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| It's hot! |
Happy 2016 to everyone!
Another average night sleep, but what a beautiful place to wake up though.
Breakfast with pancakes, a nice surprise, then off on our walk again, just 2.5 hours this morning, through some beautiful countryside. I walked with Denise, a cheerful Swiss girl, and Amy, my roomy, while keeping an eye out for Peter & Nina from Australia. It was an easier walk today and fun, the sun was warm and the scenery pretty, what more could you ask for. It has been in Lamnankok National Park that we have been hiking and staying in, a very scenic part of North Thailand.
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| Beautiful views today |
After lunch and some birthday cake as it was Suzie's 60th birthday we headed back to Chiang Rai to our guesthouse. Bliss, dirty washing to the laundry, only 100 baht, about 4 dollars for a bagful. Then off to The White Temple, a most unusual Buddhist temple built just 20 years ago.
Wat Rong Khun is a unique temple that stands out through the white color and the use of pieces of glass in the plaster, sparkling in the sun. The white color signifies the purity of the Buddha, while the glass symbolizes the Buddha’s wisdom and the Dhamma, the Buddhist teachings. The Wat Rong Khun was designed by Chalermchai Kositpipat, a famous Thai visual artist. To date the temple is not finished. Eventually there will be nine buildings including an ubosot, a hall to enshrine Buddhist relics, a meditation hall, the monks living quarters and an art gallery. It is a very unique looking building indeed.
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| White temple |
Tonight we went out for dinner, Tracey and Amy are leaving our group tomorrow, so an extra special dinner. Afterwards we walked to the beautiful flower show out in the public gardens and finally we all lit lanterns and let them float away, a Thai tradition to encourage good luck and help your wishes come true in the new year. Very moving indeed.
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| Lantern ceremony |
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