Sunday, December 30, 2018 – Tuesday, January 1, 2019
Back to the old city of Chiang Mai

It is a short flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, about 45 minutes in the air. When I arrived at the 3-Sis Guest House where I have stayed each of the past six years, there had been a mistake made in my booking, and no rooms were available. Poppy, the owner (one of the three sisters from which 3-Sis gets its name), called around and found a room for me in the Nimmanhaemin area in a hotel owned by a friend. She took me there and I checked in. The hotel is very nice. Nimmanhaemin is a popular shopping area northwest of the old walled city of Chiang Mai. I went for a bit of a walk, and it was dark, so no pictures.

The next morning, after a very nice buffet breakfast (included with the room), I went to a shopping mall and got a Thai SIM card for my second phone so I have a Thai number while here, making communication with local friends easier.

Poppy picked me up at 12:30 and we were off to 3-Sis, my home in Chiang Mai. A picture of the front door area in a lane called Soi 8 Phrapokklao Rd.:

Now at my home for the next two and a half weeks, I set out for a short walk around some familiar areas. I needed to get caught up on laundry, so I walked to a laundromat near the wall and moat, and while my clothes were getting cleaned, I went over to a favorite restaurant, Kanjana, for an early dinner. The places where in past years stages, lights, and signs were set up for the New Year’s celebrations were empty. Before King Bhumibol Adulyadej (King Rama IX)  passed away two years ago, the New Year’s celebration was very BIG, involving tens of thousands of people and music, singing, dancing, etc. Fireworks were exuberant. Since the passing of the King, there has been almost no New Year’s celebration, and the same is true tonight. Being somewhat tired still adjusting to the 15-hour time difference, I retrieved my clean clothes, and headed back to my room, turning in fairly early.

Tuesday, January 1, 2019
Walking around the Old City

I am slipping into a familiar routine. Breakfast, then yoga at 10, some lunch with my Australian friends Tom and Julie, some work in the afternoon, and then walking around and finding dinner in the evening. There are many other things to do, and Tom & Julie always seem to have a few events planned before they return to the Doi Saket area where they are staying about 25 kilometers (15 miles) east of Chiang Mai.

Today I walked around more than half of the moat. Chiang Mai was built as a walled city surrounded by a moat. The word “Chiang” in the city name historically meant “walled city” and the work “Mai” means “new” so properly translated, Chiang Mai is the new walled city. (I’ll cover details of the story later.) The wall is square, about 1600 meters (about 1 mile) on a side. Some parts of the wall still exist, especially at the five entrance gates. Almost all of the moat still exists. Within that square mile are more than 50 temples, some major, very important to the Thai Buddhist people, and some local or neighborhood temples. Walking all the way around the moat is a four-mile walk, plus getting from 3-Sis in the center to the wall/moat.

Katam Corner

I started my walk from Chiang Mai gate, the major gate on the south, and headed east to Katam Corner, the southeast corner. Here is a picture looking due west over the moat from the corner:

The large brick Katam Corner is apparently under renovation, now covered in green construction fencing.

And here is a look from the corner northward over the moat:

This is the first time I have seen the wall undergoing renovation. There have been renovations in the past, most recently at Thaphae Gate in the 1980s, but not more recently that I know of. Perhaps it is time.

Loi Kroh Temple

I have passed by this temple many times and may have only gone inside once a few years ago. I was drawn in today and found it to be a very nice, local or neighborhood temple. I will research the history soon.

The inside of the viharn (worship hall) is quite nice, almost a bit elaborate for a neighborhood temple. The entrance is quite ornate, beautifully done.

There is a secondary building next to the main viharn. It is much smaller and its style more northern-Thai with the Naga (dragon) banister staircase.

Wat Lok Molee

I made my way all the way to a favorite temple, Wat Lok Molee, but took almost no pictures along the way. I will make more walks around the moat and share pictures.

Wat Lok Molee was build by King Mengrai in the 1300s, and the chedi (pagoda) was to inter the remains of some of his family. Wat Lok Molee was all but abandoned and fell into obscurity, to be revitalized and rebuilt in the late 20th century. The chedi at the back is very large and elegant. It was too dark inside the viharn for pictures, and I will visit Lok Molee in the daytime next time. The large chedi is stunning:

Next: Hiking up to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep