On The Road... Chiang Rai, Thailand: My Golden Triangle Tour: Part 1!

Chiang Rai was on my radar, I had a long day ahead of me and had made some poor choices the night before. Nevertheless, I embarked on my 'Chiang Rai Tour' with at least six stops crammed into one day! The drive from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai did give me some time to rest because I didn't have a long neck, I had a sore head! More about long necks soon! A Golden Triangle? Go!

I was determined to see more than just Chiang Mai during my whistle-stop grand tour of Thailand during February 2025! Booking a 'Golden Triangle' tour was about to see me cover some miles, located over 167 miles away from Chiang Mai took a lot with both directions covered! Picked up way too early than necessary, I had decided that holiday wasn't meant for sleeping, was I mad? Yes! I had enjoyed several drinks along the local scene the previous night, that fine decision saw me crawling into that white van. The journey from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai's 'Karen Long-Neck Village' almost sobered me up, not to forget the pitstop we had at '7 Eleven' but we shall cover that later on. I had always clocked those 'Long-Neck' ladies on the cover of National Geographic but I was able to see my own version in real-time. The village gates presented chaos, I didn't appreciate the present of those group tours, I shrugged that negative energy to the wayside. They were from China? I was about to be schooled, I was ready for that!

Three of us on the tour including myself had chose to embrace that slice of Chiang Rai culture but the rest of the bus sat like lemons. Enough of the self-pity, I forged ahead with the village tangible and in my sights, I wanted to capture those necks! That sounds so weird, I know! The tour guide told us that these people had been dodging immigration for a long time, they had historically crossed the border from China. Most people would just lay low in nature, minding their business and protecting their peace. I snapped away respectfully when I saw the young lady in my view, I was conscious and knew that these people were used to having their photos taken. It seemed like those golden rings were secured tight around their necks, leaving for a disastrous outcome if they decided to uncoupled from them. I wasn't down for any shopping, I walked away with my photos and that was enough for me. Slowly but surely, that fresh air started to make me feel more human. With more places to see, it was back on the road to see a white temple. Really?

'Wat Rong Khun' brought those tourists crowds, I was ready for their shenanigans because I knew lunch would follow next! Given our tickets and a time to return to a central meeting point, I headed around the temple grounds to try and enjoy this marvel of architecture without it being a battle! Chiang Rai's white temple had me lost for words, that was no mean feat because I have an answer for everything! Those dragons and Thai features looked razor sharp but they served a deep significance. The procedure to access the temple was 'eye-roll' inducing but I kept my senses together, I wasn't about to cause a commotion. 3, 2, 1! Basic materials had been used to construct this intricate looking temple but from a distance it looked like actual porcelain had been used! After inspecting those features more closely, I saw the dazzling effect had been created by using a blend of white-wash and transparent mirrored chips! This temple had not deceived me, it was just crafted carefully with a sense of deception. Yes, I needed to look twice! 

Those jagged edges had me watching my step because the design of that temple looked severe. The craftsmanship that gone into it, well I was amazed beyond belief, it was a highlight to see before lunchtime! The crowds didn't faze me because I protected my peace, this temple didn't need to see me get aeriated, I was in control and loving every single feature at the same time. I was looking for the statement photo but soon realised there was a one way system, I needed to be clever with those angles because at the end I was able to get the best shot! I headed back towards the meeting point for a steamed sausage because I finally felt that I could eat something. Needing a more sensible type of liquid refreshment, I chose a fruit smoothie because I needed to get through the rest of the day. Chiang Rai's statement 'White Temple' glistened in the sunlight, I was thankful in the end. Lunch needed to happen, I didn't have high expectations. That simple serving hit the spot, I was slowly coming back to life. Something blue? CR, let's get back to it! 

Chiang Rai was the gift that kept on giving, from the 'White Temple' to something blue as mentioned before, it was all getting very colourful! 'Wat Rong Suea Ten' had me standing open mouthed in wonderment, I was not ready for such a rich blue masterpiece. We had around thirty minutes at this spot, I knew that I wanted to take it a bit easier. Making it my mission to see the highlights of the temple had to be done, it was! Rich shades of blue were presented to me in every direction, it was truly a visual delight from beginning to end! I decided to walk into the main temple building to see what delights I would be able to see. The richness of the design reminded me of something I had clocked in China's Tibet Autonomous Region whilst in Lhasa. The white vision of the Buddha sat peacefully in front of a divinely designed blue, purple and golden backdrop. Even the columns inside the temple had been painted for the gods, they really had been so! Chiang Rai's 'Blue Temple' served as an ode to the Lanna Kingdom, that was a fact! 

I bought myself a 'Blue Coconut Ice Cream' because things just weren't blue enough! Served in a half coconut shell, this sweet temple treat was infused with sticky rice and blue coconut water. My cooling temple treat didn't just taste sublime, it had been decorated with peanuts and purple flowers. Taking several seats with the temple in view, it was another 'pinch me' moment, Thailand had been serving unstoppable landmark destinations one after another! If truth be told, I just wanted to have a little rest and with that ice cream, I did just that! Before I knew it, I was back on the bus and that opened up a new conversation with a couple who were from Hong Kong. I told them about my working life and then we had a comical chat about a certain bracket of tourist that differed from their HK awareness. No shade, they actually said what they said, not me! Onto the next part of my 'Golden Triangle Tour', I didn't know what to think of the explanation of the next stop. Not quite the fourth place, the 'Blue Temple' felt like the fifth stop! 

A museum? Yes, the fourth stop along my 'Golden Triangle Tour' was the 'Baan Dam Museum'. Known commonly to foreigners as the 'Black House Museum', I got the reference loud and clear. It was a curious looking museum with a series of wooden buildings that boasted the familiar slanted Thai style roofs. Walking into the main building was an assault to the senses in one way because there were countless exhibits with art installations that looked very outlandish, indeed. I didn't know what to make of this stop, in essence I saw this as a nice break from the pace of the day because it was easy to walk around in a quick space of time. I liked the shaded area with many trees, I was able to see a stone baby hippo that reminded me of the viral sensation, 'Moo Deng'. I wanted some context, why had we been taken to such a random place? The Black House Museum didn't give me any deeper impression of Chiang Rai but in retrospect, it was a quick stop before we made our way closer to the Mekong River. 1975? Sure, this museum was a baby!

Value for money? Yes, this tour was giving us more and more by the minute! The distance travelled to that point had been a lot, Chiang Mai felt like a long way! Why hadn't they built a high speed train from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai? I wanted to know! Back to 'Baan Dam Museum' because it was still giving a rather random feeling, I decided that it was just part of the madness to embrace that part of the day. Embrace? That I did! 'Moo Deng?' Yes, I had looked at the zoo that cute hippo was and 'Sriracha' was located in-between Bangkok and Pattaya. Was I planning a second trip to Thailand after I saw that hippo look-a-like? You know, I did ask my friend Andy about Pattaya because Sriracha was located near enough to break up the return journey to Bangkok. Was I delirious? Was I even for real? I think the pace of the day was getting to me and the lack of sleep and consumption of alcohol didn't help, I battled on as the van carried on. I already hoped that a second trip to 7 Eleven would be on the cards for us! Please! 

Golden Triangle, Who?!

Desperately Seeking Adventure