DAY 2 (24 November 2007, Saturday)
I woke up early and went to Somphet market and the foot of Wat Prathet Doi Suthep to see the monks collect food.
After which, I made my way up to Wat Pratard Doi Suthep. I must say that this is another of the best route I've ever ridden since the legendary '1896 curves' on the Mae Hong Son Loop I did 2yrs ago. The tarmac is nicely paved and the road bends at a positive angle. If you are riding a big capacity bike, I am sure you will enjoy the high speed bends and plenty of knee slidings!
Inside the temple, it was pretty packed with tourist as this is the most-visited temple in Chiang Mai.
On the way out, I saw these few kids dressed in traditional costumes and I snapped few pictures of them.
Coming out from the temple, I headed towards Phu Phing Palace, about 5km from the temple. This Palace is used by members of the royal family as a winter retreat. However when the palaces is not used, the park/garden area is open to the public for viewing. I must say that the visit is mainly for the enormous variety of flowers in the garden compound. Some of the roses are as large as a human fist! If you are into nature/wildlife photography, this is the place for you!
Moving on, I went on further into Ban Doi Pui Hmong village through some really bad and bumpy roads. The village also has a pleasant terraced flower garden where opium poppy as well as other flowering plants are grown for display There is also a hill tribe museum. Though the main income of the village is derived from tourism, many of the men also work in fields on the mountains slopes beyond the village.
I then proceeded back to Chiang Mai and do the Doi Saket-Sankamphaeng Loop. Route 118 was straight and boring until the turn off into Route 1317. It gets a little more interesting where the narrow road cuts through some villages. Soon I got to Sankamphaeng and went to the much visited Sankamphaeng hotsrpings. The Sankamphaeng Hot Springs have geysers, mineral baths and gardens that make a pleasant setting for relaxation. There were 2 spoits of water spraying into the sky of about 3 story high.
On the super high-speed route way back to Chiang Mai via Route 1317, I made a stop at the Bo Sang handicraft village. They have umbrella making centre among the other handicrafts handmade here. A lot of novelty is being sold here.
In the evening in Chiang Mai, several streets in the old city are closed to traffic at night for a huge market featuring several stage shows. On the night of Loy Kratong, there's a parade of giant kratongs along with contestants for the title of Miss Nopamas. The procession starts at the Tapae Gate and ends at the river-side where the giant kratongs are floated.
