State, Society, and Me: Chiang Mai & Chiang Rai

One of my good friends invited me to join her for a weekend trip to Chiang Rai, a province in the far north of the country. Since I'd never been, I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to see the Golden Triangle.

So I hopped on a flight to Chiang Mai to catch my friend on her way north. It was one of the smaller planes I've ever used, but the service was great.

I spent one evening in Chiang Mai, which coincided with the weekly night market. It reminded me of how much I enjoy that city.

One of the entry points to the night market.

The next morning we boarded a bus for the three-hour trip to the provincial capital of Chiang Rai. The bus wasn't bad, although I don't love busing through narrow mountain passes as much as I used to.

Chiang Rai is charming and much more relaxed than Chiang Mai has become. The tourism boom that has driven growth in Chiang Mai has not spread quite so much in the surrounding provinces. Probably for the best.

The city's Clock Tower - a bit gaudy for my tastes

We visited the iconic White Temple, which it truly stunning.

If you ever pass through the area, you must visit the temple. Do be warned, though, that Chinese tour groups stop by regularly. They have not yet learned the finer points of being tourists... Bathrooms look like disaster areas in their wake. :(

My friend also insisted on visiting a tea plantation. It was pretty, but I didn't get to partake in any of the tourist activities beyond taking pictures. Tea plantations aren't much fun for Mormons. But if you give me a camera, I can make my own fun!

We also visited Singha Park, which is owned by the Singha brewing company. Thailand's version of Busch.

The Singha (Lion) Symbol on a hill overlooking the park

They had giraffes! I fed them.

Other Chiang Rai sites included a number of temples.

Wat Phra Kaew - once home to the Emerald Buddha now found in Bangkok... this is a replica

Another temple... forgot its name.

Admittedly, I tend to suffer from temple fatigue when in Thailand, so I didn't pay as much attention as I probably should have. My friend, though, wanted to say a prayer at each of the major temples, so we made the rounds.

From Chiang Rai, it's only a short trip to Chiang Saen, which is the border town sitting at the Golden Triangle. It's an ancient town, which has had a long tradition as a trading area on the banks of the Mekhong River.

Temple/palace ruins near Chiang Saen

Golden Triangle where Laos, Burma, & Thailand meet

Pretty lake near Chiang Saen

While there we visited a few more temples and the Golden Triangle, which is most famous for its role in the international opium and drug trade. Now it's mostly a tourist stop, but I'm sure the drug trade is still thriving.

Beyond the sights, I also enjoyed the food!