Up the mountain to Doi Suthep

One of the most famous landmarks in Chiang Mai is Doi Suthep, a wat (Buddhist temple) on the mountains just west of the city. I had the first of May off--it was Thai Labor Day--so we decided to visit the place for ourselves. Being on the side of a mountain, it was a rather steep drive, but it was also a great opportunity for a scenic view of Chiang Mai.

The wat is at the top of many stairs (over 300). At the base of the stairs vendors were hawking all sorts of stuff: food, paintings, t-shirts, jewelry, you name it. It reminded me of Jesus overturning the money changers' tables. I suppose if they used the worship of the Creator God to make money it shouldn't surprise me that do it for world religions.



Once we past the vendors, we were ready to climb the stairs.