Chiang Mai: City of Wats

After exploring the pleasant temple complexes of Sukhothai, we hopped a questionable bus north to Chiang Mai to enjoy a relaxing few days in the northern part of Thailand surrounded by mountains.  Mostly only able to explore the old town area on foot, we were amazed at the number of temples within the city.  It seemed like every 150 meters there was another beautifully ornate wat; it turns out there are over 300 temples in Chiang Mai.  Just up a hill overlooking the city is a particularly impressive temple called Wat Phra That Doi Suthep.  Legend has it that at a temple down the hill from Doi Suthep, there is Buddha relic that miraculously duplicated itself in the 14^th century.  As it was, the relic was mounted on the back of a white elephant and the animal was let loose to wander around until it “chose” a site on which a temple would be build to house the Buddha relic the elephant was carrying.  When it reached the site it lay down and died.

Adorable monk garden gnomes at Wat Phra That Doi Suthep.

If you haven't seen the cute movie Gnomeo and Juliet,
I highly recommend it.  This scene made me think of it :)

Sacred durian tree?

Stunning gold painted pagoda at Wat Phra That Doi Suthep,
one of the most sacred in all of Thailand.

One of my favorite Buddha postures, the walking Buddha.

The beautiful grounds of Wat Phra Singh.