Oh my God - oh my Buddha!.

Tea cups made of bamboo and future interpretations of animal bones in the vicinity of the city of Chiang Mai, northern Thailand to experience a world of visitors who have little to mass tourism in the south has to do. Spectacular is the centuries-old Buddhist temple.

 

Chiang Mai - there must be an elephant with vision have been the site of the Doi Suthep temple-specific. The legend goes like this: The Thai King Kuna wanted a new temple for a relic of the Buddha build. He grabbed the precious piece in a white handkerchief, tied it to a rare white elephant and let the animal run. Where the elephant stopped, the temple should arise. But the pachyderm ran and ran the Suthep mountain in Chiang Mai up and finally rested until 1022 meters altitude.

There was 1388, the Doi Suthep temple. Sun helped the elephant of the royal city in the north of Thailand at a Temple in a unique location with impressive views.

Thailand's south, attracts visitors especially with the sun and beaches. The north is mountainous, cooler and requires more use to the treasures to discover - for example, the 300 stairs to Doi Suthep temple-. The use but worth it. The temple complex is next to an impressive view Kupferstupa with a golden umbrella over fünflagigen and lots of elephant sculptures. Who is not in Doi Suthep, was not in Chiang Mai ", say the residents.

Crash Course in Buddhist temples and Client

Chiang Mai is Thailand's second largest city, with around 200,000 inhabitants and a catchment area with more than three million inhabitants. The city itself was in 1296 by King Mungrai created. He had a city wall, and put 50,000 men, to a ditch about auszuschaufeln. The ditch is still there, but the walls are only the remains of five gates left. Chiang invaded Burma in May 1556, and his troops haute many short and small.

A tour of the 1.5 by 1.5 kilometer Old Town is ideal for a quick course in Buddhism and temple. Wat Suan Dok is the main temple. The facility is located adjacent to the university with lively student life. In the great hall two monks sitting behind laptops, sold a third forward baskets victims with rice, water and fruit. The offerings are subject to a prayerful monk performed the gifts later distributed to the needy.

"When I dreamed of my deceased aunt did, I also grab the needle and thread in the victim basket," says Akom, a tourist guide. "If it was his uncle, candles and matches - so that the spirits in the beyond mending their clothing and can illuminate their way." Thais go at least once in your life to the monastery, usually before marriage. "The merits that will be earned, go entirely to the parents. After marriage, they go to the account of his wife and his own family," Akom said. The passage into the monastery before marriage tribute of respect to parents.

In the garden of the temple is a huge poplar fig, recognizable by the aerial roots and heart-leaves. According to the Buddha experienced his enlightenment under a fig poplar. There is the oldest temple Wat Chiang Man from the year 1296 and the highest temple Wat Chedi Luang, which in any travel guide can be found. There is usually also as an attraction of the night market is described, where the evening everything from souvenirs to about Nippes counterfeit brand handbags, T-shirts and DVDs there.

Retirement havens in the vicinity

A more authentic Thailand but rather provides the surroundings of Chiang Mai. One, two hours drive away are the villages of the 13 Thai hill tribes with a total of one million members. In the lush green landscape is simple, but elegant guest houses as the starting point for discovery tours. The Lisu Lodge is an idyllic quiet oasis away a three-quarter at the foot of the mountains. The road there leads through small villages with the typical garage shops and passing Drachenfruchthainen.

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The facility is located adjacent Dton Loong, a village of the Lisu minority. One of the shots here, is the shaman Alehpa. He heals all kinds of problems in his shed. Alehpa visitors, for example, explains how the future of chicken bones reads. The Lodge is on the morning of the village headman to hear over the loudspeaker announcing the day's program: when the doctor comes in and what house is celebrated.

The guest house has neither Abendbar still Animierprogramm. Instead, there are crickets, Froschquaken and a large lawn with taunassem grass. Here are the days of fun, for example, from mountain biking, followed by a rafting tour for beginners. The captain of the rubber boat is on the gentle river sure that his sheep at the three or four small rapids properly wet - perfect cooling after welding driving a bike tour.

"Oh my God!" tourists scream when a load of water coming - "Oh my Buddha!" replied the Captain and laughs.

Not far from Dton Loong is the village Tonlung in which the Akha tribe is at home. The 70-year-old MGU invites visitors to tea like that in bamboo cups served. She shows her small two-room hut, and the big straw walls that are now in the summer for fresh air make. In winter it can be icy whistle - and shows MGU averse to the stone house next door, her son built. There she lives when she gets cold feet.