Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep Rajvoravihara

I visited this fabled hillside temple with Sarah and Jodi, two girls from Leeds I'd met on the cookery course. They had kindly kept me company as I watched Liverpool go out of the Champions League the night before. Until they arrived I was watching alongside prostitutes and middle aged Western men who should know better, in a bar in Chiang Mai. Sarah and Jodi's arrival was very welcome.
It is easy to become "templed out" in South East Asia. It's not surprising really, I can't imagine spending months wandering around churches in England. Yet Doi Suthep (between friends) was awe inspiring. Sarah (with expert bartering skills) had arranged a sawngthaew (basically a red taxi) to take us on the forty minute journey up the mountain. It's a regular deal that the driver waits for tourists for the return journey.
Although there were many tourists walking around the temple complex (some building date from the 16th Century), it remained peaceful. The sunshine was reflected off the glorious golden surfaces, the air was filled with incense and monks wandered amongst tourists. The site also offers amazing views of Chiang Mai.






Well you've got to have some fun.