ADSactly Travel - The Grand View of Chiang Mai

The magnificent city of Chiang Mai was once the capital of the Lan Na Kingdom in the year 1296. This beautiful city was given the UNESCO Creative City award in 2017 and was on the tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage inscription in 2015. Millions of tourists visit Chiang Mai every year for its diversity in outdoor activities and historic temples. The city itself is filled with commercial centers with most brands to accommodate the growing population and visiting tourists.

Some of the most gorgeous mountains in Thailand are in Chaing Mai such as Doi Inthanon & Doi Ang Khang and the province is filled with national parks. In those national parks are astonishing waterfalls that attract visitors who are filled with passion for adventure. Another popular nature-themed adventure is renting a houseboat at the Mae Ngad Dam, and enjoy the seclusion (pending other tourists) on a beautiful lake. There's never a moment of stagnation in the green season and more adventures await in winter months, in the cold mountains of Chiang Mai.

Exploring Heritage

My youngest brother who's visiting from Las Vegas, Nevada wanted to learn more about his Lan Na heritage by visiting Chiang Mai. I'm never one to back down from a traveling adventure so I quickly agreed to be his guide (along with three more uncles). It was an amazing trip that almost turned into a sequel of "Hang Over," on several occasions. Before we left, I went to visit my Ajarn (mentor) Luang Phor Ya to have my Sak Yant tattoos empowered again. As I was asking the grandmaster of Sak Yant monk about techniques during astral projection, my brother asked how long was a Sak Yant tattoo. Luang Phor Ya and I looked at each other and then he replied that he was available.

When we arrived, three of Luang Phor Ya's disciples were walking out, putting their shirts on. He had already tattooed three people before agreeing to do it again so I was grateful for his time empowering my little brother. My family has a deep-rooted history with Luang Phor Ya and I was proud of that the powers bestowed upon our family has reached my brother's generation. We were both born in the United States so it was us finding home together and me actually welcoming him home in a spiritual way.

From the first stab of the monk's metal rod on my brother's back, I recalled each yantra with my Ajarn. The blood and sweat it took over years tattooing yantras in holy oil before having the ones in holy ink tattooed on top. He was receiving his first yantra called "Gao Yod," which most Thai males receive first and also Luang Phor Ya's personalized yantra on his head. The closer the yantra was to finishing the more I could see him wince in pain. I reassured him that he can control that pain and he got through it like a champ. When it was over our Ajarn gave us some super amulets to protect our families and I was grateful to share this part of my life with my youngest brother.

A View of a Lifetime

After visiting our Ajarn Luang Phor Ya at Wat Nang Liao in Lampang, we got on the highway and headed to Chiang Mai's Doi Suthep Mountains. It was a brief 100 km drive with some of the most beautiful forest scenery you can imagine. During Thailand's rainy season the forest looks like its straight out of a movie because it's so green and mesmerizing. When we reached Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, we dropped half of our party off at one of the eateries and I headed to the top of the temple with my brother and our family friend.

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is one of the busier temples but is well worth the crowd. When we arrived at the top we went straight to the famed pagoda that is said to contain a relic of Buddha's shoulder bone. The pagoda section had many statues and large Buddhas to it and I tried to admire each of them to the fullest. I started with statues that represent each day people are born and worked my way to the larger ones next to the pagoda. As we approached each main hall room with the largest statues of Buddha, we went in and praised with some Pali incantations.

The spirit of the visitors was amazing as I watched everyone scrambling around taking pictures in the excitement of their spiritual journeys. I managed to capture countless images while exploring the four sides of the pagoda and the statues that decorated the way. When I got to the final side close to the door I had entered, I took long moments admiring the pagoda that holds a piece of Buddha's relic. The sun was gleaming perfectly off it for short moments at a time ducking in and out of the rain clouds.

We continued on the path around the temple's mountain stopping by each building to admire the artistic exterior designs. The craftsmanship is artistically masterful and a lot of the statues and building pillars were hand-carved wooden logs.

As we got closer to the temple's edge, I saw a group of Chinese influenced statues and stopped to admire.

The craftsmanship and details were different but they're ultimately bringing two cultures spiritually together.

They were grouped with some larger well-crafted statues of Buddha that would impress any art lover.

I stood there taking photos for long moments at a time, trying to take the perfect one.

The rain was kind that day and also at the moment we arrived at the temple's edge. I told my brother to take a deep breath because it's the rainy season in Chiang Mai which has the cleanest air of the year.

As we both looked over a grand view of Chiang Mai, I couldn't help but thank the ye kind universe for giving me the opportunity to share that moment and view with my youngest brother.

Authored & Photographed by @stewsak

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