Free Range Kids: Thailand Adventures- Part 5 Doi Suthep

DOI SUTHEP

March 2

Some Buddha offerings-banana, soda. Very practical. Rather than crosses on side of road there are little Buddha shrines. Body scrub massage like being scoured with Brillo pad. Did everywhere but two places, one of which, was my face. Coffee grounds embedded in nipples definitely a first. After getting the 150-grit treatment there was a relaxing oil massage. Surprisingly skin still intact and super soft. Scouring felt best on my coral scrape of over 5 wks ago. Talk about some potent poison. Stung like a beast for 30 hrs, then been itchy, raised hive-like-scars the rest. By the looks of it I've got another month at least of itch. Coral 1, Me 0

Many apply gold leaf for merit-making & to honor the Buddha

Doi Suthep is a mountain about 15 km from Chiang Mai. Near its summit (5,250 ft) is a Buddhist shrine, Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. We hired a songthaew (aka truck taxi) to take us there and back. The truck taxi cost less than $15 for ~3 hour excursion...I love Thailand.

Eva tuckered out after our winding drive up the mountain

We took the tram up ~~so we didn't have to drag our lazy selves up 309 stairs,~~ ~~because we were exhausted from traveling with 5 little people,~~ because we knew it is what the children would like best. We are thoughtful like that.

At the top of the stairs, we didn't have to climb

You see stairs, but I fondly see those water bottles. More on that some other time.

Monks Worshipping

Some interesting monk facts:
• Monkhood is so respected that it comes just below royalty in the social hierarchy.
• Monks are prohibited to touch a woman or receive anything directly from her. Women should avoid sitting near a monk and if she wants to give him something, she needs to use a middle-man or place the item nearby for him to pick up.
• Monks make a daily alms round shortly after dawn in search of their daily meal. Monks are allowed to eat only food that has been given to them and they must eat it before noon.
• Monks shave their head on the day of the full moon.

Monks Chanting

Peter, Josiah, Caleb, Isaac, Rachel, Florence, Eva

Signing a large banner

Eva was in heaven with all the shoes and no, those aren't ours

Some strangers showed interest in Eva, causing her to cling to Caleb

Nothing like big brothers to make you feel safe

This is the first & only fat Buddha we saw

Worn out after all the excitement. About 30 minutes earlier, she was flailing on the ground throwing a tantrum and about 28 minutes ago she was covered in chocolate from the ice cream we used to appease her.

Thankfully, Josiah didn't get sick, even though the rode twisted and turned a lot. Must be the huge windows.

View of Chiang Mai from the mountain. It was very smokey, because they burn their fields.

The next day we spent lounging at the hotel, so the children decided to brave the pool once again. To put it in perspective, after living on our island paradise, even the water in Hawai'i is too cold.