Liz and Chris Take a Trip

On THURSDAY, Chris and I rented a motorbike and rode about 80 kilometers south to Lamphun and back. We originally intended to go to an elephant hospital farther south but after 25 kilometers of riding in the hot heat, we decided to keep our adventure short and cool. Chris is an excellent driver navigating Thai roads, especially the furiously busy Chiang Mai streets where scooters, cars, tuk-tuks, song thaews and pedestrians push forward at the same time with little to no organization. Everyone must be an active driver/walker/bicyclist/motorist – no room for passivity or hesitation when it comes to the extreme sport of commuting here. Thank you to Chris for consistently being vigilant and safe. (And for remembering to drive on the left!)

Lamphun had lots to offer us culture seekers on our day journey. When we first rode into Chiang Mai on the train from Bangkok, we spotted the back of an immense gold statue on a hilltop overlooking a small town. We noted where it was relative to Chiang Mai  so we could go back and visit. Turns out the statue is of Khruba Sriwichai, a revered monk in northern Thailand responsible for the  renovation of many temples, buildings and schools, and most notably the construction of a road though Doi Suthep (Suthep Mountain). His statue at Wat Doi Ti sits impressively atop a hill overlooking the town. It’s so impressively large, it’s visible from miles away at least, and has collected several bee swarms on the monk’s neck.

Wat Doi Ti was the one of the highlights for me on our day trip to Lamphun, only second to our breezy, sunset ride back to Chiang Mai on the road that runs parallel to the train tracks. It’s an easy road with only a few other motorbikes and cars, so less traffic stress and more opportunity to enjoy each the open road and each other’s company. We passed beautiful scenery along the way – small towns, lush jungle, the same sights we had seen from the train but a different perspective from a motorcycle. Great way to end our night.

Take a look at some of the photos:

15.05.07_Ride to Lamphun