On To Chiang Khong

Ever onward.  Our next major destination was Luang Prabang, capital of Laos when it was a French possession. French colonial architecture. Maybe some decent baguettes or crepes or coffee. To get there, however, we had to get to the Mekong River, to Chiang Khrong in Thailand, and then, do a two day river cruise. In order to get to Chiang Khong from Ching Rai we opted for a taxi. 50U$D. The bus did not sound appealing. It was, perhaps, Vicki's last long-distance taxi ride, since we covered the distance in world land-speed record time, often doing 100kph in 50kph zones, and rarely passing other vehicles with adequate distance or visibility. (We have never seen police in rural Thailand). Anyhow, we got to Chiang Khong in good time, found our hotel, the excellent Baan Sakuna. It took the afternoon to recover from the excitement of the taxi ride. Scarcely a kilometer away, however, was a Tesco (a Tesco!) with a KFC (!!). It was certainly the worst meal I have had in Thailand, but other members of our party loved it. And touring the Tesco was divine.

Great place

We are not worthy: $40

View from our room, the Mekong perhaps half a kilometer away

We are not worthy

Huge papaya

Drying corn on the road to Tesco

A different concept, perhaps, of the Colonel

See, the Thai chef's knife is a cross between a traditional
chef's knife and a cleaver

Chiang Rai Hill Tribe Museum

It's a modest affair, but with our knowledge of Hmong people in Missoula--students and colleagues in Vicki's case--it was something we felt we should do. There is a short 2012 slide show and a number of seemingly dated exhibits. In a sense, datedness doesn't matter for these people--things have not changed for them. Click to enlarge some of the signage. Some thoughtful points are made.

This is what you resort to when nothing else works

 

The gift shoppe, we Vicki did modestly stimulate the local economy

Wat Rung Khun: The White Temple, 2

Conquering evil

Sculpting one of the newer buildings

Something to do with evil, pain, suffering

The Golden Temple

We did not do all the exhibits

New construction in progress

In the big exhibit hall, two enormous (unlabeled) cases of...apparently, things
left behind by visitors that had out-stayed their time in lost and found...watches,
wallets, cameras, tripods, backpacks, hats, garments, umbrellas, cellphones, you
name it...

Tribute to King Rama IX

Another as yet unfinished building

More evil, pain, suffering

Ouch!

Toilets; seriously; gold is the color of impure things, greed, etc.

Exiting through the gift shoppe

Immediately adjacent to the wat are these pens of fighting roosters; cock-fighting
is legal in Thailand, although betting on them is not...

Unwilling to wait on the bus, we rode back to town in a
songthaew

Wat Rong Khun: The White Temple, 1

So if you're not into elephant riding, zip-lining, hill trekking, and such, Chiang Rai has another major attraction, the White Temple. Some people travel to Chiang Rai just to see the White Temple. Seriously. Anyhow, it is the work of one man, local sculptor Chalermchai Kositpipat; and his evidently many assistants and disciples. The original Wat Rong Khun was in disrepair and Kositpipat has come to its rescue, rebuilding and adorning the place, and enlarging it. An offering to Buddha. It opened to the public in the late 90s, but work continues, and it is not projected to be completely finished until 2070. Vicki and I were reminded, vaguely, of Antonio Gaudi and Barcelona and the Familia Sagrada (or the Familia Sangria, as we call it). Vaguely. Anyhow, if you're in Chiang Rai, you have to see it. Go early before the tour buses start arriving. And buy a bodhi leaf for me.

Checking out the departure times for the municipal bus

Thus; packed; the White Temple is about 10k outside the city

Mr. Kositpipat greets us; one-dimensionally

After the ticket office and entrance

The White Temple

There is all manner of symbolism about, warning us of
greed, lust, pride, etc., and the Path for avoiding these;
incidentally, the Wikipedia article goes into this a bit, more
than I have any interest in doing

Something about evil; the Dead Marshes?

'

Entering the Gate of Heaven: Death (note genitals); somehow
this reminded us of Gollum

Opposite Death, Rahu, sort of a Sorting Hat/Last Judgment
in (this version of) Buddhism; note breasts

Us, there, showing respect

Campanile?

Baptistry?

Definitely

Under a huge long arcade...good luck bodhi leaves hanging above, by the
hundreds of thousands

Good luck bodhi tree, one of several

At this point we succumbed and plopped down our 30 bhat (1U$D)

Thus

Depositing our good luck bodhi leaf; maybe I won't come
back as a dung beetle after all