SE Asia Day 9: Chiang Rai

/ alliwanders

Woke up to a sunny but chilly day: 49°F! The restaurant was semi-outdoors so everyone went back upstairs for more layers. What a difference from Bangkok.

Today’s agenda consists of a 19km bike ride with a temple or two thrown in. We had to drive about an hour to Chiang Saen to pick up our bikes, then set off in a straggly line as many of us hadn’t been on a bike in a while.

It was an absolutely brilliant day for cycling: perfect temperature, cool breeze, quiet roads, cool things to see, a great snack break (sag wagon followed us), and fun companions. Loved it!

Rice harvest has just ended.
Water buffalo and pineapple fields on
the hill behind

We rode right to our lunch stop and again devoured our meal. Overly satisfied we hopped into the van to ride up to Sop Ruak to visit the Golden Triangle monument and the Opium Museum.

For perspective: Chiang Rai province is the dark blob at the top of Thailand
Random golden Buddha
Laurie & Larry posing with some tourist monks under the Golden Triangle Monument. Thailand on the left, Myanmar center, and Laos on the right

And because I photograph everything, for completion’s sake, here’s the opium museum:

So this is a poppy (😂)
Make slashes and 24h later harvest
syrupy opium juice
Big selection of opium pipes
Diorama of the 1967 Opium War. Burmese, Laotians, and Chinese fighting over opium and taxes owed to transport it. There’s a long history of many countries including the US getting their hands dirty in this drug trade

A little walk through the souvenir stalls then it was time to return ‘home’. An evening off tonight so most us relaxed at our hotel as we’re located outside of Chiang Rai. Tomorrow we’re off to Laos!