Friday 6 December 20204 Three temples in Chiang Mai Old City Walk in the north of the old city I had no yoga class or strength training scheduled today, so something of a rest day. I decided to revisit three temples to which I have been many times in the north half of the Chiang Mai Old City. There are at least 50 temples in the approximately mile-square Old City so there are probably many […]
Thursday 5 December 2024 Seeing the Iron Bridge at night The Iron Bridge in Chiang Mai, known locally as Sapphan Khua Lek, is transformed for the holidays with vibrant decorations. These decorations are installed before Loy Krathong in November and remain on display well after the New Year celebrations. Loy Krathong, one of Thailand’s important festivals, takes place on the evening of the full moon of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar. […]
Tuesday 3 December 2024 A walk to Wat Chai Mongkhon I am in a good routine here in Chiang Mai. I practice yoga at Wild Rose Yoga about three times per week, go to the gym twice weekly for strength training with Ning my personal trainer (her Instagram is pt.ning, she posts several times per day, including a few videos of me). Mornings when I do not have a yoga class or training session, I […]
Saturday 30 November 2024 Returning to Wat Suan Dok a familiar and favorite temple It is the end of November. And November was a very eventful month for me: long travel from Southern California to Bangkok, exploring temples in Bangkok, overnight in a hospital in Bangkok, returning to Chiang Mai, and easing into an exercise routine of exploratory walks, strength training at the gym, and [next week] adding frequent yoga sessions at Wild Rose Yoga. […]
Friday 29 November 2024 Revisiting the Klong Mae Kha One of my continual fascinations is with the Kamphaengdin, the second wall around the eastern and southern parts of the original Chiang Mai walled city. As Chiang Mai grew and expanded outside what we now call “the old city,” to protect the expanded part of the city from flooding, an earth, brick, and clay wall (the Kamphaengdin) was built along the inside of an existing klong, […]
Wednesday 27 November 2024 Walking along the Ping River I wanted to walk along the Ping River to see evidence of the recent floods in Chiang Mai. The floods resulting from heavy storms in late September and early October were the worst in at least 50 years and affected 30 provinces in northern Thailand. As the flood waters receded, the national, provincial, and local governments launched massive cleanup efforts. By October 22, the mayor of […]
James the Intrepid Pilgrim 