Ubosot. Unfortunately, it was forbidden to take photos here. My recommendation... travel to Thailand and see it for yourself!
After walking through the temple once, I took as many photos as possible. I was impressed by the little “highlights” around the temple. You discovered completely crazy and beautiful features, from little Buddhas to Avengers heads, from the best “no smoking” sign to incredible garbage cans!
I find it hard to put it all into words. This temple was simply breathtaking. Big, bright and beautiful. I had a very reverent feeling, which is perhaps how you could describe it. The temple is completely different compared to all the other temples. The white color and the windows are very unusual. White is actually the color for mourning in Thailand. Here, however, it is about the purity of Buddha, which shines brightly “over the earth and the universe”. Yes! Absolutely!
I was actually glad to be alone at that moment. Talking didn't seem right to me. I tried to let it all sink in. All the photos and videos simply can't capture the beauty and the special atmosphere.
To look at something so beautiful, to really soak it up. Perhaps it really was a spiritual moment too, someone was probably very close to me here...
Unfortunately, time was a little short. There was still so much I really wanted to see at my leisure. This temple, for example
Here you also walk over a bridge to the temple, it is beautifully situated in the water
For a small donation you get a small metal leaf, the Bodhi leaf. You have the opportunity to write a wish on it. You then add it to the countless others.
The real pity about this trip was the lack of time.
I can recommend everyone to plan this trip themselves and allow enough time.
Before I went back to the meeting point, I really had to go to the toilet. I was a bit excited about this one. I have a thing for public toilets, you can tell, hahaaaaa
But you'll soon see why
...a golden toilet, sorry guys, I just loved that!
Inside were all small golden tiles.
What a toilet visit!
We went to a restaurant next door. The tour guide had already made a booking here. There was a buffet with lots of different traditional dishes and rice. It was all so delicious. A moment when I wished I had a much bigger stomach
Then the program continued. The Blue Temple was the next destination. Many people find it more beautiful than the White Temple because it is more pleasant to look at and doesn't dazzle as much as all the white.
The Blue Temple, Wat Rong Seur Ten
The coconut ice cream is also famous here, which of course I didn't miss out on at the end of the tour
The Blue Temple is not as large a temple complex as the White Temple. There are many small details here. The entrance area is lined with large snakes protecting the Buddha.
When you enter the large main hall, it takes your breath away. This beautiful room in blue and this huge Buddha in brilliant white. What a sight! It is a moment that you can simply enjoy. A moment of incredible splendor and beauty.
The next and final step was Wat Huay Pla Kang, the Big Buddha in Chiang Rai, which is not actually a Buddha at all. It is the Guanyin, the Chinese goddess of mercy. We only had to drive a few minutes to get there. A little train took us up the steep hill and we entered the open area, lined with pillars.
Naturally, you take off your shoes before entering the temple. Here we stood in a queue that led to an elevator. I have never ridden an elevator or visited anything barefoot. I love walking barefoot or in socks, maybe that's why I felt so incredibly comfortable here in Thailand...
Everyone was taken to the top to see through the “Eye of Guanyin”. What a view from up there!
From here you can see the hospital where people in need are examined and treated free of charge. next to the statue is a Chinese pagoda.
This room, from which you could look down through the eye, was just as breathtaking with countless stucco decorations.
A huge staircase leads to the top, surrounded by nagas. They are regarded as protectors of sacred places and treasures. They also stand for transformation and rebirth. The ability to shed one's skin signifies the cycle of birth, death and rebirth. They also represent water and life. They are closely associated with water, which signifies the purification of the spirit on the path to enlightenment.
Then we started our journey home, heading back through the mountains and it was already starting to get dark.
What an impressive day!
It got quiet on the bus, many of us had to process the great impressions first.
Once we arrived, we were split up into the various tuck tucks and taken back to the hotels.
I just had a quick refreshment in the hostel, took a short break and then went off again to treat myself to dinner.
There were countless food stalls with seating just a few meters away. You don't see any of them during the day, but in the evening this street turns into a food paradise. There was really something going on here! It was difficult to decide what to eat.
I ate a small portion of Tom Kha Gai, a super tasty soup, a small portion of Thai curry with fine vegetables and rice. It was so delicious! I also treated myself to an ice-cold Chang beer.
I enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere, the summery temperatures in the evening and the smells. The many different people you met here, locals, tourists and everyone was friendly and so relaxed
It was an indescribably pleasant atmosphere. I felt sooo comfortable
I get all sentimental thinking about it and just want to go back!
It was a long day, tomorrow I'm off to the elephant resort early again and it's New Year's Eve.
Even though I could have sat there for hours enjoying the atmosphere, reason forced me back to the hostel.
I had not yet processed this day and tried to get some sleep to be fit for the next day.
My conclusion of the day:
All the photos and videos I took throughout the day failed to capture the mood and atmosphere that prevailed.
Open your eyes! Enjoy the moment! Just pause for a moment, stop, let it sink in and preserve the memory.
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