Day 3:

The locals believed that the top of the mountain of Doi Suthep is the closest point to heaven in Chiang Mai. Standing on the top of the mountain, it’s easy to see why anyone would have thought that way.

 

You could see the entire skyline of Chiang Mai set against the majestic mountains and clear cobalt blue sky. You could see the farms, the pedi fields and the low raising buildings. The air is crisp and even a little sweet. The weather was amaxing too. The winds were blowing as if the sky was a giant air-con, and the sunlight provided a nice warmth if you felt cold. If heaven really do exist, then this is probably the closest a human could get to it in their lifetime.

 

I even bought a flower from the vendor. Son, our CMU buddy, taught us that we should hold our flowers and circle the pagoada thrice, for good luck he said. I may not be a budhist, but being there made me feel calm and peaceful. It made me believe that my tiny wish can come true too if I walked those rounds and prayed really really hard.

 

Our tour guide told us on the bus trip that the location of the temple was selected by white elephant. He was bestowed with the honor of selecting the location by a previous king and was allowed to roam freely. To everyone’s surprise, he climbed up the mountain and promotly died. So the king believed that the mountain is the best spot to bulid the temple. I couldn’t help but think about the poor elephant that died climbing that steep mountain in a desperate search for food though.

 

I have always thought that I was a city girl. I loved the neon lights, the high rise building and the glamour of cities. Just like New York city, the city that never sleeps. The way energy is pulsating through every inch of the place. The efficiency and the fast pace of life has always seem enchanting to me.   

 

But…. It’s easy to fall in love with Chiang Mai. I seem to have more time to enjoy the scenary. Something I have not done in a long while in Singapore. They may not live in excess but they lived in happiness. Son also told me that he wanted to be the governor of his village. That’s nice. It’s heartwarming to hear that there are people that are still fighting on for their dreams, instead of succumbing to the rat race.  

 

So I told Son to not to forget us and invite us to his town soon.