...on to the Mekong and Laos!

Having spent 7 days in Chiang Mai doing typical city things, mostly on foot, we began our nest part of trip with a 4 hour van drive to Chiang Khong, on the Mekong River along the border with northwestern Laos. We left Chiang Mai relatively early (8:30) after yet another wonderful breakfast at our hotel, and were quickly out into the Thai countryside. Initially, we drove along the flat Ping River valley through rice paddies and various exurban commercial sprawl until reaching the mountains that frame the valley and much or northern Thailand. After several winding hours of driving, we first reached a new "Wat" or Buddhist temple, completed only 15 years ago named WatSang Karw Photiyan. This included a rather striking garden full of ferns and orchids.

Our guide, Suzy, was very helpful in explaining many of the traditional design elements in the temple and their significance in Thai Buddhist culture. After seeing this new Buddhist temple, we reached Chiang Rai, where we stopped for lunch and a visit to the "White Temple.". This is another new temple, but one that is not religiously affiliated -- it's basically Disneyland meets Buddha-- AKA "Buddhaland!". It is the brainchild of a local Thai artist and designer/architect who decided to begin building this site as a tourist attraction, and as its success grew, he just kept building with each addition becoming more and more extravagant! Really strange but fascinating none the less!

Ultimately, our guide dropped us off at our hotel on the Mekong riverfront in Chiang Khong, where our riverboat cruise begins tomorrow!

Until then,
Cheers from the Loss border!

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