One more recovery day in Chiang Rai

December 9, 2017

First delay before I have even started properly

I didn´t sleep all night due to coughing and snuffling. This is not just a cold but a serious flu which seems to be plagueing the whole area. I was still determined to get going but when the rain started hammering down onto the tin roof of my room I knew it was going to be an extra day at my beloved Chat House. No problem from their side and they did even cancel the reservation at my next destination Wiang Pa Pao which I had only made last night.

On return to my room I finally found some sleep but was woken up soon after by the monotonous and unusual vociferous chanting of the monks in the Wat Pra Kaew next door. Not one second did I think: Why do they have to do it that loud on a Saturday morning? Quite the opposite! I can´t withdraw from that spiritual fascination and after approximately 2 hours of it (I am not kidding!) I decided to get up and ask the guesthouse staff whether something special was going on. They told me it was some round anniversary of the temple and I should go because they would give away food for free. I did indeed dress up and go - but not for the free food! Not in a country where a lovely meal comes at 1.50 €. What I went for was to experience first hand - I am repeating myself - the magic of the canto and the devotion of the Thai worshippers.

Afterwards all afternoon was spent in either my room or the communal area, trying to finally beat the bugs. I can´t recall ever being hit by the flu that hard before. So another early night tonight - not without one last feeding in my little restaurant though! Hopefully on the road tomorrow then.

The lovely Nicol-Family from Toulouse/France. Marie did not only look after her own three boys but helped me with some homeopathic medicine too. Thank you and enjoy the rest of your sabbatical!

Tribal costumes, as colourful as it gets.

Probably a stupid question but does ever any of that publically accessible gold get stolen?

The second food market (or beer garden) in Chiang Rai I was talking about in the previous post. The stands on either side will offer different types of food and it is a permanent coming and going. I love the buzz of it - enough social interaction for me on most nights.

Another bonus about staying that extra night. I was quite impressed with the size of that Saturday-Night-Market. They basically cordoned the whole inner city off.

Certainly my temple day, wasn´t it? After the turmoil of the various nightmarkets I sat outside this temple near the GPO and listened to their mantras for half an hour. Very relaxing despite not understanding one single word.

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