Friday, March 6 – Chiang Mai

Okay, this is going to be one of those boring days for readers. Kind of a rest day, with some intermixed Journal work.

I did make it back to the mall for dinner though; for some dumplings and a smoothie, of course!

Saturday, March 7 – Chiang Mai

The laziness continues! I didn’t get out of bed until close to noon! Did some reading and watched some streaming. Useless, I know!

Sidenote: I just finished reading Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard, about the assassination of President James Garfield. Very good. Although, it was published 15 years ago, so most of you have probably already heard of it! However, the Netflix limited series Death by Lightning was just released last fall, and is based on the book.

(While I’m on the subject, another great book by Candice Millard is The River of Doubt, the story of Theodore Roosevelt’s exploration of the Amazon. I read this during my 2019 winter escape to South America. Seemed appropriate.)

Okay, time to get my lazy backside out and about!

This afternoon I’m going to check out Wat Sri Suphan, aka The Silver Temple.

It’s a short 30 minute walk from my apartment.

For part of my journey, I chose to walk along the Mae Kha Canal.

I came close to regretting the choice of this route though; because a dog came running out after me, and nipping close at my legs. Damn! Again? Fortunately, no bites. Maybe I need to start carrying an anti-dog spray with me, if there is such a thing!

Before reaching The Silver Temple, I came across Wat Namtharam.

A little rundown, but still an interesting diversion.

Spotting this vintage Land Rover along the way was pretty cool!

The entrance to Wat Sri Suphan.

(I’m leaning to the right again; what the heck??)

The ticket cost is 50 THB (1.50 USD).

The entry pass.

Founded in the early 16th century, Wat Sri Suphan is one of Chiang Mai’s oldest temples. Though most of the original temple structure has been lost over time, it was recently restored utilizing local artisans.

The restoration of the temple began in 2004 and was completed in 2016. The craftspeople of the Wua Lai neighborhood, a district that has been renowned for its metalwork for over two centuries, collaborated on the restoration.

While aluminum comprises the majority of the cladding, silver is used to highlight the sacred elements.

Scenes from the life of Buddha, historic scenes representing the temple’s history, and scenes from mythology are all depicted in intricate, three-dimensional detail.

The metalwork is amazing; and really stands out in the sunlight.

The temple is situated in the Haiya district, the traditional silversmith area of the city, where workshops continue to operate.

This shop is open to the public, where you can create your own piece of metalwork.

Popular place!

I took a different route back to the apartment (bypassing the attack dog!).

In the background are the remains of a wall that once encircled the Old City of Chiang Mai.

This portion of the wall is called Katam Corner.

Travel Note: Today marks the halfway point of my trip. The time has generally gone by fast, probably because I’ve been on the move a fair amount. That being said, my time here in Chiang Mai has calmed things down a bit, which I think is a good thing.

Steps Update: Since we’re at the midpoint, let’s see how my steps are progressing: In a word, pathetic! I’m averaging 11k steps per day, well off last year’s World Record pace of 16.4k per day. Ugh!