Unfortunately our time in this wonderful country is coming to end. Before heading to the border we had a couple of nights relaxing in the riverside town of Mae Sariang, drinking Leos on the Yuam River, and then made a dash across the north to Chiang Rai.
That dash however was not so much of a dash and more of slow jog. We've become accustomed to rocking up at a bus station with a rough idea of the minivan or bus that we want to get on and then heading to a cheap guesthouse with one maybe two places in mind that sound cheap and decent. The travel gods had a vastly different plan this day.
We got to the Mae Sariang bus station with enough time to buy a ticket on the 8am minivan and squeeze in a quick noodle soup. Against the grain of all previous experiences, every minivan for that day was booked out and we had to take the bus leaving an hour later, that would take twice as long and cost the same price.
Four and a half hours later we made it to Chiang Mai with the expectation that we'd be able to jump on a bus to Chiang Rai within the hour and would still get there at a decent time. However all buses were booked for the next three hours so it was time for another noodle soup and a little wait before hopping on said bus. Despite heavy rain and some erratic driving we made it and had just a short walk to the two guesthouses we'd earmarked.
First place - NO ROOM FULL
Second place - NO VACANCY
It was now closing in on 9pm and the expensive looking Wang Come Hotel was looking like a real possibility but fortunately option three, a $7 a night dive had beds (albeit seemingly made of concrete). A few beers put us to sleep nicely.
Anyway, Chiang Rai. We'd stopped in so we could head out to Wat Rong Khun, the White Temple. This is no ordinary temple.
You really can't get anymore unconventional. It was designed by a guy called Chalermchai Kositpipat and he's received quite a bit of flak from the purists however f*ck the purists. This is an amazing, amazing complex and comparisons to Gaudi are not misplaced.
Enough from me. Enjoy.
In May this year the temple was quite heavily damaged by an earthquake and it looked as though it may be demolished. Chalermchai's instead stated that he will rebuild it to it's former glory and will devote his whole life to it if that's what it takes. Sound like anywhere else you know?
We thought that it gave it more of a lived in feel anyway.
Final stop: Chiang Khong
