John & Sun-Ling Wander the Earth: Loop to Chiang Rai

The trip from Mae Salong to Chiang Rai was pretty easy as 5 or 6 friendly ladies from Mae Salong were also making the trip on the 7:15 am pickup truck: one school girl, a mother with a portfolio of official papers and her young son, a French tourist, a "hill tribe" mother and daughter team, and several others. The first pickup spewed fumes, and that combined with the mountain curves made me a bit queasy. Our group transferred to another pickup in Mae Chan and were in Chiang Rai before lunchtime.

We excurted to the so-called White Temple one day, and endured the Saturday Night Walking Street Market. We liked Chiang Rai as our hotel had a pool, an attentive smiling owner, and a great breakfast; the city was not as crowded as Chiang Mai, there were several vegetarian restaurants and the excursion to the White Temple was worthwhile and easy.

The Girl Scouts (I think) march by as we wait for the green 7:15 pickup to pull out of Mae Salong.

The Hotel Huen Chan Thip pool.

The Market.

Buying treats at a night food market.

Salads for sale at the night market.

Workers.

Waiting for the bus.

Some shots of the White Temple which is both "not a temple" and "more temple than most Buddhist temples". It's the work of artist Chalermchai Kositpipat who designed, funded, and constructed the temple.