Dec. 12th - Chiang Rai - White Temple - Kim and Glory - Cycling beyond

December 12, 2023

Dec. 12th - Chiang Rai - White Temple

A non-rest rest day

Had a hard time falling to sleep last night and by that I mean that at 3:30am, I was still awake. My anxiety was high and I went down a few rabbit holes on the internet. Note to self: check all toilets before sitting down. Snakes have been known to move right in 😯

Needless to say, my planned early morning ride and arrival at the White Temple wasn't happening. There are two temples that Chiang Rai is known for. I saw the Blue Temple a couple of days ago, but the White Temple is the more popular one.

I debated taking a Grab (Thailand's answer to Uber) but decided I really should get the miles in, so I get stronger. Unbeknownst to me, I chose a little bit of a hilly route on back roads to get there. Well, like I said, I need the practice to get stronger. I made sure I took the direct route on the Highway back. It was busy but has a super wide shoulder.

I made sure I googled the White Temple before I arrived, so I had an idea of the history behind it. The artist is amazing! I'll let you guys google it yourself if you want to know more.

One thing that should be noted, especially for women, your knees and shoulders need to be covered to enter a temple. I brought my long pants to slide on over my cycling shorts. Of course, the sweat was pouring off of me. So much for the laundry I just did! You also have to take off your shoes before entering. Typically, there is a place to leave them outside. I kind of hate to do that since I obviously have expensive shoes I need for cycling, but I figure it's a temple, no one should be stealing my shoes! That being said, if I have my backpack with me, I sometimes throw them in there. Better be safe than sorry especially with the foot issues I've been having! Now, on to the photo dump....

A gazillion White Temple and some miscellaneous at the end....