From Chiang Mai we decided to take a day tour to nearby Chiang Rai and the Mekong River along the Laotian Border.
The day was made by our tour guide, Danny, who picked us up at 07:30. During the 2.5 h drive to Chiang Rai and Wat Rong Khun (a.k.a the White Temple) he entertained us with stories about the region, which involved a lot of him saying “Danny, why you say….” He also told us of what not to do when visiting temples by giving examples of the “younger generations” mishaps and how the monks frown upon such behaviour. Way to go Matt, I hope your obnoxious selfies were worth cleaning the Golden toliet.
The White Temple is an amazing building, and one of the major reasons, if not the only reason, to visit Chiang Rai. It’s also pretty new, with construction of the current temple starting in the mid-1990s. As a result there is some pretty interesting contemporary art inside the main temple – think superheros like Batman, or political figures like George W. Bush or Bin Laden (Photos aren’t allowed inside the main temple).
Wat Rong Khun (a.k.a the White Temple) in Chiang Rai
We spent about an hour exploring the temple grounds, which included a visit to the golden toilet and gift shop, after which we were whisked off to our next destination – a visit to the hill tribe village.
Honestly, the hill tribe visit was disappointing, and I didn’t feel that I came away with any better understanding how the Karen people lived, either traditionally or currently. Rather, it felt like a tourist trap, where we whisked down an aisle of shops where individuals were trying to sell us “handmade crafts” that looked suspiciously like many of the things you could find in the night markets in Chiang Mai.
After lunch, we were supposed to visit another market, but Danny convinced the group to visit the Blue Temple instead – and I was glad that he did! The Blue Temple is still under construction, and we got to meet the designer, but it was pretty cool. We also got a lesson on how in Thai culture your lucky colour is dictated by the day of the week you were born on (mine is light blue).
Blue Temple
From here we proceeded to the Golden Triangle – a region along the Mekong River that borders Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar. Once the worlds largest opium growing region, nowadays its apparently much tamer and includes a special economic zone where you can visit part of Laos from Thailand. Following a long-boat trip on the Mekong, we arrived on an island in Laos. Danny had us sample the Laotian whiskies – which included one that had ginger, one with a snake, and another that apparently had a tiger penis in it. They are supposed to have medicinal properties, but I don’t think you’ll see me trading Scotch or Rye whisky for it any time soon. We also had time to shop before returning to the boat to shop. Hello “Raybans” for 200 baht ( ~$8 Cdn ).
To pass the time on the return boat trip to Thai soil Danny solicited volunteers to sing for 500 Laotian kip (~ 8 cents ). To cheering fans, Liam rapped the Fresh Prince of BelAir theme song, which in my eyes will forever make him Fresh Prince of the Mekong.
Fresh Prince of the Mekong
From here we proceeded back to Chiang Mai,arriving back around 10:30. We passed the time by napping and eating multiple types of exotic potato chips.
The Travelling Scientist 
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