Chaing Mai Doi Suthep Temple

Today I teamed up with my Vancouver buddy, Dennis, and we hired a truck to take us to The Great Golden Temple that overlooks Chiang Mai City. This is 'Parsons' our driver. He is a character. When he took us back after the Temple Trek, he actually got lost in the city. As I'm sure my niece, Amy, would tell you, just because they call themselves Taxi drivers, doesn't mean they have any idea where they're going. At the end he took us 20 minutes off course and then asked for 100 baht more for his mistake. I just smiled and said 'Namaste'. But I digress...

This Temple is called 'Doi Suthep' (Dah-set-epp') and was built in the 1300s. I have been feeling home sick for the last couple of days and the Temples are what make me feel home.

The approach to the Temple is a long series of 306 steps between two 'Nagas' or serpents, to the top. This is Dennis. He says that the Naga is his totem and that it keeps him safe while he travels.

I just wanted to show you Diana, that there are indeed crocodiles to be found here in Chiang Mai; even if only in stone. I promise not to dangle my feet here...
There are 4 Temples at the four quadrants around the main Temple. This is one of them.

I am doing an ancient sign for a friend today as I sat for this picture. The feeling while I'm in this temple is as if I am floating. The energy I feel is so calming and my heart feels totally at peace. I feel a tremendous feeling of airiness at the crown chakra for those of you who know what that means.

This Temple is very familiar to me and what really strikes me is that this is the first time I see the Buddha figure with eyes open. The gaze is piercing and the feeling of joy and peace carries through the whole Temple site like a never ending river of electricity.

Again, I took this picture to connect with a another dear friend who I wrote earlier today. Tell me if you could feel the energy. I know this place very well.

This is the site that most know from the postcards.
As I sat before the main Temple, the clocks at either side began to chime exactly twelve o'clock noon. I barely heard them over the intense sound of what seemed like high tension wires coupled with 'white noise' that swirled around me as I listened.
I bought a bell just after this visit so that I could share a tiny bit of the sound current with my friends when I return. I also found that special stone for you Kathy.

I wish you, my dear friends and travellers, the kind of peace I feel when I am in such places as this.

Namaste'

When I tell you this story you may think I dreamed it. Perhaps I did. All I know is my Mom was sitting close by and she, along with a lot of other people watched as it took place.
Yesterday, I was standing at the Pharmacy counter, here in Waterloo, waiting to pick up my Super Deet. It’s a custom blended, high-strength Insect repellent to protect me from those nasty Malaria mosquitoes. A single bottle cost me fifty-four dollars. I was thinking that for that price I could probably just pay the mosquitoes not to bite me. So there I am, waiting for the pharmacist to finish blending my repellent when a woman appears beside me and says: “If you’re going to Thailand you will need to learn the greeting. She put her hands together, gently bowed to me, and said: “Namaste’ She went on to say: It is a greeting that means ‘I honor the highest aspect of you’.“ I turned to her and repeated what she said, bowing the same subtle bow; ‘Nom-Mass-Stay’. “There.” She said, smiling. "Now you’re ready to visit the temples.” At that moment, my bottle of Deet was handed to me, I bowed and left.