It’s another early start today and we are on the road by 8am, driving north through beautiful plains full of rice fields, lotus flowers and watermelons illuminated by the morning sun. We are heading to Si Satchanali, the ancient City of Good People, which was a sister site to Sukothai, and governed by the same royal dynasty.
It is quite remote and off the tourist trail so when we arrive about 9.30am the entire, vast complex of temples is deserted and we have it almost completely to ourselves. What a privilege, as Si Satchanali is absolutely stunning, situated in the Mae Nam Yom forest and spread over 45sq km which we traverse in a little tram that loops us to each stop and waits for us as we explore.
As we set off we pass water buffalo grazing in the local fields, coming to our first major temple Wat Chedi Ched Thaeo. Comprising 33 stupas, laid out in accordance with cosmological significance, it is believed that this was the cemetery for the royal family.
At Wat Nang Phaya, built in the 1500s and which has a beautiful stupa at the centre, there is a section of ornate stucco plasterwork, sheltered from the elements, which shows how elaborately decorated the palaces and temples were when they were first built. Now just bare brick, all these - and the structures at Ayutthaya and Sukothai - were originally covered in smooth plaster and engraved with fine details.
One of the most impressive monuments is Wat Chang Lom, with a huge stupa at the centre surrounded by 39 elephants, most of which are now badly eroded. Built in 1285 it is set in a wide square space, and we are able to climb the stairs and walk around the stupa, revelling in the peace and tranquility of the site.
Once our tour is finished we get back into No’s waiting people carrier and continue our drive into the more mountainous north, arriving in Lampang after a couple of hours. Outside the main town we stop at Wat Phra That Lampang Luang which is the oldest wooden structure in Thailand, dating back to the 1400s and houses a Buddha created in 1563, with paintings telling his life story.
The buildings are in the Lanna style of carved wood, very busy with worshippers and with thick smoke in the air. One of the temples even has very lifelike replicas of seated monks surrounding the main shrine. Legend says that the Buddha himself visited here during his lifetime 2,500 years ago, with a sacred bodhi tree marking the spot in the grounds, but Toto says that is fiction as he never travelled this far from India. However the Emerald Buddha was originally from here and there is a bigger replica of it in one of the temples.
After another hour we arrive into Chiang Mai, Thailand’s second city and beloved of backpackers. We are definitely not backpacking, as evidenced by our beautiful hotel, the Aksara situated within the old city. We say a fond farewell to Toto and No, who have a ten-hour drive back to Bangkok ahead of them, and dropping our bags in our room, we head straight out to explore.
The Aksara hotel is right next door to Wat Phan On, one of Chiang Mai’s eighty temples within the old city walls, with over 2000 temples in the wider Chiang Mai environs. As it is the weekend, and close to New Year, both the street outside our hotel and the grounds of Wat Phan On, are crowded with market stalls. Succumbing to the Thai traveller vibe we buy elephant pants, perfect for visiting all the temples where no shorts are allowed, and ideal to wear while our laundry is being done at a little laundromat we find on a backstreet.
We queue for dinner at Cha Da, a well-regarded vegetarian restaurant near our hotel, and end up being seated next to a young woman from Bristol called Charlotte, who is spending three months travelling solo around the region. She tells us she is staying in a hostel costing just £5 per night, sharing a dorm room and bathroom with seven other people. We admire her independent spirit but realise we are far too old to travel in that way.
Before we retire for the night, we walk up our street to Tha Phae Gate, in the city walls, and continue on for a while along the main Tha Phae Road into the new city. It has a huge night market selling almost everything, including various massages with dozens of people getting foot massages on the street, and is lit up overhead with New Year decorations comprising illuminated arches.
Each arch represents a sign of the zodiac, on one side with western astrological signs and the other featuring the Chinese signs. It’s very eye-catching but we’re ready for bed and as we get back to our large, comfy room and have a lovely hot shower we think of Charlotte in her hostel dorm and, thanking our good fortune once more, wish her safe travels ahead!
