A Pai and Samoeng trip

[Lone Rider]

Part 1 - The Wedding

A trip to Pai to be at a wedding of one of the riders from Chiangmai. The original plan was to return via Ban Wat Chan and Samoeng as on the way I wanted to look at a, for me, new stupa and temples. Somehow the latter did not work out that time so I made another short trip a few days later to see the Stupa and Temple.

To start of with the wedding, no one and not even the Thai Lisu bride and the Scottish groom knew for sure when the whole ceremony was to start other than it would be "after the cooking for the wedding party had finished". So, I left early to sure that I would be there on time. As luck would have it or maybe because I was early, I did not have to deal with too many tourist vans on the road. The drivers of the vans generally behave like they are "king of the road" and have very little regard for other people on the road. It also left me time to make several stops along the way to take pictures, have a nice cup of coffee along the way and so on.

Alms giving along the road - was a bit surprised to see a pick up full of monks who were dropped of at variois places along the road to start their alms receiving rounds

The peaks of Doi Chiang Dao just visible above the clouds

And cooking they did - in fact the women and some of the men were still busy preparing the food while the whole wedding ceremony went on and on

Just some random pictures taken before and during the wedding ceremony

Quite a bit of singing going on before and at the end of the ceremony

Part of the "farang" group looking apprehensive during the sermon about "one women and one man"

"Big and Tall" busy chatting up the ladies and taking pictures with them

The happy couple before the ceremony and posing with some of the guests after the happening

To be followed by the Stupa and Temple Part

 

[Lone Rider]

Part 2 - The Stupa and the the Temple or Phratat Mon Pia and Wat Doi Pha Som

OK, now on to the stupa and temple part - one of my stops was at Phrathat Mon Pia (Coordinates: N18.87215 E98.61268) which is just a bit of road 4029 which runs from Rd. 5032 but which is now known as Rd. 1346 on to and past Ban Yang Moen This road is now paved but there are also plenty of nasty potholes in the surface so definitely not a smooth ride

The temple with the stupa hidden behind the trees behind the temple

The stupa does not get many visitors as the stair up to the stupa were completely covered by very slippery moss

Another stupa and temple I really wanted to see was Wat Doi Pha Som (coordinates: N18.93831 E98.58880). In the past both Captain Slash and Ally have reported on this temple but for me this was my first trip to this area. The reason for visiting the temple was its location as well as a story in "My Chiang Mai" about its abbot.

According to the story (full story here: My Chiang Mai » Chiang Mai Monk Preaches Lessons in Economics) the abbot studied to be an economist and he graduated from Stanford University in the US. After some time he had enough of western economics: ”I studied pure, hard-core, theoretical economics and now I can say it’s all BS,” Sorayut said, sitting in his spartan hut on top of Pha Som hill. ”Western economics are leading us to a dead end. It was a mistake from the first equation they used – the optimization equation,” he said. ”Western economics is all about people being driven by greed.”

He ordained as a monk in New York and later on he moved to Samoeng where he found his mission - restoring a centuries old pagoda on Doi Pha Som. Villagers living nearby the pagoda helped the abbot to restore the ancient shrine which was blackened by forest fires and long neglected. ”It was huge, especially for these people who are in a very bad situation financially,” Sorayut recalled. ”They are poor but they are much more generous than many rich people in the cities.”​

Elevation profile of the road up to the parking place

The road up the mountain is steep but at least it is paved which makes the trip up the mountain a bit easier but the hairpins are still murderous. Once at the parking place there is another hurdle - a staircase with 262 steps to reach the pagoda but once you are there you will be greeted by magnificent views.

Building materials are hoisted up the mountain as the last part is just to steep - the staircase brings you 40 meters higher over a length of about 140 meter. During my visit I only saw a few workers at the hoist which is at a lower level and they were moving building materials.

Otherwise the pagoda seemed to be deserted as the monks were staying in their kuti's and this made it "special" for me as I like to sit there for a while and soak up the "peace and quiet" of the surroundings.

Guardian at the parking place at the start of the stairs up to the pagoda with the "machine" - not yet sure what it is so in case anyone knows please tell me.

Views from the pagoda

The pagoda inside a temple like structure

There is now also a new temple right next to the pagoda building

Also here "Silence is golden"

On my way back I spotted in a valley some small "golden" rice fields.

A "mandatary stop" at the Samoeng Forest Viewpoint but with the sun low at the horizon right in front of the camera I found it very difficult to make some good pictures

 

[KTMphil]

You certainly made the most of it. Congratulations to Ming & Jonny, apologies for my absence as I had to attend a funeral.