Chiang Mai, Thailand (with new pictures!)

The northern capital of Thailand is renowned for its natural beauty and 300 temples. Most people spend time trekking through the jungles and hills, visiting tribes of people whose lifestyle hasn't changed much in the last 300 years. Sadly our itinerary didn't provide enough time for a proper trek, so we settled for sightseeing around the city. We were not disappointed.

The true highlights were Monk Chat at Wat Chediluang and dinner at the Riverside Restaurant with our new friends Anthony and Nicole.

Monk Chat was an area of tables near a grand old temple with a sign asking travelers to converse with the monks about any subject. It said "We are disappointed if you do not speak with us," and from what we know about karma, we did not want to disappoint monks.
The two monks we spoke with the most spoke excellent English, and we had one of the most fulfilling conversations about the monkhood, academics (they were Buddhist university students as well as monks), western philosophy, meditation, the fetishization of the Buddha, the differences between different schools of Buddhist thought, gender in Buddhism and life after the monkhood (only about 1/3rd of monks stay for life). Even though we were speaking to Thais five years younger, the conversation was as intimate and respectful as I've ever had with a stranger. Wonderful people, monks.

That evening we caught up with Anthony and Nicole at the Riverside Restaurant on the Ping River. They are both recent Harvard law grads doing a similar pre-firm trip. We hit it off quickly when we met them in Bangkok, and though we were going our separate ways in the morning, that didn't stop us from downing curries, prawns, ribs, noodles, squid, and veggies till the wee hours along the river bank. When we found out they were spades players, the night made itself. The Singha flowed freely all night, as we were serenaded by dueling house bands (we sat equidistant from them in the huge establishment). As we rolled out, Band #1 launched into those oh-so-familiar opening licks of "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - four minutes of euphoria later, we piled into tuk-tuks for the ride back home.

Monk Chat

The stupa at Chediluang

Too much awesomeness.

These are silkworms in cocoons. They float in water and a single thread from these 50 or so are pulled together to form one strong strand of silk.

Just cause I know you like pictures of JJ.

A dog finds the middle path between sun and A/C with a little help from the Buddha.

One of the murals inside a temple.

Chiang Mai doing what Chiang Mai does best.

No caption needed.

Looks like I found where the wild things are.

I am so ready for an overnight train ride. Headband? Check.

So much to see.

I love how tourists don't deter devout Buddhists from their prayers.

Wow.

Littl'uns.

At the Chiang Mai Museum of Cultural Arts - check out the monks reflected in the glass.

Another gorgeous sight in Thailand.

From the Wat in Doi Sothep, a mountaintop temple.

The bells at Doi Sothep.

Anthony and Nicole (and us) at the Riverside.

Tuk-tuk is the way to travel. Basically it's a motorbike with a couch attached to back.