| The Buddhist Temples in Thailand are simply | | | | As I putted up the hill, I thought the exercise |
| impressive. This is particularly true of Wat Doi | | | | would have done me well. Up I went enjoying the |
| Suthep, the mountain temple outside Chang Mai. | | | | view. And up I went and went and went. If there |
| Wat Doi Suthep | | | | had been any turns off the road, I would've |
| More or less located on the top of Suthep | | | | sworn I had taken a wrong turn. |
| Mountain, Wat Doi Suthep is a day trip from the | | | | It turns out the ride from Chang Mai to the Wat |
| city. You'll notice I didn't write an "easy" day trip. | | | | was something like 22 miles. All of it up hill at a |
| When the Thais build a mountain temple, they're | | | | grade that would get a whimper out of Tour de |
| serious about the mountain aspect. | | | | France rider. The people riding up the hill were |
| Suthep Mountain is large as is the road winding up | | | | definitely not professional riders. It was like |
| it. I had planned to rent a mountain bike and ride | | | | watching a progression of misery. The higher you |
| up to it early in the morning. While sitting in a | | | | went, the more unhappy the looked. |
| beverage establishment the previous evening, the | | | | Pulling into the parking lot for the Wat was like |
| bartender had to take a minute to himself to stop | | | | pulling into a disaster zone. Twenty or so bikers |
| laughing after revealed my plans. I wasn't sure if | | | | were sprawled out on the ground in various |
| this was because I was actually in the | | | | states of agony. Some appeared to have ridden |
| establishment or because of the road up the | | | | to a soft looking spot and just fallen over. Most |
| mountain. | | | | were saying things like, "Never again." |
| The next morning I was a little less enthusiastic | | | | I spent an hour up at Wat Doi Suthep overlooking |
| about my riding plans, so much so I rented a | | | | the valley below. It is definitely worth a day trip |
| moped. Off I went and, after a few wrong turns, | | | | from Chang Mai. Just don't try to mountain bike |
| I was headed up the mountain. I felt a bit guilty | | | | to it. I never saw any of the wounded in the |
| as I passed a few people riding bikes up the hill. | | | | parking lot actually come into the Wat! |