Day 3: run them red lights

Three hundred and six steps later, we arrived at the Doi Suthep temple.

It was packed with tourists which contributed to the lively atmosphere. We roamed around the perimeter of the temple and managed to catch a few pretty sights. It was a pity that the sky was a little cloudy which hindered our view of the Chiang Mai skyline. Proceeding to the insides of the temple, we witnessed people of all ages kneeling down earnestly as they gave their offerings and somehow that scene touched my heart in a way that is indescribable as I saw young children who are probably not sure what this all means and yet, were diligently following what the adults were doing.

With that, this marks the start of our OTOT day! The youth culture group made our way to a Thai restaurant tucked nicely along one of the streets which was recommended by our CMU student attached, Fye. It was the first time we were having proper Thai food despite it being our forth day in Chiang Mai.

After a scrumptious meal, we headed over to Maya Mall (MAYA Lifestyle Shopping Centre) where we got to do some shopping. It felt a lot like a Singapore shopping mall as there were many international brands found in the mall. It was also really quiet which could be possibly be explained by the fact that it was a school afternoon.

Most of the youth culture group went for a Thai massage at a place nearby while Natalia, Sally and I detoured back to Maya Mall, this time to the rooftop garden, Nimman Hill. Lady luck was on our side as we made it there just in time to catch a little of the sunset.

The sky was a beautiful blend of different shades of red, orange and blue that I cannot quite put into words because it does the scene no justice. The three of us stood there for a few quiet moments, soaking in the scene before us and rapidly snapping shots of the sky, wanting to preserve this moment for a long time to come. With the lights generated from all kinds of vehicles down below seeming like a distant blur, the view from up above somehow manages to make me feel so small and realise how I am just one person in this entire universe. This kind of scenes always makes me feel the same way; how our worries seem so insignificant in the larger context, how I am just one person occupying this small space in the whole world while a thousand and one other things could be happening at the same moment. It is a humbling feeling that just allows you to take a step back from your life and allow you to realign your priorities. For that, I am thankful to have this moment during the trip.

I managed to connect better with Natalia and Sally as well as I previously have not spoken much to them before and I am thankful for the time that we had exploring together.

It was a good day of relaxation which will hopefully help to keep us pumped for the next few days.