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~stone dragons~ Sunday, 21st January 2001
it's almost a week ~ since i arrived in Thailand. right now i am at Doi Suthep, a temple compound built on a hill outside Chiang Mai. a stairway of 300 steps framed by two stone dragons leads to its gates. around the main temple, lines of prayer wheels and flowers. it's like in a fairy tale up here, a place to sit and relax, a place to reflect the last days that seemed like coming from the land of tales, too ~ the train ride from Bangkok to Chiang Mai - seeing rice fields passing by, temples in the distance, small villages close by. the temples of Ayuthaya, monuments of a time gone and yet still alive
the first dinner, bought at a food stall next to a bridge. like a child i stood there, watched how the one before me ordered, watched the food being prepared, and then ordered the same, not even sure what it was exactly that i was ordering. only later i learned that most stalls have a menu written in English, too, that all you have to do is to ask for it and then yesterday ~ a trekking tour through the hills near Chiang Mai. walking through the forest, seeing a waterfall, riding an elephant, floating down a river on a raft made of bamboo. and yes, it sounds touristy. but it also was peaceful, to be out there, in the wilderness, in this little group of six travellers and a guide. tomorrow to come: a trip to the North Border, to the Golden Triangle and the Mekong. i already look forward to it, yet i am glad that today is a day of slow moves. vibes~~ see
the travel pictures: dragons | |||
