Saturday, January 26, 2018
A Last Walk Around the Old City and Wat Saen Muang Ma Luang

Today is my last day in Chiang Mai for this visit. My ride to the airport comes to See You Soon at 8:00 PM, and the flight to Incheon, S. Korea (the airport for Seoul) is scheduled to depart from Chiang Mai at 11:55 PM.

I skipped yoga this morning, and spent some time packing and preparing for the journey home. Then I checked out (check-out time is noon), and went down to Wild Rose Yoga to go off to coffee with John.

As we have in the past, we went to Akha Ama coffee over by Wat Phra Singh, one of my favorite coffee shops. This is where John introduced me to the Cafe Piccolo, also known as a Piccolo Latte, a small latte with more of the espresso and less steamed milk.

The coffee at Akha Ama is hill tribe coffee from northern Thailand, and is always very good. It is a small shop, and always busy. I wish it had more space as I’d like to have been able to spend a few hours working there, but it is too small, and I’m not even certain that there is wifi at Akha Ama. After saying goodbye to John, I set out making a last walk around the old city. I have about 7 hours until I leave for the airport.

Wat Si Koet

I stopped at a small, local temple almost a direct neighbor to Akha Ama. I could find no history about this temple. I liked the viharn (worship hall) and the depictions of the thewada on the doors:

Wat Si Koet main viharn

Wat Si Koet main viharn door detail.

As can be seen, the doors were closed, so I was not able to see the inside. It is a nice temple, very few tourists. There was a tarot card reader there, and for 100 Baht (about $3), the lady had me draw cards, put them in various arrangements, and I was told that I would have a good year.

Monument to the Three Kings

First stop after hearing that I would have a good year was the Monument to the Three Kings. I walk by this monument often, and just love it. It is a monument to the three kings that founded Chiang Mai, King Mengrai of Lanna in the center, and his two friends, King Ngam Muang of Phayao (left) and King Ram Nhamhaeng of Sukhothai (right).

Three Kings Monument, King Mengrai of Lanna (center), King Ngam Muang of Phayao (left) and King Ram Nhamhaeng of Sukhothai (right).

Their confident attitude comes through in the statues. I just love this monument.
[I have found it difficult to get a good picture because it seems that whenever I am there with my camera, the sun is always behind the statues.]

I have mentioned in some of my writing that there are frequent busloads of tourists, both Thai and foreign arriving at temples and other sights. As I walked away from the Monument to the Three Kings, I noticed a line of six or seven tour buses having just arrived.

A line of tourist buses at the Monument to the Three Kings. Six are in the picture, but there were eight or nine in the line.

Wat Saen Muang Ma Luang

This is another temple I can find little information about. It appears to be very old, and the name is interesting. It was King Saen Muang Ma who had Wat Chedi Luang built in the thirteenth century in which to bury the ashes of his father. After 10 years of building, it was left unfinished, later to be continued after the death of the king by his widow. so it is interesting that the king who had Wat Chedi Luang built, one of northern Thailand’s most important temples, has his name on this temple, Wat Saen Muang Ma Luang.

The “Luang” on the end of Wat Chedi Luang and Wat Saen Muang Ma Luang translates to “royal” or “really big”. And the chedi at Wat Chedi Luang is really big, having been the largest structure in all of Lanna for several hundred years. Might the “luang” in the name Wat Saen Muang Ma Luang translate to royal and the chedi here be where King Saen Muang Ma’s ashes are interred? Even asking locals has revealed almost no information more than this speculation.

The temple has gone through a few rounds of restoration and remodeling as I have seen this in progress in previous years visiting Chiang Mai. The chedi at the western side of the main viharn is obviously old and is likely due for some cleaning and/or restoration.

Fairly elaborate main viharn (worship hall) at Wat Saen Muang Ma Luang

Door detail for main viharn at Wat Saen Muang Ma Luang, Notice the thewada and the elephants.

Secondary viharn or library at Wat Saen Muang Ma Luang. Entrance flanked by artistic white singhs.

Almost all viharn doors open to the east, to greet the rising sun. The east and the rising sun represents birth, and the setting sun represents death. The sunset side is where the chedi is almost always located at a Thai temple. This is fitting, as a chedi is where sacred ashes are interred.

Old chedi at Wat Saen Muang Ma Luang

Walking around Wat Saen Muang Ma Luang, I could not help but be impressed with the artistic detail in the relatively recently restored buildings. Other than myself and two other tourists who appeared to be Thai, Wat Saen Muang Ma Luang seemed to be deserted. The doors were closed to all of the buildings so I did not get to see inside the viharn. And there are several viharn, or perhaps the secondary buildings are ubosots or libraries. There is also what appears to be a monk school here, many buildings, but very quiet.

Another elaborate viharn at Wat Saen Muang Ma Luang

I walked around more in the old city, stopped at a coffee shop to catch up on some e-mail and last-minute work, and then found myself at my favorite temple, Wat Chedi Luang, sitting for a short time at the foot of the large chedi where I typically do my morning meditation. When I come here in the morning, it is before 7 AM and very quiet. In the afternoon Wat Chedi Luang is very busy with tourists.

The large chedi at Wat Chedi Luang

I had a small dinner then walked down to the Tibetian Singing Bowl shop to see the owner and my friend Ahman. Then I returned to See You Soon to repack a few things and wait for my ride to the airport. My winter in Chiang Mai has come to a close. It was memorable: the yoga was the best ever, I saw my favorite temples with new eyes, I hiked up to Wat Phalad and Wat Phra That Doi Suthep more than once, and I learned more about some history of Chiang Mai, including Wiang Kum Kam and found evidence of the second, earthen wall. I am so very grateful that I was able to be in Chiang Mai for this month.

Next: the journey home.