The temples of Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai is the biggest city in northern Thailand, but far more friendly than it’s chaotic sibling Bangkok. Up here in the north, the heat is less suffocating than Bangkok’s chokehold, but it still clings to your skin like guilt.

The traffic is crazy as expected, and of course you have the tuk-tuks. These motorcycle versions of rickshaws are everywhere, extremely noisy and will quickly choke you in a cloud of blue smoke. I start my day by dodging into one of them and hope for the best. Life is full of journeys and each one will take you somewhere. Better make sure to enjoy the ride.

Golden tiles of Wat Pan Tao.

There are more Buddhist temples here than you can count. I pass through the Ta Phae Gate and start a slow shuffle through endless temple areas, each more ornate than the last. Golden leaves, mirrored mosaics, dragon mouths and serpent tails curling into the sky. A fever dream of faith and architecture. I begin to lose track of time, of place, of purpose. Maybe that’s the point.

Dragon stairs of Doi Suthep.

One of the most impressive is situated at the top of the mountain Doi Suthep, towering over the city. At the top of beautiful dragon stairs with 309 steps lies a temple from the 14th century. Monks in saffron robes drift past tourists fiddling with their digital cameras, while the scent of incense floats through the air, mixing with exhaust fumes and grilled pork on a stick.

The temple is said to contain a shoulder bone from Buddha, but that is only a tiny comfort as zealous temple guards rush forward to dress me in a pink skirt to cover my legs. Sorry Buddha, I didn’t want to start any blasphemous rumours.

At some point, I stop trying to remember the names of the temples. They blur into each other, like barstools at the end of a long night. But there’s a rhythm to it. A kind of meditation. Sweat, breathe, move forward.

That’s Chiang Mai. It doesn’t care if you’re enlightened, but it will give you a shot at understanding why people keep chasing that feeling. Whether it’s in the hush of a prayer hall, in the reflection of a golden leaf or in the silence that follows the ringing of a temple bell.