On the Golden Triangle trip I passed though Chiang Rai. It is very similar to Chiang Mai so aside from the famous White Temple there’s not much reason to visit there when you live in CM. Unfortunately on the tour we had barely 30 min at the Temple and it was just too rushed. I promised myself I would go back and do it at my own pace. So again I chose motorbike over minibus (on that Golden Triangle ride before we even made it to CR someone vomited in the mini bus). It’s 263 Kilometers from CM on not nearly as fun and curvy but still breathe taking and beautiful. Although mentally ready to leave Thailand there were moments where I looked at the scenery and thought to myself “You are going to miss this.” I stayed in a bit nicer place as it was just for one night and I got an excellent low season price, plus haggled discount. Luckily the Guest House I am staying at in CM let me keep my things there without paying for the night in both places. The guest house was nice. I spent the late afternoon at the white temple. It was really nice to take my time and see everything as I wanted to without feeling rushed. It was also practically empty so taking photos was easier.
The White Temple is a modern project which began in 1997 by a local artist named Mr Chalermchai Kositpipat . He is responsible for creating and funding the entire place which is ongoing and not expected to be completed for decades. On the inside is a mural depicting a Buddha on a lotus and all sorts of modern pop culture icons. It’s pretty amazing and a very direct social commentary. The photos speak for themselves and I would recommend it to anyone.
On my way home from the temple I was pulling in to the driveway of the hotel when a guy on a motorbike (trying to go around me as I was turning with my signal on right next to the driveway!) slammed into my bike. He scraped me up a bit but just sat there stunned. I looked at him and shooed him off as I was pretty pissed at him for being such and idiot and yelling at people in public is frowned upon in Thai society.
Took nap that evening, checked out the CR Night Bazaar which isn’t much to see then retired to my room to watch the season 4 episode of Sons of Anarchy and enjoy my cushy bed with an air conditioned room. I got a really good deal with my bartering skills. I have been on a role with that lately as my Thai has improved dramatically.
The next day I slept in, checked out and set off for the “Black House.” It is often referred to as a temple but I was told by locals it is not in fact a temple. The photos cannot do justice to this place. As I arrived I entered the main house. It began to monsoon downpour so everyone cleared out. The care takers began shutting all the windows. I found myself trapped with a few tourists and 2 monks for about 15 min in almost all dark surrounded by animal bones and skins. The Thai artist responsible is Mr. Thawan Duchanee and the grounds include nearly 40 small black houses made of wood, glass, concrete, bricks, or terracotta in various unique styles and design scattered around the temple’s area. This has been a project ongoing for 36 years and development still continues. The cluster of houses accommodates Thawan’s collections of paintings, sculptures, animal bones, skins, horns, and silver and gold items from around the world. Several of the houses exhibit Balinese and Burmese architecture and art dating back to the Ayutthaya period. The artist uses bones as a source of inspiration to paint. Live animals are also housed on the property including a bird, two huge pythons and some horses. When I asked the locals about this they said they inspire him. The place gives you an eerie feeling to say the least, and the rainstorm cleared everyone out so I was pretty much alone which added to the eeriness, but I loved it. I found it absolutely fascinating and so different from anything I have ever seen. I stayed a lot longer than I had originally planned so got a later start back to CM than originally planned but still made it back by dusk.
On the Golden Triangle trip I passed though Chiang Rai. It is very similar to Chiang Mai so aside from the famous White Temple there’s not much reason to visit there when you live in CM. Unfortunately on the tour we had barely 30 min at the Temple and it was just too rushed. I promised myself I would go back and do it at my own pace. So again I chose motorbike over minibus (on that Golden Triangle ride before we even made it to CR someone vomited in the mini bus). It’s 263 Kilometers from CM on not nearly as fun and curvy but still breathe taking and beautiful. Although mentally ready to leave Thailand there were moments where I looked at the scenery and thought to myself “You are going to miss this.” I stayed in a bit nicer place as it was just for one night and I got an excellent low season price, plus haggled discount. Luckily the Guest House I am staying at in CM let me keep my things there without paying for the night in both places. The guest house was nice. I spent the late afternoon at the white temple. It was really nice to take my time and see everything as I wanted to without feeling rushed. It was also practically empty so taking photos was easier.
The White Temple is a modern project which began in 1997 by a local artist named Mr Chalermchai Kositpipat . He is responsible for creating and funding the entire place which is ongoing and not expected to be completed for decades. On the inside is a mural depicting a Buddha on a lotus and all sorts of modern pop culture icons. It’s pretty amazing and a very direct social commentary. The photos speak for themselves and I would recommend it to anyone.
On my way home from the temple I was pulling in to the driveway of the hotel when a guy on a motorbike (trying to go around me as I was turning with my signal on right next to the driveway!) slammed into my bike. He scraped me up a bit but just sat there stunned. I looked at him and shooed him off as I was pretty pissed at him for being such and idiot and yelling at people in public is frowned upon in Thai society.
Took nap that evening, checked out the CR Night Bazaar which isn’t much to see then retired to my room to watch the season 4 episode of Sons of Anarchy and enjoy my cushy bed with an air conditioned room. I got a really good deal with my bartering skills. I have been on a role with that lately as my Thai has improved dramatically.
The next day I slept in, checked out and set off for the “Black House.” It is often referred to as a temple but I was told by locals it is not in fact a temple. The photos cannot do justice to this place. As I arrived I entered the main house. It began to monsoon downpour so everyone cleared out. The care takers began shutting all the windows. I found myself trapped with a few tourists and 2 monks for about 15 min in almost all dark surrounded by animal bones and skins. The Thai artist responsible is Mr. Thawan Duchanee and the grounds include nearly 40 small black houses made of wood, glass, concrete, bricks, or terracotta in various unique styles and design scattered around the temple’s area. This has been a project ongoing for 36 years and development still continues. The cluster of houses accommodates Thawan’s collections of paintings, sculptures, animal bones, skins, horns, and silver and gold items from around the world. Several of the houses exhibit Balinese and Burmese architecture and art dating back to the Ayutthaya period. The artist uses bones as a source of inspiration to paint. Live animals are also housed on the property including a bird, two huge pythons and some horses. When I asked the locals about this they said they inspire him. The place gives you an eerie feeling to say the least, and the rainstorm cleared everyone out so I was pretty much alone which added to the eeriness, but I loved it. I found it absolutely fascinating and so different from anything I have ever seen. I stayed a lot longer than I had originally planned so got a later start back to CM than originally planned but still made it back by dusk.
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