Wednesday, January 12, 2022
Exploring Southwest of the Old City

Today was a fairly typical routine day. I had not intended on exploring today. After breakfast, I went to yoga practice at Wild Rose Yoga for a graceful, yet intense class with Annie. Rudy and I went to Khun Kae’s Juice for a smoothie bowl after yoga, and that really hits the spot. After a cleanup, rest, and e-mail catch-up back at See You Soon it was time for a tok sen session with Noon at Wat Sri Suphan. I made my way out Chiang Mai Gate, and onto Wua Lai Road. Along the way I noticed in a silver shop, several of the hand-hammered metal repoussé items. One in particular caught my eye, a depiction of the Thai version of the Chinese zodiac animals with the “great snake” in the center. In Thailand, instead of the year of the ox, they have the year of the elephant since there are no oxen in Thailand. They use small snake for snake and great snake for dragon. Since I was born in a the year of the great snake, I decided to buy it. Only 2000 baht (about $65), for this item about 30 centimeters square (12 inches).

Over to the left was a lady hammering away at a fairly large repoussé item. I wanted to get a picture, but I also did not want to disturb her at work. The item was framed, and I asked if they had one that was unframed, and they told me they could take it out of the frame. I paid and continued on to Wat Sri Suphan for my tok sen session with Noon. Her assistant was there and told me that Noon was not feeling well after her Pfizer booster vaccine, and was cancelling for today. I rebooked for Friday. When I returned to the silver shop, they gave me the Zodiac item, and also gave me 500 baht, telling me the lady who made it wanted to give me a discount. She looked over at me, smiled, and continued her work.

Wat Muang Mang

After getting back to the outer moat road, here called Rat Chiang Saen Road, I walked east intending on taking a photo or two of Katam Corner, the southeast corner of the old city wall. Before I got to Katam Corner, I turned right down Soi 2, and found a smaller, local temple, Wat Muang Mang.

This is a very Lanna-styled temple. The viharn roof is tiered in the Lanna style, and the entrance to the viharn is guarded by Nagas.

It is difficult to see the roof in the picture, and I could not get a good photo of the roof. The doors are especially intricate in their craftsmanship, with what appears to be a broad inlay rather than a painted design.

There is a second viharn directly by the first one, also very much in the Lanna style at Way

The doors show the dancing thewada (an angelic being that lives in the heavenly realm) on the back of elephants:

This temple is not frequented by tourists, and I was given a couple of mildly surprised looks by two monks as they passed me on the grounds. It is a very nice neighborhood temple in this part of Chiang Mai, close to, but outside the general tourist areas.

Wat Phuak Chang

I continued down Soi 2, then turned onto Soi 2n, and was walking east. I found what appeared to be a larger road, larger than the soi I had been on, and I was hopeful that it would lead me back to the outer moat road or maybe Sridonchai road that runs east from Katam Corner. I was probably only 500 meters from the outer moat road, but here, being out of the tourist area all the signs were Thai only, and I got more than a few surprised looks. Having a camera in hand may have explained my being there. And even being an obvious tourist in a local area, I felt perfectly safe. In a couple hundred meters, I saw a large temple, Wat Phuak Chang.

Wat Phuak Chang (or Wat Puak Chang) appeared to have been recently renovated, and I later read that the renovation took place just three years ago in 2019. There is a large school here. The temple is another Lanna-styled temple with a three-tiered roof, and the entrance to the viharn guarded by large Naga serpents. Because of the odd orientation of the stairs, I was not able to get a good photo of the front of the viharn. Behind the viharn was a fairly nice chedi and a very new-looking (but recently renovated) library, called a Hoi Trai.

I did get a close photo of the doors of the viharn.

With the blue background, I was thinking it might be a nautical theme, but I’m pretty sure it is to represent the sky and the heavens.

I had entered the temple from the south, on Ragang Road. Walking around a little, I saw another entrance to the north, exited there and I was on Sridonchai Road, just east of Katam Corner, back in a familiar place.

Katam Corner

Katam Corner is the Chiang Mai city wall bastion at the southeast corner of the wall and moat. Water flowed into the moat at Hua Lin Corner, the northwest corner, then east and south, then flowing out of the moat at Katam corner. In times past, people would catch fish here, using a bamboo sort-of net or trap called a katam. Thus the corner was so named.

Another closer view of Katam Corner:

As I made my way west toward Chiang Mai Gate, I made this photo of Katam Corner from the outer moat road to the west, looking east:

Rudy and I had planned to meet after our tok sen sessions to have dinner. We were both were feeling the need for some extra protein. I suggested The Duke’s, a restaurant that has a similar feel of an American steakhouse in the 1970s. They import their beef from New Zealand, and make all the sauces and salad dressings on site. We met at 6 and walked down Thaphae Road, across the Nawarat bridge, and along the river to The Duke’s. We both opted for a very western hamburger with french fries, and I also got a salad. I just love their Thousand Island dressing. Mmmmm.

I typically go to The Duke’s once or twice each time I visit Chiang Mai, and they never disappoint. They also make their own deserts, but I have never had room enough for desert.

On the walk back, we crossed the Iron Bridge, still all lit up for the New Year’s celebrations.

It was cooling off as we walked back to the old city in the early evening. Another really good day in Chiang Mai.

Next: Mae Wang and the mountain temple