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- Nov 3, 2021, 6:00am
- ☁️ 66 °F
- Altitude: 3,484 ft
- ThailandChiang Mai ProvinceBan Doi SuthepWat Phra That Doi Suthep18°48’18” N 98°55’18” E
Sunrise Doi Suthep & Hidden Temple Tour
November 3, 2021 in Thailand ⋅ ☁️ 66 °F
I already did a temples tour and am pretty temple’d out. I’m up at 4:45am (not happy), out the door at 5:15am, at the most famous temple in Chiang Mai by 6am. It’s still very dark out and we climb 72 steps to the temple at the base of Doi Suthep Mountain. The monks are doing their morning chants (Buddha scripture readings. Think of priests reading from the Bible in perfect harmony and rhythm). The sun rises at 6:15am and this is where things turned around. It was something really special. I’ve seen sunrises before, 90% of which I wished I didn’t see, but for the 10% that were also really cool, this one takes the prize. Scattered thunderstorms is the typical weather forecast here during the rainy season so what you get in the distance is this mix of clouds, sun, city lights, and rain. Super unique.
You’re in the jungle so you hear the monkeys, sunrise roosters, jungle dog barks, and a high pitched screeching noise made by the Cicadas (insect, it’s loud). Pohn is once again my private tour guide (he spent about 7 years at this temple in his monk days), so he educates me on how this location was chosen. 700 years ago, the king had a white elephant (sacred animals). The story goes that the white elephant chooses the spot for where a temple must be built. The elephant climbed the mountain and stopped at 2 locations (the first was the Hidden Temple, we’ll get to that), the 2nd location was where the elephant laid down and was where the Doi Suthep Temple was to be built. Maybe the elephant was just tired from climbing the mountain, but I wasn’t going to suggest that.
The temple is stunning; a huge pagoda made of pure gold (painted to look like it), flowers everywhere, beautiful sculptures, etc. There were also dogs everywhere, monk dogs. They were very protective when we arrived, I was told to stand perfectly still until they were done inspecting me. After the monks are finished with their morning chants, they make their rounds collecting food from the visitors. A bow is given to the monks along with the food, and they in exchange bless you after you make a wish. I wished to bring home the doggos, kidding. One of the dogs hopped up on the bench next to me where I was sitting and brought me a rose pedal in its mouth. There are a lot of stories of wild dogs biting people so apparently you never want to get “too close.” Fuck that, he brought me a rose pedal, he gets all the pets. One of the monks came over and tried to make the dog leave me alone and the dog wouldn’t budge. Pulling his ear, nope. Yelling at him to come, nope. Finally had to drag him away from me. This dog was my spiritual Winston 🥺.
Our next stop was the Hidden Temple, because you guessed it, it’s hidden in the jungle and not a lot of people know about it. This place was something out of a movie. It reminded me of the feeling I got when I saw Matchu Picchu for the first time, you can’t describe the beauty. A water fall runs through the middle of the temple on a hilltop with unreal views and overall serenity. The pictures don’t do it justice. I met a couple nice monks, one of which was shredded. All monks are either skinny or fat, nothing in between. So I ask Pohn, what’s up with that guy? “Oh him, he climbs the mountain every day,” in his robe…and sandals. I realize at this moment I am destined to be a forest monk.
Before Pohn drops me off at the train station we stop at the “Thai Denny’s (my phrase, not his)” since I told him I would treat him to an “American breakfast.” Apparently there’s a sandwich there he loves, which was a cheeseburger with a fried egg on top. It cost $1.50. If Pohn’s happy, I’m happy. That’s a wrap on Chiang Mai, on to Pai.Read more