Temple Hopping

Temple Hopping, originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

We saw many many temples and they all sort of run together in my memory, though each one was magnificent.
It struck me right away that these temples are part of a living working religion. Not like the tourist cathedrals in Europe.
There were at least as many Thai people there to worship as tourist there to marvel. I dimly remember that something like 90% of Thai are Buddhist. Which is one reason this is such a safe and enjoyable country to visit.
I can't help contrasting these temples to the butt ugly little cinder block fundamentalist christian churches that seem to sprout up in weedy parking lots across the US.
Compared to folks in the US most Thai are extremely poor. At least in money terms. But not in their religious sense obviously.

Magical Temple

Magical Temple, originally uploaded by Robbi Baba.

While the kids and Joyce were settling in to our rooms, Krista and I stole away to explore. We ended up walking down the driveway and up the road, sort of in a dreamy haze. We passed a ripe banana tree and huge bamboo, trunks as big as thigh, in sky high clusters. There was some exotic tree with a smooth straight trunk that soared way way up, no branches until the top canopy, which was raining down lovely pink and white flowers, spiral stars with the feel of orchids.
Definitely not in Kansas anymore!

Then we got to the end of the road and it was a big open gate. We'd seen another Nest guest go through so we hesitantly followed and came upon the most amazing white and gold temple glowing in the dusk. Our sense of being in a dream became delightfully intense. It was something straight out of Journey to the Wild Divine, if you know what that is.

There was no one at all about. Just us. It was very quiet except for the sweet calling of birds. Unfamiliar bird songs which greatly added to the exotic and surreal atmosphere.
We followed the path and came to stairs, guarded by the now familiar, but very impressive, Thai Nagas--serpents or dragons. The stairs went up and up and up, winding out of sight.

The next day we went up them with Joyce and Eden. My god what a climb! We didn't follow them to their end, but could see it: A small golden temple high up on the mountainside. It truly took our breath away (even more than the hundreds of stairs). By this time Thai and Burmese monks were passing up, in their saffron robes. One or two actually greeted us! Mostly they aren't supposed to acknowledge women, (and seem indifferent to ridiculous farang men).

We found out later that this temple is called Wat Tham Pha Plong.