Chiang Mai to Chiang Khong…….and a White Temple on the way

November 28th,

Another beautiful morning excellent breakfast as we bid adieu to the Chedi Home, “our” chedi and Chiang Mai….

Today we are on our way to Chiang Khong on the border of Laos, an approximately 5 hour journey by shared mini bus. Pick-up on schedule at 09:15 and then we spend the next 45 minutes picking up passengers ….eventually there are 10 of us, 8 backpapers and 2 elderberries. Good ride through mountainous terrain and into broad valleys where agriculture is the main activity. and after several hours we stop for lunch and 1.5 hours later we are in Chiang Rai to visit the White Temple.This is a rather curious situation….by the end of the 20th century, the original Wat Rong Khun was in a bad state of repair. As funds were not available for renovation, Chalermchai Kositpipat, a local artist, decided to completely rebuild the temple and fund the project with his own money. To date, he has spent THB 40 million on the project. The plan is for the area adjacent to the temple to be a center of learning and meditation and for people to gain benefit from the Buddhist teachings. Kositpipat considers the temple to be an offering to Lord Buddha and believes the project will give him immortal life.  The work is ongoing, but not expected to be completed until 2070 !!

Long drive and interesting visit in Chiang Rai and we are at the Day Waterfront Hotel with a good view to the Laos shore…

Check-in with the friendly staff who also provide us with the Laos Immigration Forms. We also got transport organized as we have to be at the  Chiang Khong Immigration Office by 08:00 tomorrow morning to meet our English-speaking guide. He will help us exit Thailand and get the shuttle bus to the Laos border for the next part of our adventure…..enough said, the next post will reveal all !!!

Meanwhile the scribe labors on and Annie prepares the documentation…

 

Time for a drink before supper ….and until tomorrow…