Friday, December 16, 2022Return to a favorite: Wat Lok Moli If you have been reading my blog, you know that I seem to have many favorite temples. I confess, I do have many favorites, like Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Phalad, and Wat Suan Dok to name a few. The staff at The 3-Sis sometimes ask me, “what is your favorite temple today?” One of my favorites that is equal to the three I just mentioned […]
Thursday, December 15, 2022A temple near Chiang Mai Ram After getting a morning shower, I noticed the water did not seem to be draining from my right ear, and I was having difficulty hearing. I know that I get a little more than average buildup of wax in my ears, so I thought it a good idea to have someone look at and clean out my ears. I did this three years ago at Chiang […]
Wednesday, December 14, 2022Wat Sri Suphan, The Silver Temple Having left Wat Chedi Luang, I continued south through Chiang Mai Gate, and onto Wua Lai Road, a road that runs southwest from Chiang Mai Gate. This is the silver district of Chiang Mai. There are many silver and jewelry shops and craftsmen working in this area, particularly on Wua Lai Road. In the past, I have shopped for and bought gifts for friends here. Wua […]
Wednesday, December 14, 2022Three Kings Monument and Wat Chedi Luang I decided to make a walk from the center of the old Chiang Mai city south to Wat Sri Suphan, stopping at Wat Chedi Luang along the way. Today is a beautiful day in Chiang Mai, just a few degrees cooler. Started the walk at the Monument to the Three Kings. Monument to the Three Kings King Mengrai founded Chiang Rai, about a four-hour’s drive […]
Tuesday, December 13, 2022Hiking in the Jungle to Wat Phalad When I woke this morning, I had it in my mind to make the hike to Wat Phalad for the first time this visit to Chiang Mai. Wat Phalad (sometimes spelled Palad or Pha Lat) is a smaller, less known temple in the jungle about half-way up Doi Suthep, the mountain on which the famous Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is located. Before the pandemic, […]
Friday, December 10, 2022Back to Chiang Mai Bangkok left me somewhat tired – Bangkok has a frenetic pace – many people, much traffic, all in a hurry, and it is hot and humid. I love many things about Bangkok including some sights I like to see, the food, the people, and after a couple days, I am tired. Returning to Chiang Mai feels like slowing down and relaxing after the intense activity of Bangkok. I […]
Tuesday, November 8. 2022The Beach at Del Mar I am planning my tenth yoga-inspired visit to Chiang Mai, Thailand. After working through the extra steps last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the precautions required to travel to Thailand, this should be a fairly straightforward process. I’ll be leaving from Los Angeles late night Monday, December 5, 2022 to Bangkok via Incheon (Seoul’s airport). I’ll arrive in Bangkok on Wednesday, December 7 (December 6 […]
Tuesday, February 1, 2022Reflecting on My Visit to Chiang Mai I have been home for almost a week. Getting back into my routine at home and work has left me little time for reflection on my recent winter in Chiang Mai. Most apparent is that the visit was far too short. Because of the need for a second PCR test after 6 days, I kept to myself for that first week, leaving only three weeks […]
Monday, January 24, 2022Traveling Home Travel Day 1: Chiang Mai to Bangkok Fern Forest Café I finished packing everything and late morning John came by and we went to coffee at the Fern Forest Café, a place I have walked by in the past, recognized, but never tried. Here are two pictures I grabbed from Google Maps – I did not bring my camera. It is outdoor seating in this almost forest-like setting (hence the […]
Sunday, January 23, 2022Return to Wat Chedi Luang and Dinner with Poppy Wat Chedi Luang I have written much about Wat Chedi Luang in past posts. This is my favorite temple in Chiang Mai, and where I sit for my morning meditation almost every morning of every visit to Chiang Mai. Wat Chedi Luang is on every map and every guidebook of Chiang Mai. “Chedi” means pagoda, and “Luang” means “really big” or “royal”, so […]
Friday, January 21, 2022Return to Dash with Friends Chang Phuak Gate Walking home from my lunch at Khao Soi Khun Yai, I almost immediately came upon parts of the old city wall and the gate on the north, Chang Phuak Gate, or as it is in Thai, Pratu Chang Phuak. The original name of the northern gate in the city wall was Hua Wiang, because according to traditional belief, the head (hua) of the city […]
Friday, January 21, 2022Khao Soi Khun Yai, Finally Today the sore muscle in my upper-left abdomen is healing gradually, more slowly than I had hoped, so I am opting out of yoga practice to avoid making it worse. I am certain I caused the injury myself. In yoga, there are many twists to improve the flexibility of the upper body, the core, hips, and other structures. Standing twists, seated twists, lying twists. In a standing […]
James the Intrepid Pilgrim 